Papers

Microplastic Pollution and Monitoring in Seawater and Harbor Environments: A Meta-Analysis and Review

This meta-analysis reviews microplastic pollution levels in seawater and harbors worldwide, finding that contamination is widespread and persistent. The research matters for human health because marine microplastics enter the food chain through fish and shellfish, representing a significant route of exposure for seafood consumers.

Immune-mediated disease caused by climate change-associated environmental hazards: mitigation and adaptation

This review examines how climate change-driven events like wildfires, dust storms, and heatwaves increase air pollution and allergen exposure, contributing to rising rates of asthma, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. The paper specifically notes that nanoplastics, alongside other environmental pollutants, can disrupt skin and mucous membrane barriers and alter the microbiome in ways that trigger immune system dysfunction.

Microplastics (MPs) in Cosmetics: A Review on Their Presence in Personal-Care, Cosmetic, and Cleaning Products (PCCPs) and Sustainable Alternatives from Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers

This review documents how microplastics are widely used in personal care products, cosmetics, and cleaning supplies as exfoliants, film formers, and texture enhancers. These products wash down the drain and contribute to environmental microplastic pollution, which can ultimately cycle back to humans through contaminated water and food.

Revealing the Combined Effects of Microplastics, Zn, and Cd on Soil Properties and Metal Accumulation by Leafy Vegetables: A Preliminary Investigation by a Laboratory Experiment

This laboratory study examines how microplastics combined with heavy metals like zinc and cadmium affect soil health and leafy vegetable growth. The findings suggest that microplastics can alter how metals accumulate in lettuce and other greens, potentially increasing the levels of toxic substances in the vegetables people eat.

Joint physicochemical effects of UV-B irradiation on microplastics formation: The case of poly(vinyl chloride) and poly(methyl methacrylate)

Researchers studied how UV-B sunlight breaks down PVC and acrylic (PMMA) plastics over two months, tracking the chemical and structural changes that lead to microplastic formation. Understanding how different plastics fragment under sunlight helps predict which types of plastic pollution pose the greatest risk as they degrade into smaller particles in the environment.

New insights into the size-independent bioactive potential of pristine and UV-B aged polyethylene microplastics

Scientists tested how UV light aging changes polyethylene microplastics and their effects on human immune cells (lymphocytes) from blood samples. Both new and UV-aged microplastics reduced cell viability and triggered DNA damage, regardless of particle size. This suggests that microplastics in the environment may harm human immune cells whether they are freshly produced or have been weathered by sunlight.

Impact of aged and virgin polyethylene microplastics on multi end-points effects of freshwater fish tissues

Freshwater fish exposed to polyethylene microplastics for 15 days showed increased oxidative stress in both liver and muscle tissue, with aged, UV-weathered microplastics causing more damage than new ones. The weathering process changed the plastic surface in ways that made the particles more chemically reactive and potentially more harmful. This matters because microplastics in the environment are typically aged, meaning lab studies using only pristine particles may underestimate real-world toxicity.

Microplastics and nanoplastics: Exposure and toxicological effects require important analysis considerations

This review highlights that while microplastics and nanoplastics have been found in human tissues and linked to several diseases, the actual toxic effects are still unclear because researchers use very different methods to study them. The authors call for standardized testing approaches so that results can be compared reliably, which is critical for determining what levels of exposure actually pose a risk to human health.

Molecular Insights into α-Synuclein Fibrillation: A Raman Spectroscopy and Machine Learning Approach

This study used advanced spectroscopy and machine learning to track the molecular changes that occur as alpha-synuclein protein clumps together, a process central to Parkinson's disease and other brain disorders. While not directly about microplastics, this research is relevant because recent studies have shown that nanoplastics can accelerate alpha-synuclein aggregation. Better tools for detecting early protein clumping could help researchers understand whether environmental exposures like nanoplastics contribute to neurodegenerative diseases.

Adverse effects polystyrene microplastics exert on zebrafish heart – Molecular to individual level

Researchers fed zebrafish microplastic-enriched food for 21 days and found significant damage to heart function, including reduced contraction strength and frequency, along with decreased swimming ability. At the cellular level, the fish showed increased oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disrupted energy metabolism in heart tissue. The study provides evidence that microplastic exposure can affect cardiovascular health in fish from the molecular level up to whole-organism fitness.

Genotoxicity and metabolic changes induced via ingestion of virgin and UV-aged polyethylene microplastics by the freshwater fish Perca fluviatilis

Freshwater perch fed UV-aged polyethylene microplastics showed greater DNA damage and more severe metabolic disruption in liver and muscle tissue than fish fed virgin (new) microplastics. The aged plastics disrupted energy metabolism, amino acid processing, and neurotransmitter levels. Since most microplastics in the environment have been weathered by sunlight, these findings suggest the real-world health risks to fish — and potentially to the humans who eat them — may be greater than lab studies using fresh plastics indicate.

Continuing benefits of the Montreal Protocol and protection of the stratospheric ozone layer for human health and the environment

This assessment reviews the continuing health and environmental benefits of the Montreal Protocol, which protects the ozone layer. While primarily focused on UV radiation, skin cancer, and air quality, the review notes that UV light accelerates the breakdown of plastics into microplastics in the environment. The interaction between ozone protection, climate change, and plastic degradation highlights the complex relationship between atmospheric changes and microplastic pollution.

