Papers

A global meta-analysis of phthalate esters in drinking water sources and associated health risks

This meta-analysis examined phthalate levels — chemicals that leach from plastics — in drinking water sources around the world. Several phthalates exceeded safe limits in certain regions, posing potential health risks including hormone disruption and cancer, especially with long-term exposure.

Meta-analysis shows that microplastics affect ecosystem services in terrestrial environments

This meta-analysis of 128 studies found that microplastics reduce plant productivity by 14.5%, microbial biodiversity by 3.4%, and soil fertility by 8.2% in terrestrial ecosystems, while increasing soil carbon sequestration by 12.2%. Fiber- and fragment-shaped microplastics were particularly harmful to plant productivity, and plant productivity was inversely correlated with carbon sequestration, suggesting complex trade-offs.

Catalytic disconnection of C–O bonds in epoxy resins and composites

Researchers developed a chemical recycling method using a ruthenium catalyst that can break down tough epoxy resins and recover their building blocks along with intact glass or carbon fibers from composites like wind turbine blades. This breakthrough addresses the plastic waste problem at its source by making it possible to recycle materials that currently end up in landfills, where they can fragment into microplastics.

Effects of pristine microplastics and nanoplastics on soil invertebrates: A systematic review and meta-analysis of available data

About 49% of 1,061 biological endpoints were significantly affected by pristine micro- and nanoplastics across 56 studies on soil invertebrates, with polymers containing chloro and phenyl groups causing the most harm; concentrations above 1 g/kg in soil decreased earthworm growth and survival.

The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt

Researchers analyzed 1,816 freshwater invertebrate community datasets from 22 European countries spanning 1968 to 2020, finding that biodiversity recovered steadily through the 1990s and 2000s thanks to water quality improvements, but has largely plateaued since the 2010s. Emerging threats including climate warming, emerging pollutants like microplastics, and invasive species are now offsetting earlier conservation gains, signaling that stronger protections are urgently needed.

Tracing microplastics in environmental sources and migratory shorebirds along the Central Asian Flyway

Researchers tracked microplastic contamination along migratory bird routes in central Asia, testing mudflats, mangroves, and the birds themselves. They found microplastics in both the environment and the digestive tracts of shorebirds, showing that these pollutants are moving through coastal food webs and may be carried across continents by migrating birds.

Current challenges on the widespread adoption of new bio-based fertilizers: insights to move forward toward more circular food systems

This review examines the challenges of adopting bio-based fertilizers made from food and agricultural waste as replacements for synthetic mineral fertilizers. While bio-based fertilizers can improve soil health and reduce reliance on finite resources, barriers include inconsistent nutrient content, concerns about contaminants like microplastics and heavy metals in waste-derived products, and the need for farmer-friendly application methods. The study is relevant because sewage sludge used in some fertilizers is a known source of microplastic contamination in farmland.

Biodegradation of polyethylene and polystyrene: From microbial deterioration to enzyme discovery

This review covers research on using microbes and enzymes to break down polyethylene and polystyrene, which together make up about 40% of all plastic produced worldwide. While biodegradation is considered the most eco-friendly approach to tackling plastic pollution, progress has been slow because these plastics lack the chemical weak points that make other materials easy to decompose. The work is relevant to human health because reducing plastic waste means fewer microplastics entering the food chain and water supply.

Advances in Catchment Science, Hydrochemistry, and Aquatic Ecology Enabled by High-Frequency Water Quality Measurements

This review covers advances in high-frequency water quality monitoring technology for streams and rivers, including automated sensors that measure pollutants in real time. While not focused on microplastics specifically, these monitoring tools are increasingly being adapted to track particulate pollutants including microplastics in waterways. Better real-time water monitoring could help communities identify and respond to microplastic contamination in their drinking water sources.

Insights from international environmental legislation and protocols for the global plastic treaty

This paper analyzes lessons from past international environmental treaties to inform the ongoing negotiations for a global plastic pollution agreement. It found that environmental concerns, rather than human health, have historically driven regulations, and that bans on harmful substances typically happen only when alternatives are available. These insights could help shape a more effective global plastics treaty that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic pollution.

The Open Burning of Plastic Wastes is an Urgent Global Health Issue

Open burning of plastic waste is a widespread but overlooked global health crisis that releases toxic gases and ash into the air, soil, and water. Campaigns against plastic pollution sometimes inadvertently increase burning, and existing laws against the practice are rarely enforced. The authors call for greater awareness of burning risks and phasing out certain single-use plastics.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals in indoor dust: A review of temporal and spatial trends, and human exposure

This review examines endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in indoor house dust, including phthalates, flame retardants, bisphenols, and PFAS, many of which come from plastic products. Even though some of these chemicals have been banned, they are still widely detected in dust, while their replacement chemicals are showing up at increasing levels. The findings are relevant to microplastic concerns because many of these hormone-disrupting chemicals are the same additives found in plastics that leach out as microplastics break down.

