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Papers
70 resultsShowing papers from University of KwaZulu-Natal
ClearCyanobacteria Harmful Algae Blooms: Causes, Impacts, and Risk Management
This review covers harmful algal blooms caused by cyanobacteria, which release toxins that threaten fish, pets, livestock, and human health through contaminated water. The blooms are worsened by agricultural runoff and industrial pollution, and the authors call for better monitoring tools and standardized methods to detect and manage these toxic events.
The Devastation of Waste Plastic on the Environment and Remediation Processes: A Critical Review
This review covers the full scope of plastic waste pollution, from sources and environmental damage to recycling and remediation strategies. It ranks common plastic polymers by the toxicity of their chemical building blocks and traces how plastic waste enters the environment. The review highlights that as plastics break down into microplastics, they become harder to clean up and more likely to enter the food chain, making prevention and recycling critical for reducing human exposure.
Microplastics toxicity, detection, and removal from water/wastewater
This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on microplastic toxicity and methods for detecting and removing them from water and wastewater. It covers the health risks posed by microplastics, including their ability to carry harmful chemicals and pathogens, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of various removal technologies. The authors highlight that while some treatment methods can remove most microplastics, no single approach is fully effective, and better solutions are needed to protect drinking water supplies.
Graphene-based Nanomaterials: Uses, Environmental Fate, and Human Health Hazards
This review examines graphene-based nanomaterials, which are used in medicine, agriculture, and industry, and finds that increasing human and environmental exposure raises safety concerns. The primary way these materials damage cells is through oxidative stress, similar to the mechanism seen with nanoplastics. While focused on graphene, the toxicity pathways described overlap with those triggered by micro- and nanoplastics, offering insight into how tiny engineered particles broadly affect human health.
Antimicrobial, Quorum Sensing Inhibition, and Anti-Cancer Activities of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Kenyan Bacterial Endophytes of Teclea nobilis
This study developed silver nanoparticles from bacteria found inside a Kenyan medicinal plant and tested them against drug-resistant bacteria and cancer cells. While not directly about microplastics, silver nanoparticles are being explored as antimicrobial agents that could help address the drug-resistant bacteria that microplastics can carry and spread in the environment. The nanoparticles showed strong activity against both bacteria and cancer cell lines at low concentrations.
Micro- and nanoplastics in freshwater ecosystems—interaction with and impact upon bacterivorous ciliates
This review examines how freshwater ciliates, tiny single-celled organisms that are a crucial part of aquatic food chains, interact with microplastics and nanoplastics. These organisms readily ingest plastic particles, which can cause cellular and molecular damage and lead to bioaccumulation up the food chain. Since ciliates are a key link between bacteria and larger organisms, their contamination with microplastics could ultimately transfer plastic particles to fish and other animals that humans consume.
Important questions to progress science and sustainable management of anguillid eels
A team of 30 eel experts reviewed the current state of knowledge about anguillid eels worldwide and identified critical research gaps across their lifecycle, the threats they face, and management strategies. The study notes that pollution, including microplastics, is among the many threats contributing to population declines in these ecologically important fish. Researchers emphasize that without better international coordination and adaptive management, the outlook for many eel species remains concerning.
Ostracoda and Foraminifera as bioindicators of (aquatic) pollution in the protected area of uMlalazi estuary, South Africa
Researchers used tiny shell-bearing organisms (ostracods and foraminifera) as biological indicators to assess water quality in a protected South African estuary. Despite its protected status, the estuary showed signs of pollution based on the species diversity and health of these indicator organisms. While not focused on microplastics specifically, these biological monitoring methods could be adapted to assess the ecological impact of microplastic pollution in coastal and estuarine environments.
Microplastic pollutants in water: A comprehensive review on their remediation by adsorption using various adsorbents
This review covers the different materials scientists are developing to filter microplastics out of water, including biochar, activated carbon, sponges, carbon nanotubes, and newer hybrid materials. Each material has trade-offs in terms of cost, effectiveness, and environmental impact, but combining different approaches shows the most promise. The research is important because better water filtration methods could directly reduce the amount of microplastics people consume through drinking water.
Evaluating cutinase from Fusarium oxysporum as a biocatalyst for the degradation of nine synthetic polymer
Researchers used computer modeling to test whether a fungal enzyme called cutinase could break down nine types of synthetic plastics, finding strong binding affinity for PET, PCL, and several biodegradable plastics — pointing toward biological tools that could help degrade plastic waste in the environment.
Decreased growth and survival in small juvenile fish, after chronic exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastic
Researchers exposed juvenile glassfish to environmentally realistic concentrations of both virgin and harbor-collected microplastics for 95 days, finding that fish in plastic-fed groups grew significantly less in length, depth, and mass, and had lower survival probability than controls.
