Papers

Do Added Microplastics, Native Soil Properties, and Prevailing Climatic Conditions Have Consequences for Carbon and Nitrogen Contents in Soil? A Global Data Synthesis of Pot and Greenhouse Studies

This meta-analysis examined how microplastics affect carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, which are key to soil fertility. The results show that certain types of plastics — especially smaller, fiber-shaped particles — can significantly alter soil chemistry, potentially affecting crop growth and soil health.

Airborne Microplastics: Challenges, Prospects, and Experimental Approaches

This review summarizes what is known about airborne microplastics, which come from textiles, packaging, and other consumer products and are found in both cities and remote natural areas. Particles smaller than 10 micrometers are especially concerning because they can penetrate deep into the lungs when inhaled, potentially causing chronic inflammation and tissue damage, though much remains unknown about the long-term health effects.

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.

Coronas of micro/nano plastics: a key determinant in their risk assessments

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics develop surface coatings called coronas when they interact with biological and environmental substances. These corona layers, formed from proteins, organic matter, and other materials, can significantly change how plastic particles behave in the body and environment, affecting their uptake, distribution, and toxicity. The study suggests that understanding these surface coatings is essential for accurately assessing the real-world risks of plastic particle exposure.

Dark-field/hyperspectral microscopy for detecting nanoscale particles in environmental nanotoxicology research

Researchers reviewed enhanced dark-field microscopy combined with hyperspectral imaging as a non-destructive optical technique for detecting and chemically characterizing nanoscale particles — including nanoplastics — in live, wet biological samples where electron microscopy is impractical.

Nanomechanical Atomic Force Microscopy to Probe Cellular Microplastics Uptake and Distribution

Researchers used atomic force microscopy in a specialized nanomechanical mode to visualize how human skin cells take up and distribute polystyrene microplastics. They were able to distinguish between particles attached to the cell surface and those internalized within the cell, detecting particles as small as 500 nanometers. The study demonstrates a powerful new technique for studying how plastic particles interact with human cells at the nanoscale.

Dark-field hyperspectral microscopy for label-free microplastics and nanoplastics detection and identification in vivo: A Caenorhabditis elegans study

Researchers demonstrated that dark-field hyperspectral microscopy can visualize and chemically identify nano- and microplastics (down to 100 nm) in live C. elegans nematodes without labeling, differentiating multiple polymer types simultaneously within intestinal tissue.

Label-free identification of microplastics in human cells: dark-field microscopy and deep learning study

Researchers developed a label-free method to identify microplastics inside living human cells using enhanced dark-field microscopy combined with deep learning, achieving high classification accuracy for polystyrene microparticles differing only in pigmentation.

Ecofeminist Empowerment: In Preserving the Musi River Waters of Palembang City in 2023

This qualitative study applied an ecofeminist lens to conservation efforts for the Musi River in Palembang, Indonesia, examining how gender and environmental perspectives intersect in community water protection activities. The findings showed that women-led ecofeminist approaches contributed meaningfully to river conservation outcomes.

Probing nanoplastics derived from polypropylene face masks with hyperspectral dark-field microscopy

Researchers used hyperspectral imaging combined with deep learning to detect and characterize nanoplastics shed from polypropylene face masks, finding that mask degradation generates particles well into the nanometer size range. The approach demonstrated higher sensitivity than conventional Raman spectroscopy for identifying nano-sized plastic fragments from mask materials.

Identification of micro- and nanoplastics released from medical masks using hyperspectral imaging and deep learning

Hyperspectral dark-field microscopy combined with deep learning was used to identify micro- and nanoplastics released from UV-irradiated medical masks, finding strong fragmentation of mask layers after 192 hours of UV-C exposure but reduced classification accuracy for UV-degraded particles.

Microplastics in Freshwater: A Focus on the Russian Inland Waters

This review synthesizes data on microplastic pollution in Russian inland waters, finding that synthetic polymer particles are accumulating across rivers, lakes, and groundwater systems, with fibers and fragments being the most prevalent forms detected.

Legal protection of Lake Baikal from microplastics

This study examines the legal frameworks needed to protect Lake Baikal from increasing microplastic pollution, analyzing existing Russian environmental law alongside international and comparative foreign legislation. The authors recommend a set of interrelated general and region-specific legal measures targeting both primary and secondary microplastic sources within the Baikal natural territory.

Microplastic in Abiotic and Biotic Parts of the Mesha Bay of the Kuibyshev Reservoir (Republic of Tatarstan)

Researchers measured microplastic content in water, bottom sediments, and the gills and gastrointestinal tracts of bream (Abramis brama) at the mouth of the Mesha River in the Kuibyshev Reservoir, Russia, finding concentrations of 20.5 units/m3 in water, 44.7 units/kg in sediments, and 12.3 and 14 units per fish in gills and gut respectively. The study documented microplastic accumulation across abiotic and biotic compartments of a large inland reservoir, confirming trophic transfer of plastic particles into commercially relevant fish.

Fluorescence-Free Tracking of Polystyrene Microplastics in Mosquito Larvae Using Dark-Field Hyperspectral Microscopy

Researchers used dark-field hyperspectral microscopy to track the distribution of 2-micrometer polystyrene microspheres in mosquito larvae without relying on fluorescence, finding that histological processing quenches fluorescence and alters spectral properties, and demonstrating that enhanced dark-field microscopy coupled with hyperspectral imaging is a reliable fluorescence-free method for mapping microplastic biodistribution in complex tissues.

Microplastics in Abiotic and Biotic Parts of the Mesha Bay of the Kuibyshev Reservoir (Republic of Tatarstan)

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in the Mesha Bay of the Kuibyshev Reservoir, finding MPs in water (20.5 items/m3), bottom sediments (44.7 items/kg), and bream fish gills and gastrointestinal tracts, with fibers dominating aquatic samples and fragments dominating sediments.

Effects of polystyrene microplastic particles on the morphological and functional parameters of Daphnia magna

The use of nanosized additives in the modification of brick loam

This study is not about environmental microplastics — it tested how nanosized additives affect the strength of ceramics made from brick loam. Adding silica-based nanomaterials improved ceramic strength by up to 70%, relevant to materials science rather than plastic pollution.

The Effect of Medium Acidity on the Size of Polystyrene Particles in Suspension

This study examined how the acidity of the surrounding medium affects the size and stability of polystyrene particles, which has implications for understanding the behavior of polystyrene microplastics in different aquatic environments. pH-driven changes in particle size can affect toxicity and uptake by organisms.