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Papers
810 resultsShowing papers from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
ClearA global estimate of multiecosystem photosynthesis losses under microplastic pollution
This meta-analysis pooled data from over 3,200 measurements and found that microplastic pollution reduces photosynthesis by 7–12% in plants and algae worldwide. This matters because less photosynthesis means lower crop yields and disrupted ecosystems, which can ultimately affect food security and human nutrition.
The effects of microplastics on heavy metals bioavailability in soils: a meta-analysis
This meta-analysis of 790 data sets found that microplastics can increase the availability of toxic heavy metals like copper, lead, and cadmium in soil. This means plastic pollution may make it easier for dangerous metals to enter the food chain through crops, potentially increasing health risks for people.
Microplastics in drinking water: A review on methods, occurrence, sources, and potential risks assessment
This systematic review found that microplastics are widespread in drinking water worldwide, with most particles smaller than 10 micrometers and composed of polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene. Standardized sampling and analysis methods are urgently needed, as large variations in reported concentrations make it difficult to accurately assess health risks from drinking water exposure.
Meta-analysis reveals the combined effects of microplastics and heavy metal on plants
A meta-analysis of 57 studies found that the combined toxicity of microplastics and heavy metals on plants is driven primarily by the heavy metals, while microplastics mainly interact by inducing oxidative stress damage. Microplastic biodegradation emerged as a core factor influencing heavy metal accumulation in plants, with culture environment, heavy metal type, exposure duration, and microplastic concentration and size all playing roles.
A systematic review of the impacts of exposure to micro- and nano-plastics on human tissue accumulation and health
This systematic review found growing evidence that micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in human tissues including lungs, gut, and blood, with lab studies showing potential disruption to immune, reproductive, endocrine, and nervous systems. The review identifies ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact as the three main exposure routes and highlights that the smallest nanoplastic particles pose the greatest concern due to their ability to cross biological barriers.
Photo-oxidation of Micro- and Nanoplastics: Physical, Chemical, and Biological Effects in Environments
This review examines how sunlight breaks down micro- and nanoplastics in the environment, changing their surface properties and making them interact differently with pollutants and living organisms. Sun-aged plastic particles can become more toxic to aquatic life and affect soil microbe communities, but many questions remain about these processes under real-world conditions.
Global patterns of lake microplastic pollution: Insights from regional human development levels
A meta-analysis of 351 lakes across 43 countries found microplastic concentrations ranging from 0.09 to 130,000 items/m3 in surface water, with fibers as the dominant shape and polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET as the most common polymers. Countries with lower human development indices actually showed higher contamination levels, suggesting that waste management capacity is a key driver of lake microplastic pollution.
Global meta-analysis reveals differential effects of microplastics on soil ecosystem
This meta-analysis pooled data from 114 studies to understand how microplastics affect soil ecosystems at different concentrations. Higher microplastic levels reduced soil organic matter and microbial activity, suggesting that increasing plastic pollution could degrade the soil that supports our food supply.
Meta-analysis unravels the complex combined toxicity of microplastics and antibiotics in aquatic ecosystems
A meta-analysis of 730 datasets found that microplastics amplify antibiotic accumulation in aquatic organisms and worsen effects on growth, development, and immune function, but paradoxically appear to mitigate reproductive toxicity from antibiotics. The impact depends on biological response pathway, microplastic concentration, antibiotic properties, and exposure time, with an inverse relationship between antibiotic toxicity and both microplastic concentration and exposure duration.
Microplastic diversity increases the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes in soil
When different types of microplastics accumulate together in soil, they increase the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria. The more diverse the mix of microplastic shapes, colors, and types, the greater the increase in these resistance genes. This is concerning for human health because antibiotic-resistant bacteria in soil can potentially transfer to people through food and water.
Incorporation of polylactic acid microplastics into the carbon cycle as a carbon source to remodel the endogenous metabolism of the gut
Researchers discovered that gut bacteria can break down so-called biodegradable PLA microplastics and incorporate the carbon into their own metabolism, fundamentally altering the gut's energy balance. This process reduced beneficial short-chain fatty acids that fuel gut lining cells and caused decreased appetite and weight loss in mice, suggesting that biodegradable plastics may not be as harmless inside the body as assumed.
Exploring Environmental Behaviors and Health Impacts of Biodegradable Microplastics
Biodegradable plastics are promoted as eco-friendly, but this review finds they may actually break down into microplastics faster than conventional plastics, leading to more rapid accumulation in the environment. Like regular microplastics, these biodegradable fragments can carry pollutants into organisms through a "Trojan horse" effect, and their breakdown products may be even more toxic to the nervous system. The findings suggest we need to carefully weigh the risks of biodegradable plastics against their intended environmental benefits.
