Papers

Top 10 public health challenges to track in 2023: Shifting focus beyond a global pandemic

This article identifies the top 10 global public health challenges for 2023, including climate change, infectious disease preparedness, and environmental pollution. Microplastic contamination is highlighted as part of the broader environmental health threat that demands coordinated international attention. The authors argue that shifting focus beyond pandemic response is essential to address the interconnected health challenges facing the world.

Microplastics in commercially sold fish in a coastal city of the Philippine Islands, Western Pacific

Microplastics in Perna viridis and Venerupis species: assessment and impacts of plastic pollution

Researchers confirmed microplastic contamination in Perna viridis and Venerupis bivalve species using microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy, and surveyed bivalve gleaners to assess public knowledge and perception of plastic pollution risks.

Toward Sustainable Environmental Quality: Priority Research Questions for Asia

A horizon-scanning exercise identified 23 priority research questions for environmental health in Asia, covering air pollution, water quality, microplastics, chemical contaminants, and ecosystem degradation, reflecting the region's unique scale and diversity of environmental challenges.

Performance Evaluation of Rectangular Slot Microstrip Patch Antenna Under Variable Conditions for Real-Time Microplastic Detection and Classification

This study designed and tested a rectangular slot microstrip patch antenna for real-time microplastic detection in water, finding the antenna could classify microplastic-contaminated samples through changes in electromagnetic resonance properties, offering a low-cost alternative to spectroscopic methods.

Determination of Microplastic Accumulation and its Effect on Rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus) and Parrotfish (Scarus ghobban): A Case Study from the Local Market of Zamboanga City, Philippines

This study determined microplastic accumulation in rabbitfish and parrotfish from a Philippine fishing ground, finding MPs in both species and examining whether fish body size and weight correlate with the amount of ingested microplastics.

Microplastics in some fish species and their environs in Eastern Visayas, Philippines

Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion in freshwater and marine fish species in the Philippines, finding that herbivorous rabbitfish ingested more MPs than detritivore mullet, and that MP concentrations in fish guts did not strongly correlate with surrounding water concentrations.

Microplastic Abundance and Characteristics in Rabbitfish Siganus guttatus and Parrotfish Scarus ghobban from the Local Market of Zamboanga City, Philippines

This Philippine study found microplastics in the digestive tracts of rabbitfish and parrotfish sold in public markets in Zamboanga City. Both reef fish species showed microplastic contamination, highlighting food safety concerns for consumers who regularly eat these locally caught fish.