The future of sub-Saharan Africa’s biodiversity in the face of climate and societal change
This review assesses the conservation threats facing sub-Saharan Africa's biodiversity in the context of projected population growth, economic expansion, and climate change. Researchers highlight how environmental pollution, including emerging contaminants like microplastics, compounds existing threats to the continent's ecosystems.
Non-targeted screening of emerging contaminants in South African surface and wastewater
Researchers used advanced mass spectrometry to screen South African surface water and wastewater for a broad range of pollutants, rather than testing for only a narrow set of known chemicals. They identified 315 compounds including pharmaceuticals, drugs, metabolites, and industrial chemicals that are not typically monitored. The study demonstrates that non-targeted screening can reveal a much more complete picture of water contamination than standard testing methods.
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in water and wastewater: a review of treatment processes and use of photocatalyst immobilized on functionalized carbon in AOP degradation
This review examines the presence of pharmaceutical and personal care product contaminants in water and wastewater, and evaluates treatment approaches including photocatalytic degradation using immobilized catalysts on functionalized carbon materials. Researchers found that conventional wastewater treatment often fails to fully remove these emerging contaminants, which can persist in the environment and cause endocrine disruption. The study highlights advanced oxidation processes as a promising approach for breaking down these resistant compounds.
A Systematic Literature Review of the Challenges of Adopting and Implementing IFRS for SMEs in South Africa
This systematic review examines challenges in adopting International Financial Reporting Standards for small and medium enterprises in South Africa, identifying barriers like low education levels, high costs, and insufficient regulatory support. The study is not related to microplastic research.
Assessment of Microplastic and Heavy Metal Contamination in Durban Harbour Sediments: Ecological Implications for Grandidierella lignorum
Researchers assessed microplastic and heavy metal contamination in sediments from five sites within Durban Harbour, South Africa, and evaluated ecological impacts on the amphipod Grandidierella lignorum. The study found that contamination levels varied spatially and seasonally, with elevated concentrations of metals and microplastics at certain sites correlating with adverse effects on the test organism.
Groundwater quality: global challenges, emerging threats and novel approaches
This review highlights global groundwater quality challenges including emerging contaminants and antimicrobial resistance, emphasizing the need for significantly improved monitoring to identify and mitigate threats from historical and future pollution sources.
The possible routes of microplastics uptake in sea cucumber Holothuria cinerascens (Brandt, 1835)
Researchers traced the uptake routes of microplastic fragments and fibers in sea cucumbers (Holothuria cinerascens), finding that particles entered via both the mouth and respiratory trees (through the body wall), with different routes delivering particles to different internal compartments.
Environmental concentrations of antibiotics, biocides, and heavy metals fail to induce phenotypic antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli
Researchers found that environmental concentrations of antibiotics, biocides, and heavy metals did not induce phenotypic antimicrobial resistance in E. coli over a 30-day exposure period, suggesting low-level pollutant mixtures may not drive resistance development as previously feared.
Towards Characterising Microplastic Abundance, Typology and Retention in Mangrove-Dominated Estuaries
Microplastic pollution levels, morphotype diversity, and polymer composition were compared across four South African estuaries, finding that open estuaries with high surrounding population densities and diverse land use had the highest MP contamination, with microfibres dominating in all systems.
Applications of Titanium Dioxide (TiO<sub>2</sub>) Nanoparticles in Photocatalysis
This review examines the photocatalytic applications of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which are widely used for breaking down environmental pollutants including microplastics through light-driven chemical reactions. Researchers discuss how different crystal phases and modifications of these nanoparticles enhance their ability to degrade organic contaminants. The study highlights the potential of titanium dioxide-based photocatalysis as an environmentally friendly technology for addressing persistent pollutants.
Application and Efficacy of Management Interventions for the Control of Microplastics in Freshwater Bodies: A Systematic Review
This systematic review summarizes existing research on management strategies for controlling microplastics in freshwater bodies, comparing approaches for both prevention and removal. The findings reveal that while various interventions show promise, more research is needed to determine which methods work best for protecting the waterways that supply our drinking water.
Trace detection of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in surface sediments using a liquid chromatograph coupled to an electrospray ionization single quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC-ESI–Q-MS)
Researchers developed a sensitive analytical method using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect trace levels of PFOA and PFOS, two persistent perfluoroalkyl substances, in surface sediments. The study successfully identified these pollutants of environmental concern in sediment samples, demonstrating that the method is suitable for monitoring PFAS contamination alongside other emerging pollutants like microplastics.
Spectacle lens and contact lens recycling in South Africa
This review examined spectacle lens and contact lens recycling practices in South Africa, finding no existing recycling programs despite the optical industry generating significant plastic waste from materials like polycarbonate, CR-39, and silicone hydrogel lenses.