National-scale distribution of micro(meso)plastics in farmland soils across China: Implications for environmental impacts
Farmland soils across 30 sites in China contained an average of 358 microplastic items/kg, with concentrations higher in arid northern regions; meta-analysis showed that while current soil levels are generally below minimum effective concentrations for harming crops and soil enzymes, they are approaching those thresholds.
Adsorption of heavy metal onto biomass-derived activated carbon: review
This review summarizes how activated carbon made from plant-based materials can be used to remove heavy metals from polluted water. Since microplastics in water often carry and concentrate heavy metals on their surface, improving our ability to filter these combined contaminants is important for protecting drinking water and human health.
Natural Factors of Microplastics Distribution and Migration in Water: A Review
This review examines how natural factors like rainfall, wind, sunlight, aquatic organisms, and water geography affect where microplastics end up in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Understanding these movement patterns is important for predicting which water sources are most contaminated and where human exposure through drinking water or seafood is likely highest.
Physiological and biochemical effects of polystyrene micro/nano plastics on Arabidopsis thaliana
Experiments on the model plant Arabidopsis showed that polystyrene nano- and microplastics reduced seed germination, stunted growth, lowered chlorophyll levels, and triggered oxidative stress in roots, with smaller particles and higher concentrations causing the most damage. These findings raise concerns about how microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop health and ultimately food production.
The impacts of microplastics on the cycling of carbon and nitrogen in terrestrial soil ecosystems: Progress and prospects
This review examines how microplastics in soil affect the cycling of carbon and nitrogen, two elements essential for plant growth and soil health. Microplastics alter soil microbial communities and enzyme activity in ways that change greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient availability, which could ultimately affect crop production and the food supply.
Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects
This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics are found throughout the environment and in human samples, entering the body through food, air, and skin contact. Lab studies in cells and animals show microplastics can cause oxidative stress, DNA damage, immune reactions, brain toxicity, and reproductive harm, and early human health data links microplastic exposure to several chronic diseases.
Neurotoxicities induced by micro/nanoplastics: A review focusing on the risks of neurological diseases
This review summarizes evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can reach the brain through the bloodstream and nerve pathways, where they trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell damage that may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. The particles are found in air, water, soil, and food, meaning humans are constantly exposed through breathing, eating, and skin contact, making brain effects a serious long-term concern.
Freeze-thaw aged polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics alter enzyme activity and microbial community composition in soil
This study found that when polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics go through freeze-thaw cycles (as they would in cold-climate soils), their surfaces change in ways that alter soil enzyme activity and shift microbial communities. These findings matter because changes in soil microbes can affect nutrient cycling and crop health, with potential downstream effects on human food systems.
Long-term application of organic fertilizer prompting the dispersal of antibiotic resistance genes and their health risks in the soil plastisphere
Scientists found that microplastics in farmland soil treated with organic fertilizer for over 30 years created a "plastisphere" that amplified the spread of antibiotic resistance genes by 1.5 times and increased the risk of these genes jumping between bacteria by 2.7 times. This is concerning for human health because antibiotic-resistant bacteria from agricultural soils can eventually reach people through food and water.
Interaction of microplastics with heavy metals in soil: Mechanisms, influencing factors and biological effects
This review summarizes how microplastics and heavy metals interact in soil, where microplastics can absorb and carry toxic metals through the food chain and into the human body. Aging and weathering of microplastics changes their surface properties, making them better at picking up heavy metals, which raises concerns about combined exposure through contaminated crops and water.
The invisible Threat: Assessing the reproductive and transgenerational impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on fish
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics can cross biological barriers in fish, accumulate in reproductive organs, and cause damage that passes down to offspring who were never directly exposed. The findings raise concerns about the long-term effects of plastic pollution on aquatic food chains, since fish that humans consume may have accumulated microplastics that affected their development and reproductive health.
Polystyrene microplastic-induced oxidative stress triggers intestinal barrier dysfunction via the NF-κB/NLRP3/IL-1β/MCLK pathway
Mice that swallowed polystyrene microplastics for 28 days developed oxidative stress and inflammation in their colons, leading to a weakened intestinal barrier with reduced protective mucus and loosened cell connections. The largest microplastics (5 micrometers) caused the most severe gut damage through a specific inflammatory pathway (NF-kB/NLRP3/MLCK), and antioxidant treatment was able to partially reverse the effects.