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Papers
498 resultsShowing papers from Zhejiang University
ClearExploring Environmental Behaviors and Health Impacts of Biodegradable Microplastics
Biodegradable plastics are promoted as eco-friendly, but this review finds they may actually break down into microplastics faster than conventional plastics, leading to more rapid accumulation in the environment. Like regular microplastics, these biodegradable fragments can carry pollutants into organisms through a "Trojan horse" effect, and their breakdown products may be even more toxic to the nervous system. The findings suggest we need to carefully weigh the risks of biodegradable plastics against their intended environmental benefits.
Nanoplastics increase algal absorption and toxicity of Cd through alterations in cell wall structure and composition
Lab experiments showed that polystyrene nanoplastics made freshwater algae more vulnerable to cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) by altering the structure of their cell walls, allowing more cadmium to enter the cells. This matters for human health because nanoplastics in waterways may increase how much toxic metal accumulates in aquatic food chains that eventually reach our plates.
Impact of microplastic residues from polyurethane films on crop growth: Unraveling insights through transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis
Residual plastic films from coated fertilizers harmed wheat growth by disrupting energy metabolism in roots, with one type reducing plant height by nearly 25%. However, some bio-based polyester films triggered plant defense responses that offset the damage, suggesting that switching to certain biodegradable alternatives could reduce the microplastic-related risks to crop production and food safety.
Microplastics dampen the self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells by disrupting the gut microbiota-hypoxanthine-Wnt axis
Researchers found that long-term microplastic intake in mice damaged the gut lining and disrupted gut bacteria, which reduced levels of a key molecule called hypoxanthine that blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow need to renew themselves. In a study of human bone marrow transplant patients, higher microplastic levels in donors' blood correlated with worse survival outcomes, suggesting microplastic exposure could impair the blood and immune system.
Transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics interventions prompt crop improvement against metal(loid) toxicity
This review examines how advanced molecular analysis tools -- transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics -- are helping scientists understand how plants respond to toxic metals in contaminated soil. While focused on metal toxicity rather than microplastics directly, these same tools are being used to study how microplastics interact with heavy metals to create combined threats to crop safety and human health.
Trophic-transferred hierarchical fragmentation of microplastics inducing distinct bio-adaptations via a microalgae-mussel-crab food chain
Researchers tracked how microplastics move through a three-level marine food chain -- from algae to mussels to crabs -- and found that the particles break into progressively smaller fragments at each stage. These smaller fragments penetrated deeper into animal tissues and caused increasing DNA damage at higher levels of the food chain, demonstrating how microplastic contamination intensifies as it moves toward species that humans eat.
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.
Antibiotic resistance in aquaculture and aquatic organisms: a review of current nanotechnology applications for sustainable management
Researchers reviewed how antibiotics released from aquaculture and other industries accumulate in aquatic ecosystems, promoting antibiotic resistance, and assessed nanotechnology-based interventions — including nanodrug delivery, nanoformulations, and nanosensors — as promising tools for sustainable management of these emerging contaminants.
Recent Advances on Underwater Soft Robots
This paper describes advances in underwater soft robots made from flexible materials that can adapt to ocean environments. While not directly related to microplastics, these robots have potential applications in ocean monitoring and environmental cleanup. The review covers the materials, movement patterns, power systems, and sensing capabilities that could eventually help address marine plastic pollution.
Benzo[a]pyrene stress impacts adaptive strategies and ecological functions of earthworm intestinal viromes
This study examined how benzo[a]pyrene, a toxic chemical found in pollution, affects the viruses living in earthworm intestines and disrupts their ecological functions. While focused on earthworms rather than humans, the research is relevant because microplastics can carry chemicals like benzo[a]pyrene into soil ecosystems. The study shows how pollutant-laden microplastics could disrupt soil health and the organisms that maintain it.
How biochar works, and when it doesn't: A review of mechanisms controlling soil and plant responses to biochar
This comprehensive review synthesizes 20 years of research on biochar, a charcoal-like material made from organic waste that can improve soil health and reduce pollution. Biochar can reduce plant uptake of heavy metals by 17-39% and increase nutrient availability, making it potentially useful for cleaning up microplastic-contaminated soils. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant because biochar could help mitigate the effects of soil pollutants that microplastics carry and concentrate.
Nobiletin Ameliorates Aging of Chicken Ovarian Prehierarchical Follicles by Suppressing Oxidative Stress and Promoting Autophagy
This study investigated a plant compound called nobiletin (found in citrus fruits) as a treatment for age-related decline in chicken egg production caused by follicle aging. While focused on poultry science rather than microplastics, the research is relevant because it demonstrates how antioxidants can counteract oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage -- the same types of cellular harm that microplastics and nanoplastics have been shown to cause in various tissues.
International consensus guidelines for the definition, detection, and interpretation of autophagy-dependent ferroptosis
This scientific review provides guidelines for understanding a specific type of cell death called autophagy-dependent ferroptosis, where cells essentially digest their own protective components and then die from iron-driven damage. While not directly about microplastics, this process is relevant because microplastics and nanoplastics have been shown to trigger oxidative stress and iron-related cell damage in tissues. Understanding these cell death pathways helps researchers assess how plastic particle exposure could harm organs like the liver, brain, and lungs.
