Papers

Microplastics in the bloodstream can induce cerebral thrombosis by causing cell obstruction and lead to neurobehavioral abnormalities

Researchers discovered that microplastics in the bloodstream can cause blood clots in the brain by getting swallowed by immune cells that then block tiny blood vessels. These blockages reduced blood flow and caused neurological problems in mice. This reveals a new way microplastics may harm the brain, not by crossing into brain tissue directly, but by disrupting blood circulation.

Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains

Researchers found microplastics in human brain, liver, and kidney tissue samples, with plastic levels significantly higher in samples from 2024 compared to 2016. The brain contained especially high levels of polyethylene, and brains from people with dementia had even more plastic accumulation. These findings suggest that microplastics are building up in human organs over time, raising urgent questions about potential health effects.

The Known and Unknown: Investigating the Carcinogenic Potential of Plastic Additives

A comprehensive analysis of 2,712 known plastic additives found that over 150 are already classified as carcinogenic, while roughly 90% have never been tested for cancer-causing potential. Both the known carcinogens and the untested additives affected similar biological pathways related to DNA damage, immune response, and cancer, suggesting the true cancer risk from plastics may be significantly underestimated.

Anionic nanoplastic contaminants promote Parkinson’s disease–associated α-synuclein aggregation

Researchers discovered that nanoplastics can enter brain cells and accelerate the clumping of alpha-synuclein, a protein whose buildup is the hallmark of Parkinson's disease. In mice, nanoplastics worsened the spread of this protein pathology across brain regions, including the area that controls movement, suggesting a potential link between nanoplastic pollution and Parkinson's disease risk.

Author Correction: Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains

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.

Polystyrene microplastics trigger adiposity in mice by remodeling gut microbiota and boosting fatty acid synthesis

Researchers discovered that polystyrene microplastics at relatively low concentrations caused weight gain and excess fat accumulation in mice by reshaping their gut bacteria. The altered gut microbiome boosted fatty acid production, increased appetite, and lowered physical activity in the exposed mice. This finding is significant because it suggests everyday levels of microplastic exposure could contribute to obesity through changes in gut bacteria and metabolism.

Microplastics in marine mammal blubber, melon, & other tissues: Evidence of translocation

Scientists found microplastics in the blubber, melon (a fatty organ in the head), and other deep tissues of marine mammals -- not just in their stomachs. This is the first evidence that ingested microplastics can move from the gut into internal organs in marine mammals, likely aided by the animals' lipid-rich tissues. Since marine mammals sit at the top of the food chain, this demonstrates how microplastics can accumulate and spread through an entire ecosystem, including into seafood consumed by humans.

Everything falls apart: How solids degrade and release nanomaterials, composite fragments, and microplastics

This review examines how solid materials -- including plastics, coatings, and composites -- break down and release tiny particles throughout their lifecycle, from manufacturing to disposal. The type and amount of particles released depend on the material's composition and the stresses it faces, such as mechanical wear, sunlight, and heat. Understanding these release mechanisms is crucial because they determine how much microplastic and nanoplastic pollution enters the environment and ultimately reaches humans.

Nanoplastics are neither microplastics nor engineered nanoparticles

This paper explains why nanoplastics should be treated as a distinct category, separate from both microplastics and engineered nanoparticles. At the nanoscale, plastics behave differently: they interact more with biological membranes, release additives faster, and can fragment further in the environment. Recognizing these differences is important for accurately assessing health risks, since nanoplastics may be more bioavailable and potentially more harmful than larger microplastics.

Impact of climate change and natural disasters on fungal infections

Researchers reviewed how climate change and natural disasters are making fungal infections more dangerous, as rising temperatures help fungi adapt to the human body's heat and spread into new geographic regions. Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, and the authors call for more research, funding, and policy attention to this growing but overlooked health threat.

Multi-cellular engineered living systems to assess reproductive toxicology

Researchers reviewed how multi-cellular engineered living systems — including organ-on-chip devices and organoids — are being used to model reproductive toxicology for chemicals and drugs, highlighting their advantages over animal models for studying the placenta, embryo development, and both male and female reproductive organs.

Environmental degradation and fragmentation of microplastics: dependence on polymer type, humidity, UV dose and temperature

Researchers systematically tested how UV light, temperature, and humidity cause five common plastic types to break apart into secondary microplastics and nanoplastics. They found that the type of plastic — not the aging conditions — was the main factor determining how quickly it fragmented and what byproducts it released, data that can improve models predicting how plastics break down in the environment.

Plastic pollution solutions: emerging technologies to prevent and collect marine plastic pollution

Researchers created a comprehensive inventory of 52 technologies designed to either prevent plastic from entering waterways or collect existing marine plastic pollution. The study found that while many promising solutions exist, most target macroplastics and there are far fewer options for capturing microplastics. The inventory serves as a roadmap for policymakers and innovators to compare approaches and identify where more technological development is needed.

