Papers

8 results
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Article Tier 2

Enhanced bioaccumulation and toxicity of Fenpropathrin by polystyrene nano(micro)plastics in the model insect, silkworm (Bombyx mori)

Researchers found that polystyrene nano- and microplastics made the pesticide fenpropathrin more toxic to silkworms by acting as carriers that increased the insect's absorption of the chemical. The smaller the plastic particles were, the more they boosted pesticide accumulation in the silkworms' bodies, raising concerns about how microplastics may amplify the effects of other environmental toxins.

2025 Journal of Nanobiotechnology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity and intergenerational accumulation effect of tire wear particles and their leachate on Brachionus plicatilis

Researchers studied tire wear particles, a major source of microplastics in oceans, and found they harm tiny marine animals called rotifers across multiple generations. The toxic effects actually got worse over generations, with repeated exposure being more harmful than single-generation exposure. The zinc and chemical additives in tire particles were the main drivers of toxicity, raising concerns about the growing impact of tire-derived microplastics on marine food chains.

2025 Environmental Pollution 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Designer SiO<sub>2</sub> Metasurfaces for Efficient Passive Radiative Cooling

This review examines how engineered silica surfaces can be designed for passive radiative cooling, which allows buildings to cool without using electricity. While not directly about microplastics, the technology is relevant because it addresses energy efficiency and reducing environmental pollution from cooling systems. The research evaluates different design strategies for making silica-based cooling materials that could be manufactured at scale.

2023 Advanced Materials Interfaces 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging threat of marine microplastics: Cigarette butt contamination on Yellow Sea beaches and the potential toxicity risks to rotifer growth and reproduction

This study surveyed cigarette butt pollution along eight Yellow Sea beaches and tested how their chemical leachate and plastic fibers affect tiny marine animals called rotifers. The cigarette butts released harmful chemicals and microplastic fibers that reduced rotifer reproduction and survival. Since cigarette filters are made of plastic that breaks into microplastics, discarded butts are a significant but often overlooked source of microplastic pollution in coastal areas.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolic saboteurs: Tire wear particles hijack energy economy of zooplankton

Researchers investigated how tire wear particles, a significant source of marine microplastic pollution, affect the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis. They found that both micron-sized and nano-sized tire particles reduced rotifer motility by disrupting metabolism, depleting energy reserves, and causing mitochondrial dysfunction. The study suggests that even low concentrations of tire wear particles pose ecological risks to marine zooplankton through metabolic and oxidative stress mechanisms.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and Combined Effects of Microplastics and Cadmium on Oxidative Responses, Antioxidant System and Cadmium Phytoavailability of Chinese Cabbage (Brassica campestris L.)

Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris) co-exposed to microplastics and cadmium showed increased oxidative stress compared to cadmium alone, and microplastics altered cadmium phytoavailability in soil, suggesting co-contamination scenarios pose compounded risks to vegetable crop safety.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Polycaprolactam microplastics reduce allelopathic potential of Iris pseudacorus via toxic effects on stimulatory bacteria

Researchers investigated dose-dependent effects of polycaprolactam microplastics (10-500 mg/kg) on the allelopathic inhibition of cyanobacteria by the wetland macrophyte Iris pseudacorus, finding that MPs reduced plant allelopathic activity by disrupting stimulatory rhizosphere bacterial communities.

2025 Ecotoxicology
Article Tier 2

<i>In situ</i> scanning testing system based on Raman spectroscopy

Researchers developed an in situ scanning testing system integrating Raman spectroscopy with a mechanical loading platform to enable non-invasive characterization of localized material regions during mechanical stress. The system addressed reliability limitations of existing in situ characterization setups caused by unstable scanning, providing more accurate mechanistic insights for materials science and nanotechnology applications.

2025 Review of Scientific Instruments