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Papers
398 resultsShowing papers from Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
ClearHuman exposure to PM10 microplastics in indoor air
Scientists measured airborne microplastics in homes and car cabins, finding that 94% of particles were smaller than 10 micrometers, small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs. The estimated daily inhalation of these tiny particles was about 68,000 per day, roughly 100 times higher than previous estimates that only counted larger particles.
Plastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems: Current knowledge on impacts of micro and nano fragments on invertebrates
This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics affect soil-dwelling invertebrates like earthworms and insects, finding that effects vary widely depending on plastic type, shape, concentration, and exposure time. While no broad conclusions could be drawn, the documented sublethal effects on soil organisms could disrupt the soil ecosystems that support the crops humans depend on for food.
Toxicity of methylmercury in aquatic organisms and interaction with environmental factors and coexisting pollutants: A review
This review examines how methylmercury, a toxic form of mercury found in fish, interacts with environmental factors including microplastics in aquatic ecosystems. The findings show that microplastics can alter how mercury accumulates in aquatic organisms, potentially changing the level of mercury contamination in seafood that people eat.
Aquatic ecosystem indices, linking ecosystem health to human health risks
Researchers reviewed indicators used to assess aquatic ecosystem health and found that most existing tools don't adequately capture the risks that degraded water ecosystems pose to human health and well-being. They propose a new set of combined indicators — covering chemical contaminants, pathogens, and biological markers — to better link ecosystem health monitoring to human health outcomes.
Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds
Researchers combined ocean plastic density maps with GPS tracking data for over 7,000 seabirds across 77 petrel species to identify where birds are most likely to encounter and accidentally eat plastic debris. High-risk zones were identified in the Mediterranean, northeast Pacific, and South Atlantic, with threatened species facing disproportionately greater exposure — often in international waters beyond any single country's control.
Microbial education for marine invertebrate disease prevention in aquaculture
This review examines how manipulating the microbial communities of farmed shellfish and crustaceans can help prevent diseases in aquaculture. While not directly about microplastics, the paper is relevant because microplastic contamination in aquaculture environments can disrupt the beneficial microbiomes of farmed species, making them more vulnerable to disease. Healthier aquaculture organisms also mean safer seafood for human consumption.
Standardization of monitoring data reassesses spatial distribution of aquatic microplastics concentrations worldwide
Researchers created a new method to standardize microplastic measurements across different studies worldwide, enabling accurate comparisons for the first time. After applying the correction, they found that North America had the highest average microplastic concentrations in fresh water, and that contamination levels closely tracked human development indicators. This standardized approach is an important step toward understanding the true scale of microplastic pollution in the water people use.
The missing ocean plastic sink: Gone with the rivers
Researchers reanalyzed data on microplastics in rivers and oceans and found that previous estimates of how much plastic rivers deliver to the ocean were overestimated by 100 to 1,000 times. This means microplastics actually stay at the ocean surface much longer than previously thought, lasting years rather than days. The finding changes our understanding of where ocean microplastics come from and how long marine life and potentially seafood are exposed to them.
Global environmental plastic dispersal under OECD policy scenarios toward 2060
Using a global computer model, researchers simulated how plastic pollution will spread through land, ocean, and atmosphere under different policy scenarios through 2060. Even with strong policy action, microplastics already in the environment will continue to circulate for centuries because existing plastic slowly breaks into smaller pieces. The study estimated the total marine plastic pool at 263 million tons, showing that preventing new pollution is critical but will not quickly solve the microplastic problem already in our ecosystems.
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.
A Critical Review on the Impacts of Nanoplastics and Microplastics on Aquatic and Terrestrial Photosynthetic Organisms
This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics affect photosynthetic organisms in both water and on land, including algae, aquatic plants, and terrestrial crops. Researchers found that smaller plastic particles and those with positive surface charges tend to be the most toxic, and that chemical additives leaching from plastics are a major source of harm. The study raises concerns that plastics can be absorbed by plants and potentially transferred up the food chain to consumers.
The urgency of building soils for Middle Eastern and North African countries: Economic, environmental, and health solutions
This review examines soil degradation across the Middle East and North Africa and proposes using constructed soils made from waste materials as a restoration strategy. While focused on soil rehabilitation rather than microplastics specifically, the approach is relevant because waste materials used in soil construction may contain microplastics, and degraded soils are more vulnerable to microplastic contamination. The review highlights the interconnected challenges of waste management, soil health, and food security in arid regions.
Plastic pollution and marine mussels: Unravelling disparities in research efforts, biological effects and influences of global warming
This review analyzed 106 studies on how plastic pollution, including microplastics, nanoplastics, and chemicals that leach from plastics, affects marine mussels. The research found effects at every biological level, from molecular and cellular damage to changes in behavior and reproduction. Since mussels are filter feeders that concentrate pollutants and are widely eaten by humans, they serve as both early warning indicators of plastic pollution and a direct pathway for human exposure.