Inequitable distribution of plastic benefits and burdens on economies and public health

This study examined how the benefits and burdens of plastic are distributed unevenly across communities throughout the plastic lifecycle. Researchers found that economic benefits tend to go to producers and consumers, while health burdens disproportionately fall on vulnerable populations near production and waste sites. The findings highlight a significant disconnect between who profits from plastic and who suffers its consequences.

The Anthropocene: Comparing Its Meaning in Geology (Chronostratigraphy) with Conceptual Approaches Arising in Other Disciplines

This article compares how the term "Anthropocene" is used in geology versus other academic disciplines like social sciences and humanities. In geology, the Anthropocene is proposed as a formal epoch beginning in the mid-twentieth century, marked by measurable changes in the geological record from industrialization and globalization. Other fields use the term more flexibly, often extending it much further back in time and applying it without reference to specific geological markers.

Microplastics exacerbate tissue damage and promote carcinogenesis following liver infection in mice

In a mouse study, microplastics significantly worsened liver damage during infection and activated cancer-related genetic pathways, including the tumor suppressor genes p53 and p21. Analysis of liver gene activity showed that microplastics intensified carcinogenesis pathways compared to infection alone, and big data analysis found a correlation between microplastic pollution and human liver cancer rates. While not proof of direct causation, this study raises the possibility that microplastic exposure could promote cancer development in damaged tissues.

Uptake, tissue distribution, and toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers tracked the uptake and distribution of polystyrene nanoparticles in developing zebrafish and found that the particles accumulated in the yolk sac and then spread to the brain, liver, heart, and other organs. While the nanoparticles did not cause significant mortality or deformities, they did reduce heart rate and alter swimming behavior. The study suggests that nanoplastics can penetrate biological barriers and accumulate in multiple tissues during early development.

The European Union Ban on Microplastics Includes Artificial Turf Crumb Rubber Infill: Other Nations Should Follow Suit

This viewpoint article discusses the European Union's decision to include artificial turf crumb rubber infill in its microplastics ban and argues that other countries should adopt similar policies. Crumb rubber, made from recycled tires, contains hundreds of chemicals including known carcinogens and leaches microplastic particles that athletes and children are exposed to during play. The authors urge nations to follow the EU's lead in protecting public health by restricting this significant source of microplastic exposure.

Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Impacts on Aquatic Species and Interactions with Environmental Factors and Pollutants

This review examines how nanoplastics affect aquatic species, focusing on their cellular and molecular toxicity as well as how environmental factors like temperature, salinity, and co-existing pollutants influence their harmful effects. Researchers found that nanoplastics can be absorbed more easily than larger plastic particles, transfer through food webs, and disrupt cellular function in aquatic organisms. The study highlights the need to consider real-world environmental conditions when assessing nanoplastic risks.

Polyethylene microplastics impede the innate immune response by disrupting the extracellular matrix and signaling transduction

Mice exposed to polyethylene microplastics showed a weakened immune response when challenged with bacterial toxins, with lower levels of immune signaling molecules and reduced immune cell activity. The microplastics disrupted proteins in the extracellular matrix, the structural framework around cells in the liver and spleen, which impaired immune signaling. This suggests that microplastic accumulation in organs could make the body less effective at fighting infections.

Man and the Last Great Wilderness: Human Impact on the Deep Sea

This comprehensive review assessed human impacts on the deep sea, the largest and least studied ecosystem on Earth. Researchers found that the most significant threats have shifted from waste disposal in past decades to resource exploitation today, with climate change and ocean acidification predicted to become the dominant concern going forward.

Toxicity of microplastic fibers containing azobenzene disperse dyes to human lung epithelial cells cultured at an air-liquid interface

This study tested the effects of inhaled polyester microplastic fibers on human lung cells grown in a lab, comparing dyed versus undyed fibers. Fibers containing azobenzene disperse dyes were significantly more toxic, reducing cell survival and activating genes linked to chemical metabolism. The results show that chemical dyes can leach from microplastic fibers in the lungs, meaning the health risks of inhaling clothing fibers may be worse than the plastic alone.

FRAGMENT-MNP: A model of micro- and nanoplastic fragmentation in the environment

Researchers developed an open-source computer model called FRAGMENT-MNP that simulates how plastic debris breaks down into smaller micro- and nanoplastic particles over time in the environment. The model predicts fragmentation patterns based on the physical properties of different plastics and environmental conditions. This tool gives scientists a new way to understand and forecast how plastic pollution evolves, which is important because particle size affects how plastics move through ecosystems and interact with living organisms.