Papers

Photoaging of Terrestrial Plastic Pollution: A Process Affected by Precipitation

This study found that rainwater significantly speeds up the breakdown of plastic pollution on land through a process called photoaging. When plastics go through repeated wet-dry cycles from rain and sun exposure, they develop chemical changes up to five times faster than dry plastics alone. This means plastics in the environment are breaking down into microplastics more quickly than previously thought, increasing the amount of tiny plastic fragments entering ecosystems.

Microplastics in the human digestive environment: A focus on the potential and challenges facing in vitro gut model development

This review explores how microplastics travel through the human digestive system and what effects they may have on gut health. Researchers found that microplastics can carry harmful hitchhikers like heavy metals, antibiotics, and bacteria, potentially disrupting the gut microbiome and intestinal barrier. The study emphasizes the urgent need to develop better laboratory gut models to accurately simulate how microplastics interact with human digestive physiology.

Molecular and Energetic Descriptions of the Plasma Protein Adsorption onto the PVC Surface: Implications for Biocompatibility in Medical Devices

Using computer simulations, researchers studied how blood proteins interact with PVC plastic surfaces commonly found in medical devices like IV bags and tubing. They found that human serum albumin, the most abundant blood protein, binds strongly to PVC surfaces. Understanding these protein-plastic interactions is important because they influence how the body reacts to medical devices and may relate to how microplastics from medical equipment interact with human blood.

Microplastics: What happens in the human digestive tract? First evidences in adults using in vitro gut models

Researchers used an advanced artificial gut model to study what happens when polyethylene microplastics pass through the human digestive tract under conditions mimicking repeated exposure. They found that microplastics altered the composition of gut bacteria and affected the intestinal barrier without causing overt toxicity. This is among the first studies to simulate realistic human digestive exposure to microplastics, suggesting subtle but meaningful effects on gut health.

Regulatory assessment of nano-enabled health products in public health interest. Position of the scientific advisory board of the French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products

The French National Agency for the Safety of Medicines reviewed the regulatory landscape for health products containing nanomaterials, including drugs and medical devices. They found that the enormous diversity of nanomaterials and their unique properties create significant challenges for consistent regulatory assessment across countries. The report recommends international harmonization of regulatory practices to better evaluate the risk-benefit balance of nano-enabled health products.

Microplastics and nanoplastics detection using flow cytometry: Challenges and methodological advances with fluorescent dye application

This review examined the use of flow cytometry for detecting and counting micro- and nanoplastics in water, including challenges with fluorescent dye application. Researchers found that the technique can detect particles as small as 200 nanometers but that undissolved dye in water samples remains a significant source of measurement error. The review highlights recent methodological improvements and identifies remaining challenges that need to be addressed for reliable nanoplastic quantification.

Use of industry 4.0 technologies to reduce and valorize seafood waste and by-products: A narrative review on current knowledge

Researchers review how Industry 4.0 technologies — including artificial intelligence, smart sensors, and the Internet of Things — can reduce waste from fish and seafood processing while recovering valuable nutrients and materials. Better management of seafood discards could strengthen global food security and reduce the environmental damage caused by millions of tons of annual fishery waste.

Time-varying microplastic contributions of a large urban and industrial area to river sediments

Researchers analyzed dated sediment cores from upstream and downstream of a large city to track microplastic pollution trends from the 1980s to 2021. They found that downstream contamination was roughly ten times higher than upstream, but that industrial-source plastics showed a relative decline since the 2000s. The study provides rare long-term historical data suggesting that some pollution reduction policies may be having a measurable effect.

The impact of nano/micro-plastics toxicity on seafood quality and human health: facts and gaps

This review examines the impact of nano- and microplastic contamination on seafood quality and human health. Researchers note that while microplastic absorption in fish is generally considered low, bioavailability depends on the physical and chemical properties of the particles, and prolonged exposure to high levels may be hazardous. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps around long-term exposure effects and calls for policy action on microplastic limits in food.

Exposure to polyethylene microplastics alters immature gut microbiome in an infant in vitro gut model

Researchers used an artificial infant gut model to study how chronic exposure to polyethylene microplastics affects the developing intestinal microbiome. They found that microplastics shifted gut microbial composition, increasing the abundance of potentially harmful bacteria such as Enterobacteriaceae while decreasing beneficial butyrate production. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion may disrupt the gut microbiome of infants, though no significant damage to the intestinal barrier was observed.

Neglected but Crucial Role Played by Rainwater in the Photodegradation of Plastic

Researchers exposed common plastic types to sunlight for 12 months, with and without rainwater contact, to study how rainwater affects plastic degradation. They found that rainwater significantly accelerated the photodegradation of plastics, producing more microplastic fragments than sunlight alone. The study reveals that rainwater plays a previously overlooked but important role in breaking down plastic waste into microplastics in the environment.

Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation of Microplastic Contamination of Shrimp Using Visible Near-Infrared Multispectral Imaging Technology Combined with Supervised Self-Organizing Map

Scientists developed a non-destructive imaging method using visible and near-infrared multispectral technology combined with machine learning to detect and identify microplastics in shrimp. The system could distinguish between four common microplastic types (PET, PE, PP, and PS) on both minced shrimp and shrimp shell surfaces. This approach offers a faster alternative to traditional microplastic detection methods for screening seafood contamination.

Detection methods of micro and nanoplastics

This review surveyed current detection methods for micro- and nanoplastics across environmental and food matrices, comparing techniques like FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry for identifying these emerging contaminants.

EFSA Project on the use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for the hazard assessment of nanofibres. Lot 1, nanocellulose oral exposure: gastrointestinal digestion, nanofibres uptake and local effects

Researchers used new approach methodologies to assess the potential hazards of nanocellulose materials when consumed orally, focusing on intestinal barrier crossing, local tissue effects, and microbiome interactions. They found that nanocellulose particles were taken up by intestinal cells and that repeated exposure increased uptake, though most effects on gut tissue were mild. The study provides safety-relevant data for the growing use of nanocellulose in food industry applications.

A Pan-European study of the bacterial plastisphere diversity along river-to-sea continuums

Researchers conducted a large-scale study of bacterial communities living on microplastic surfaces along river-to-sea pathways in nine major European rivers during the Tara Microplastics mission. They found that microplastics can transport freshwater bacteria into marine environments, representing a potential dispersal mechanism for microorganisms across ecosystems. The study highlights that the plastisphere community composition shifts along the river-sea continuum.

In vitro models of gut digestion across childhood: current developments, challenges and future trends

Researchers review the development of in vitro gut digestion models for children from birth to age three, summarizing how gut anatomy, physiology, and microbiota evolve during this period and how existing static and dynamic model systems can simulate these compartments to study nutrition, drug delivery, and environmental contaminant exposure.

Mission Tara Microplastics: a holistic set of protocols and data resources for the field investigation of plastic pollution along the land-sea continuum in Europe

Researchers present a comprehensive set of sampling protocols from the Tara Microplastics mission, which investigated plastic pollution along nine major European rivers by measuring microplastic concentrations, microbial communities, and biophysicochemical parameters along salinity gradients.

New advances to assess biodegradation and toxicity of alternative environmentally friendly polymers

Researchers developed new methods to assess the biodegradation rates and ecotoxicity of alternative polymers including biobased, recycled, and biodegradable plastics, addressing a gap in risk assessment frameworks focused primarily on conventional plastics. Results showed biodegradability varied greatly by polymer type and environmental conditions, and alternative plastics still exhibited measurable toxicity during degradation.

Exposure to Polyethylene Microplastics Alters Immature Gut Microbiome in an Infant in Vitro Gut Model

Plastics in the North Atlantic garbage patch: A boat-microbe for hitchhikers and plastic degraders

Researchers examined the microbial communities living on plastic debris in the North Atlantic garbage patch, finding that plastics host unique communities of bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes distinct from surrounding seawater. The study highlights that floating plastics act as "microbial islands" that could facilitate the long-distance transport of potentially invasive or pathogenic organisms.

Critical Drug Loss Induced by Silicone and Polyurethane Implantable Catheters in a Simulated Infusion Setup with Three Model Drugs

Silicone and polyurethane implantable catheters caused significant loss of three model drugs via sorption in a simulated infusion setup, with drug loss rates varying by drug physicochemical properties and catheter material, highlighting a clinically relevant but understudied source of drug delivery variability.

Biodegradability under marine conditions of bio-based and petroleum-based polymers as substitutes of conventional microparticles

Bacterial Abundance, Diversity and Activity During Long-Term Colonization of Non-biodegradable and Biodegradable Plastics in Seawater

Biofilm communities on conventional (polyethylene and polystyrene) and biodegradable plastics were tracked over 7 months of seawater immersion, finding highly abundant and diverse plastisphere communities on all polymer types but limited evidence of active plastic biodegradation under natural marine conditions.

Fungal Diversity and Dynamics during Long-Term Immersion of Conventional and Biodegradable Plastics in the Marine Environment

Metabarcoding of fungi colonizing plastic debris in marine environments found fungal communities on plastics were distinct from surrounding seawater and differed between conventional and biodegradable polymers, with a colonization transition around 30-40 days suggesting a shift from biofilm formation to biofouling communities.