We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
121 resultsShowing papers from University of Florida
ClearMicroplastic and nanoplastic pollution: Assessing translocation, impact, and mitigation strategies in marine ecosystems
This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics move through marine ecosystems, contaminating species from tiny plankton to large fish through processes like biofouling and chemical leaching. The plastics interact with other environmental stressors like climate change and chemical pollution, compounding their effects on marine food webs. The authors highlight that nanoplastics, which form as microplastics break down further, may pose additional unique risks that are not yet well understood.
Application of Natural Coagulants in Water Treatment: A Sustainable Alternative to Chemicals
This systematic review of 237 articles found that natural coagulants derived from plants, animals, and microorganisms can effectively remove turbidity, heavy metals, and pathogens from surface water. Plant-based coagulants like Moringa oleifera showed the most promise as sustainable, low-cost alternatives to chemical water treatment.
A review of the neurobehavioural, physiological, and reproductive toxicity of microplastics in fishes
This review summarizes how microplastics cause a range of harmful effects in fish, including behavioral changes, brain and immune system damage, oxidative stress, and reproductive disruption through interference with hormone signaling. These findings are relevant to human health because many of the same biological pathways affected in fish also exist in humans, and people consume fish that have accumulated microplastics.
Advances and prospects of biochar in improving soil fertility, biochemical quality, and environmental applications
This review examines how biochar, a charcoal-like material made from organic waste, can improve soil health and clean up pollutants including microplastics. Biochar's ability to absorb and trap contaminants makes it a promising tool for reducing microplastic pollution in agricultural soil. The findings suggest biochar could help limit the amount of microplastics that enter the food chain through crops grown in contaminated soil.
Microbiome Composition and Function in Aquatic Vertebrates: Small Organisms Making Big Impacts on Aquatic Animal Health
This review examines how microbiomes (communities of microorganisms) function in fish and marine mammals, and how environmental stressors like microplastics can disrupt them. Microplastics in water can alter the natural balance of beneficial microbes in aquatic animals, potentially affecting their health and the safety of seafood. Understanding these disruptions matters because changes in fish microbiomes could affect the quality and safety of the fish that end up on our plates.
Water Quality Assessment and Monitoring in Pakistan: A Comprehensive Review
This comprehensive review examines water quality issues across Pakistan, including contamination from industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, and emerging pollutants like microplastics. The review found that water treatment infrastructure in many areas is inadequate, leaving large populations exposed to contaminated water. While focused on Pakistan, the findings illustrate how developing countries face compounding water quality challenges that include growing microplastic pollution.
Exploring the potential and challenges of developing physiologically-based toxicokinetic models to support human health risk assessment of microplastic and nanoplastic particles
This review explores the challenge of building computer models to predict how micro- and nanoplastics move through the human body after being inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. While particle size and surface chemistry are well-studied, factors like shape, polymer type, and biological coatings need more attention. The authors propose a framework for a physiologically-based model that could help scientists better estimate how much plastic actually reaches human tissues.
Mechanistic insights into microplastic-induced reproductive toxicity in aquatic organisms: A comprehensive review
This review summarizes how microplastics cause reproductive harm in aquatic organisms by disrupting hormones, triggering oxidative stress, and interfering with cell death pathways. These effects lead to reduced fertility, abnormal egg and sperm development, and changes that can pass to future generations. Since microplastics accumulate through the food chain, these reproductive effects in aquatic life could have broader implications for ecosystem health and the seafood that humans consume.
Toxicity of microplastic fibers containing azobenzene disperse dyes to human lung epithelial cells cultured at an air-liquid interface
This study tested the effects of inhaled polyester microplastic fibers on human lung cells grown in a lab, comparing dyed versus undyed fibers. Fibers containing azobenzene disperse dyes were significantly more toxic, reducing cell survival and activating genes linked to chemical metabolism. The results show that chemical dyes can leach from microplastic fibers in the lungs, meaning the health risks of inhaling clothing fibers may be worse than the plastic alone.
Ecological risks of microplastics contamination with green solutions and future perspectives
This review covers the ecological risks of microplastic contamination in farmland, particularly from plastic mulch films used in agriculture. Microplastics in soil affect water retention, nutrient cycling, microbial communities, and even greenhouse gas emissions. The authors discuss green solutions like biodegradable alternatives and soil remediation techniques that could reduce microplastic buildup in the food production system.
Advancements in Fish Vaccination: Current Innovations and Future Horizons in Aquaculture Health Management
This review covers the current state of fish vaccination technology in aquaculture, discussing new approaches like DNA and RNA vaccines to combat infectious diseases in farmed fish. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because microplastic contamination in fish farms can weaken fish immune systems, potentially making vaccines less effective. Healthier fish farming practices, including better disease prevention, are important for maintaining the safety and quality of fish as human food.
Assessing microplastics-antibiotics coexistence induced ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa at a water region scale
This study found that microplastics in water can promote the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, specifically ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a dangerous human pathogen. Microplastics provide surfaces where bacteria colonize and exchange resistance genes, especially in water contaminated with both plastics and antibiotics. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in waterways could contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, which threatens the effectiveness of medical treatments.