Physicochemical alterations on UV aged polymers leading to microplastics formation: A multi-tiered study of polyester, polycarbonate and polyamide

Plastics in Agricultural and Urban Soils: Interactions with Plants, Micro-Organisms, Inorganic and Organic Pollutants: An Overview of Polyethylene (PE) Litter

This review examines how polyethylene plastic, one of the most common plastics, behaves in both farm and city soils and interacts with plants, soil microbes, and other pollutants. Microplastics in soil can change nutrient availability, alter microbial communities, and carry other contaminants like heavy metals. These changes could ultimately affect the safety and nutritional quality of crops grown in contaminated soil.

Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics Utilization in Crayfish Aquaculture and Factors Affecting Gut Microbiota

This review examines how probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics can improve gut health and disease resistance in farmed crayfish. These supplements help maintain beneficial gut bacteria, boost immune function, and reduce the need for antibiotics in aquaculture. The research is relevant to microplastic concerns because healthy gut microbiomes in aquatic organisms may be more resilient to disruption from environmental contaminants like microplastics.

Fate and Removal of Microplastics from Industrial Wastewaters

This review examines how industrial wastewater treatment plants handle microplastic contamination worldwide. Researchers found that treatment effectiveness varies widely depending on the industry and the technologies used. The paper highlights that industrial sources are a significant but often overlooked contributor to microplastic pollution in waterways.

Differentiation in the expression of toxic effects of polyethylene-microplastics on two freshwater fish species: Size matters

Researchers exposed zebrafish and perch to two sizes of polyethylene microplastics for 21 days and found that smaller particles were more toxic, accumulating primarily in the liver while larger ones concentrated in the gills. Both sizes triggered oxidative stress, DNA damage, and activated cell death pathways in both species. The study demonstrates that microplastic particle size is a key factor in determining where the particles end up in fish tissues and how severely they cause harm.

Recent Advances in the Investigation of Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) Nanocomposites: Incorporation of Various Nanofillers and their Properties and Applications

This review covers recent advances in poly(lactic acid) or PLA, a compostable bioplastic that could replace fossil-fuel-based plastics. Researchers examined how adding various nanofillers can overcome PLA's limitations, such as low heat resistance and slow crystallization, making it suitable for a wider range of applications. The findings suggest that PLA nanocomposites represent a viable path toward reducing reliance on conventional plastics across multiple industries.

Plastics in the environment in the context of UV radiation, climate change and the Montreal Protocol: UNEP Environmental Effects Assessment Panel, Update 2023

Researchers from the UN Environment Programme reviewed how sunlight and climate change accelerate the breakdown of plastic debris into micro- and nanoplastics, which have now been detected in every ecosystem on Earth — including inside the human body. They conclude that new plastics should be designed to break down harmlessly at the end of their useful life, rather than persisting indefinitely as pollution.

Beyond 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid: <i>status quo</i>, environmental assessment, and blind spots of furanic monomers for bio-based polymers

This review looks at the development of furan-based chemicals from renewable sources as building blocks for bio-based plastics that could replace petroleum-derived plastics. While not directly about microplastic health effects, creating plastics from plant-based materials that are more easily recyclable or biodegradable could help reduce future microplastic pollution. The research represents one approach to redesigning plastics so they cause less environmental harm when they inevitably enter ecosystems.

Do poly(lactic acid) microplastics instigate a threat? A perception for their dynamic towards environmental pollution and toxicity

This review examines whether poly(lactic acid), a popular biodegradable plastic marketed as an eco-friendly alternative, actually poses environmental risks as it breaks down into microplastics. Researchers found that PLA only degrades fully under specific industrial composting conditions with high temperatures and moisture, and may persist much longer in natural environments. The study calls for deeper investigation into the environmental fate and potential toxicity of PLA microplastics as their use continues to grow.

Phytoremediation of Co-Contaminated Environments: A Review of Microplastic and Heavy Metal/Organic Pollutant Interactions and Plant-Based Removal Approaches

This review examined how microplastics interact with heavy metals and organic pollutants in soil and how plants can be used to clean up these mixed contamination scenarios. Researchers found that microplastics can either increase or decrease the toxicity of co-pollutants depending on their chemical properties, and emerging approaches like genetically modified plants and microbial partnerships show promise for improving cleanup efforts.

Impact of Biodegradable Plastics on Soil Health: Influence of Global Warming and Vice Versa

This review examines how biodegradable plastics affect soil health and how rising global temperatures may accelerate their breakdown and alter their environmental impact. Researchers found that biodegradable plastic fragments can change soil structure, microbial communities, and nutrient cycling, with effects varying by plastic type and environmental conditions. The study highlights a feedback loop where warming speeds plastic degradation while the resulting microplastics may further influence soil carbon processes.

Thermal Characterization and Recycling of Polymers from Plastic Packaging Waste

Scientists collected and analyzed 23 random plastic packaging waste samples from food and non-food products in Greece, identifying polyethylene, PET, polypropylene, and polystyrene as the most common polymers. Using pyrolysis, they broke these plastics down into valuable chemical products including monomers like styrene and ethylene. The research demonstrates that better characterization and recycling of packaging waste could recover useful materials and help reduce the roughly 62% of plastic packaging that currently goes unrecycled in Europe.