The One Health Concept: 10 Years Old and a Long Road Ahead
This paper reviews the progress and challenges of the One Health concept, which recognizes that human, animal, and environmental health are deeply interconnected. Researchers discuss how emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental pollution including chemical contaminants all require a cross-disciplinary approach. The study emphasizes that addressing modern health threats requires integrating ecological and environmental sciences alongside traditional medicine and veterinary practices.
Occurrence, Fate, Behavior and Ecotoxicological State of Phthalates in Different Environmental Matrices
This review examines the widespread presence of phthalates, chemicals commonly added to plastics to increase flexibility, across air, water, soil, and food. Researchers found that phthalates are detected virtually everywhere in the environment and have been linked to reproductive, developmental, and hormonal effects in laboratory studies. The study highlights that indoor air represents a particularly significant source of human exposure since people spend the majority of their time indoors surrounded by plastic-containing products.
The Anthropocene: Comparing Its Meaning in Geology (Chronostratigraphy) with Conceptual Approaches Arising in Other Disciplines
This article compares how the term "Anthropocene" is used in geology versus other academic disciplines like social sciences and humanities. In geology, the Anthropocene is proposed as a formal epoch beginning in the mid-twentieth century, marked by measurable changes in the geological record from industrialization and globalization. Other fields use the term more flexibly, often extending it much further back in time and applying it without reference to specific geological markers.
Arctic plasmidome analysis reveals distinct relationships among associated antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence genes along anthropogenic gradients
Researchers analyzed antibiotic resistance genes carried on mobile genetic elements in Arctic glacial ice and nearby waterways, finding more resistance genes in areas with greater human influence. Even in this remote region, the spread of antimicrobial resistance was detectable along gradients of human activity. While not directly about microplastics, the study is relevant because microplastics in polar environments can serve as surfaces where bacteria exchange resistance genes, potentially accelerating the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Exposure of marine mussels Mytilus spp. to polystyrene microplastics: Toxicity and influence on fluoranthene bioaccumulation
Researchers exposed marine mussels to polystyrene microplastics alone and in combination with the pollutant fluoranthene to study their combined effects. They found that while the microplastics themselves had limited direct toxicity, they influenced how fluoranthene accumulated in and was cleared from the mussels' tissues. The study suggests that microplastics can alter the way marine organisms interact with chemical pollutants, potentially changing the risks these contaminants pose.
Combined exposure of the bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis to polyethylene microplastics and two pharmaceuticals (citalopram and bezafibrate): Bioaccumulation and metabolomic studies
Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polyethylene microplastics combined with two pharmaceutical drugs and found that the microplastics altered how the drugs accumulated in mussel tissue and changed the organisms' metabolic responses. The combined exposures caused different metabolic disruptions than single exposures, and not all effects were reversed after a recovery period. This highlights how microplastics in the ocean can interact with pharmaceutical pollution to create unexpected biological effects in seafood species.
A critical review on the evaluation of toxicity and ecological risk assessment of plastics in the marine environment
This critical review questions whether current scientific methods can adequately assess the ecological risks of plastic pollution in the ocean. The authors note that plastics can cause physical, chemical, and biological harm to marine life, but most studies use unrealistically high concentrations and pristine lab-made particles rather than real-world weathered plastics. The review calls for more standardized and environmentally relevant testing approaches.
Unlocking secrets of microbial ecotoxicology: recent achievements and future challenges
This review explores how microorganisms interact with environmental pollutants, including microplastics, covering how bacteria can break down pollutants but are also harmed by them. The authors highlight that microplastics create new surfaces in the environment where bacteria form communities, potentially spreading harmful species or antibiotic resistance. Understanding these microbial interactions is critical for developing nature-based solutions to reduce pollution and protect human health.
Occurrence and effects of plastic additives on marine environments and organisms: A review
This review examines chemical additives found in plastics, such as flame retardants, phthalates, and bisphenol A, and how they leach into the marine environment as plastics accumulate and fragment. Researchers summarize evidence showing that these additives have been detected in marine water, sediment, and organisms, and can transfer from ingested plastic into animal tissues. The findings highlight that the chemical risk from plastic additives deserves as much attention as the physical impacts of microplastic particles themselves.
The tolerance of a keystone ecosystem engineer to extreme heat stress is hampered by microplastic leachates
Researchers found that chemical substances leaching from microplastics significantly reduced the ability of blue mussels to survive extreme heat stress. At 35 degrees Celsius, mussels exposed to leachates from beached plastic pellets had the lowest survival rates, likely because weathered plastics release more toxic additives. This study shows how microplastic pollution and climate change can interact to threaten key marine species, which has cascading effects on coastal ecosystems that humans depend on.
The comparative toxicity of biobased, modified biobased, biodegradable, and petrochemical-based microplastics on the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis
This study compared the toxicity of four types of microplastics, including biodegradable and biobased alternatives, on a small aquatic organism. All microplastic types, regardless of whether they were "eco-friendly" or petroleum-based, caused similar levels of reproductive decline. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable and biobased plastics are safer for the environment, suggesting they may pose comparable ecological risks as they break down.