Toxic effects of nanoplastics and microcystin-LR coexposure on the liver-gut axis of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
Scientists exposed silver carp to both polystyrene nanoplastics and microcystin-LR (a toxin from harmful algae) and found the combination caused more severe gut and liver damage than either pollutant alone. The nanoplastics shortened intestinal structures, changed gut bacteria communities, and disrupted liver metabolism. This is concerning because both contaminants are commonly found together in aquaculture waters, and the fish affected are widely consumed by people.
Effect of cadmium and polystyrene nanoplastics on the growth, antioxidant content, ionome, and metabolism of dandelion seedlings
This study examined how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, and found that the combination worsened the toxic effects on dandelion seedlings beyond what either pollutant caused alone. The findings highlight that nanoplastics can change how heavy metals behave in the environment, potentially increasing the amount of toxic metals that enter the food chain through contaminated plants.
Assessment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Symptoms and Gut–Liver Axis Status in Zebrafish after Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics and Oxytetracycline, Alone and in Combination
This zebrafish study found that exposure to polystyrene microplastics combined with the antibiotic oxytetracycline disrupted the gut-liver axis and produced symptoms similar to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The combination of these two common environmental contaminants was more harmful than either one alone. This research suggests that microplastics may interact with other pollutants in the environment to worsen liver health outcomes.
Modulation of Gut Microbial Metabolism by Cyanidin-3-<i>O</i>-Glucoside in Mitigating Polystyrene-Induced Colonic Inflammation: Insights from 16S rRNA Sequencing and Metabolomics
A natural plant compound called cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), found in red bayberry and other berries, reduced colon inflammation caused by polystyrene microplastic exposure in mice. C3G worked by reshaping the gut bacteria community and restoring healthy levels of anti-inflammatory signaling molecules. This suggests that certain dietary antioxidants may help protect the gut from damage caused by microplastic exposure.
Leaching hazards of tire wear particles in hydrothermal treatment of sludge: Exploring molecular composition, transformation mechanism, and ecological effects of tire wear particle-derived compounds
When sewage sludge containing tire wear particles was treated with high heat and pressure, the process accelerated the release of harmful chemicals from the tire rubber into the liquid byproduct. Researchers identified 144 different chemical compounds leaching from the tire particles, many of which were toxic to aquatic organisms and plants -- highlighting how waste treatment processes can inadvertently spread tire-derived microplastic pollution.
Interaction of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with PVC-microplastics and chromium counteracts oxidative injuries in Trachyspermum ammi L. by modulating antioxidants and gene expression
Scientists studied how PVC microplastics and chromium (a toxic heavy metal) together affect the growth of ajwain, an important medicinal and food plant. The combination of these pollutants reduced plant growth, damaged photosynthesis, and increased toxic stress more than either pollutant alone. This is relevant to food safety because agricultural soils are increasingly contaminated with both microplastics and heavy metals, which together could reduce crop quality and nutritional value.
Microplastics exacerbate co-occurrence and horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes
Researchers found that microplastics from a chicken farm and surrounding farmland were significantly associated with antibiotic resistance genes, and that microplastics increased the rate at which bacteria swap resistance genes by 1.4 to 1.7 times. Chicken feces had the highest levels of both microplastics and resistance genes, making farms a hotspot for their combined spread. This is concerning because microplastics may be accelerating the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria through the food system and environment.
Foliar-applied polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) reduce the growth and nutritional quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)
When lettuce plants were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics sprayed on their leaves, they grew significantly smaller and produced less nutritious food, with reduced essential amino acids and micronutrients. The nanoplastics were absorbed through leaf pores and could travel down to the roots, causing oxidative stress throughout the plant. This study warns that airborne nanoplastic pollution could reduce both the quantity and nutritional quality of food crops.
Polystyrene microplastic attenuated the toxic effects of florfenicol on rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings in hydroponics: From the perspective of oxidative response, phototoxicity and molecular metabolism
This study found that when polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic florfenicol are present together in water, the microplastics actually reduced the antibiotic's toxic effects on rice seedlings. The microplastics caused the antibiotic to clump together, reducing how much the plant absorbed. While this might sound positive, it shows that microplastics change how other pollutants behave in unpredictable ways, which complicates our understanding of real-world environmental contamination.
Micro/nanoplastics: Critical review of their impacts on plants, interactions with other contaminants (antibiotics, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and management strategies
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics harm plants, both alone and in combination with other pollutants like antibiotics, heavy metals, and hydrocarbons. The combined exposure often worsens the damage, including inhibited growth, reduced seed germination, and genetic toxicity. The review also explores strategies to reduce this plant damage, which matters for food safety since contaminated crops are a route for microplastics to reach humans.
Long-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics reduces macrophages and affects the microbiota–gut–brain axis in mice
Mice that consumed polystyrene microplastics over an extended period showed reduced immune cells called macrophages in their colons and changes in gut bacteria that were linked to altered brain chemistry. This study provides evidence for a gut-brain connection where microplastics may affect brain function indirectly by first disrupting gut health and the immune system.