Neurotoxicity of Benzotriazole Ultraviolet Stabilizers in Teleost Fishes: A Review
This review examines the neurotoxic effects of benzotriazole UV stabilizers, chemicals added to plastics to prevent UV degradation, on fish. These additives have been found in waterways at concerning concentrations and can affect fish brain function and behavior. The findings are relevant to human health because these same chemicals can leach from microplastics into water and food, and the neurological pathways they disrupt in fish, including those linked to Alzheimer's disease, are shared with humans.
Environmental occurrences, fate, and impacts of microplastics
Microplastics are distributed across oceans, freshwater, sediments, soils, and the atmosphere, with evidence of bioaccumulation and toxic effects in organisms, though current understanding of their fate, transport, and impacts in terrestrial environments remains far less developed than for marine settings.
The toxicological effect on pak choi of co-exposure to degradable and non-degradable microplastics with oxytetracycline in the soil
This study tested how microplastics and the antibiotic oxytetracycline, both common contaminants in farmland soil, affect pak choi (a leafy vegetable). Both types of microplastics harmed root growth, photosynthesis, and plant metabolism, and surprisingly, biodegradable PLA microplastics caused more damage than conventional polyethylene ones. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could reduce crop quality and nutritional value, with so-called eco-friendly plastics potentially being worse for plants.
Development of Standardized Methods to Extract and Digest Microplastics in Environmental Samples
Researchers tested 72 combinations of chemical extraction and digestion methods to find approaches that accurately recover microplastics from environmental samples without damaging them. They found that different density separation solutions and digestion reagents can significantly alter the physical and chemical properties of certain plastic types, particularly PET and polystyrene. The study provides practical guidance for selecting methods that preserve microplastic integrity during laboratory analysis.
Investigating the Epigenetic Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastic Exposure in Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) Epithelial Cells Using Methylation-Sensitive AFLPs
Researchers exposed bluegill fish cells to polystyrene nanoplastics and examined whether the exposure caused changes in DNA methylation, a type of genetic modification that can alter how genes function. They found that nanoplastic exposure did cause methylation changes across the genome, but the effect was not dependent on dose or exposure time -- simply being exposed to nanoplastics was enough to trigger the changes. The findings suggest that even low-level nanoplastic exposure could have epigenetic effects on aquatic organisms.
Quantifying microplastics concentration of invertebrates from three Antarctic fjords
Researchers quantified microplastic contamination in marine invertebrates from three Antarctic fjords created by retreating glaciers. They found microplastics present in organisms even in these remote polar environments, with contamination levels varying between species and locations. The study adds to growing evidence that microplastic pollution has reached some of the most isolated ecosystems on Earth.
Distribution, abundance, and composition of microplastics in market fishes from the Red and Mediterranean seas in Egypt
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in commercially sold fish from both the Mediterranean and Red seas in Egypt and found microplastics in 88 percent of the fish examined. Fibers were the most common particle type, and species that feed closer to the seafloor tended to have higher contamination levels. The study raises concerns about human dietary exposure to microplastics through regularly consumed market fish in the region.
Biochar for agronomy, animal farming, anaerobic digestion, composting, water treatment, soil remediation, construction, energy storage, and carbon sequestration: a review
Researchers reviewed the wide-ranging uses of biochar — a charcoal-like material made from burning organic waste — across farming, wastewater treatment, construction, and energy storage as a climate-friendly, multipurpose material. Key findings include that biochar improves livestock gut health, boosts biogas production, and can be incorporated into concrete, making it a promising tool for a circular, lower-carbon economy.
Polystyrene nanoplastics alter intestinal toxicity of 2,4-DTBP in a sex-dependent manner in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with an industrial chemical called 2,4-DTBP and found that the toxic effects on the intestines differed between males and females. In males, the nanoplastics made the chemical's gut damage worse, while in females the combination actually reduced harm compared to the chemical alone. The study highlights that sex-specific biological differences can significantly change how organisms respond to combined plastic and chemical pollution.
Impact of polystyrene microplastics with combined contamination of norfloxacin and sulfadiazine on Chrysanthemum coronarium L.
Researchers examined the single and combined effects of polystyrene microplastics, norfloxacin, and sulfadiazine on the medicinal food crop Chrysanthemum coronarium. The study found that combined exposure altered nutrient element accumulation and caused ultrastructural damage to plant cells, suggesting that the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics in soil may pose compounded threats to crop safety.
Microbiomes of Thalassia testudinum throughout the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico are influenced by site and region while maintaining a core microbiome
Researchers characterized the microbial communities living on the seagrass Thalassia testudinum across the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico for the first time. They found that while local environmental conditions influenced the specific bacterial species present, a core set of microorganisms was consistently associated with the seagrass across all regions. The study provides important baseline data for understanding how seagrass health may be linked to its microbial partners.
Microplastics in municipal mixed-waste organic outputs induce minimal short to long-term toxicity in key terrestrial biota
Researchers tested how microplastics in composted municipal waste affect soil organisms including wheat, earthworms, and nematodes over periods up to nine months. They found that adding HDPE, PET, or PVC microplastics had no significant negative effects on plant growth, earthworm survival, or nematode reproduction. The study suggests that at the concentrations tested, microplastics in composted waste applied to soil pose minimal short- to long-term toxicity to key terrestrial species.