The hidden risk of microplastic-associated pathogens in aquatic environments

This review examines the overlooked risk that microplastics in water can serve as vehicles for disease-causing bacteria and other pathogens. Microplastics provide a surface where harmful microorganisms can grow, survive longer, and travel farther than they would on their own. This means microplastic pollution in lakes, rivers, and oceans could increase the risk of waterborne infections in people who swim in, drink from, or eat seafood from contaminated water.

Advancing modified biochar for sustainable agriculture: a comprehensive review on characterization, analysis, and soil performance

This review covers how biochar, a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, can be modified to improve soil health and crop growth. While not directly about microplastics, modified biochar has been studied as a potential tool for absorbing and immobilizing microplastics in contaminated soil. Understanding how to optimize biochar properties could help develop strategies for reducing microplastic uptake by food crops.

Moving from symptom management to upstream plastics prevention: The fallacy of plastic cleanup technology

This paper argues that plastic cleanup technologies, while helpful at a local scale, cannot solve the global plastic pollution crisis and may distract from more effective solutions. The authors present evidence that reducing plastic production upstream is far more efficient and economical than trying to remove plastic from the environment after it has been released. The findings are important for human health because preventing plastic pollution at the source would reduce the microplastics that end up in food, water, and air.

Residual additives in marine microplastics and their risk assessment – A critical review

This review examines the chemical additives found in marine microplastics, including flame retardants, plasticizers, and UV stabilizers, and assesses the risks they may pose to ocean ecosystems. Researchers found that while the transfer of some chemicals from ingested plastics to organisms has been demonstrated, results on actual bioaccumulation are inconclusive. The study suggests that current risk assessment approaches may be inadequate given the sheer number of chemicals associated with marine plastic particles.

Nanoplastic occurrence, transformation and toxicity: a review

Macro- and microplastics as complex threats to coral reef ecosystems

This review summarizes the growing threat that plastic pollution, from large debris down to nanoplastics, poses to coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Researchers found that microplastics can impair coral feeding, skeletal formation, and nutrition, weakening reef health. The study calls for including plastic monitoring in reef conservation programs and promoting a circular economy to reduce plastic waste entering oceans.

Do contaminants compromise the use of recycled nutrients in organic agriculture? A review and synthesis of current knowledge on contaminant concentrations, fate in the environment and risk assessment

This review examines whether recycled nutrients from waste streams, such as sewage sludge and compost, introduce harmful contaminants including microplastics into organic farmland. While levels of heavy metals and many pollutants have decreased in European waste streams, microplastic contamination in agricultural soil remains widespread and poorly understood. The review highlights that spreading waste-derived fertilizers on farmland is a significant pathway for microplastics to enter the food production system.

A discussion of microplastics in soil and risks for ecosystems and food chains

This review examines how microplastics accumulate in soils through agricultural practices, landfills, and wastewater, posing risks to ecosystems and food chains. Researchers found that while marine microplastic pollution has been well studied, terrestrial contamination remains poorly understood despite soil receiving more plastic waste than oceans. The study highlights how microplastics can alter soil properties, harm soil organisms, and potentially transfer through the food chain to humans.

Recent Progresses in Machine Learning Assisted Raman Spectroscopy

This review covers how machine learning is being combined with Raman spectroscopy to improve the analysis of complex materials, including environmental samples. Traditional spectral analysis methods struggle with the volume and complexity of modern data, but AI techniques can extract meaningful patterns more efficiently. These advances are directly relevant to microplastic identification, where Raman spectroscopy is a primary detection tool.

Development and validation of an analytical pyrolysis method for detection of airborne polystyrene nanoparticles

Scientists developed and validated a new method using thermal analysis to detect airborne polystyrene nanoparticles, which are too small for most current detection techniques. The method can measure nanoplastics at the nanogram level, enabling researchers to quantify these tiny particles in air samples. This is important for human health research because airborne nanoplastics are likely widespread but have been difficult to measure, and understanding air concentrations is essential for assessing how much people inhale.

Do weathered microplastics impact the planktonic community? A mesocosm approach in the Baltic Sea

In a large-scale experiment simulating natural Baltic Sea conditions, researchers exposed plankton communities to weathered microplastics at two concentrations for five weeks. At the higher concentration, several groups of tiny organisms including bacteria, algae, and single-celled animals declined in number. Since plankton form the base of the marine food web, reductions in their populations could ripple up through the food chain, ultimately affecting the fish and seafood that humans consume.

Blood and cloacal microbiome profile of captive green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata): Water quality and conservation implications