Papers

Polylactic acid microplastics before and after aging induced neurotoxicity in zebrafish by disrupting the microbiota-gut-brain axis

Researchers exposed zebrafish to microplastics made from PLA, a common biodegradable plastic, and found that both new and aged PLA particles caused brain and nerve damage, including sluggish behavior, memory problems, and increased aggression. Aged PLA particles were even more toxic, and the damage appeared to work through disruption of the gut-brain connection, raising concerns about the safety of biodegradable plastics as they break down in water.

Microplastics as an emerging threat to human health: An overview of potential health impacts

This review provides a broad overview of how microplastics enter the body through food, air, and skin contact, and have been found in human tissues including the placenta, blood, lungs, and reproductive organs. Children face especially high risk due to hand-to-mouth behaviors and faster breathing rates relative to their body size, making them more susceptible to microplastic exposure and its potential toxic effects.

Microplastic contamination in the agricultural soil—mitigation strategies, heavy metals contamination, and impact on human health: a review

This review examines how microplastics contaminate agricultural soil through plastic mulch, irrigation water, and fertilizers, then alter soil chemistry, harm beneficial microorganisms, and reduce crop productivity. The authors highlight that microplastics can accumulate in crops and enter the human food chain, posing risks to food safety and human health, particularly through daily food and water consumption.

Effects of degradable and non-degradable microplastics and oxytetracycline co-exposure on soil N2O and CO2 emissions

Combined exposure of polystyrene nanoplastics and silver nanoparticles exacerbating hepatotoxicity in zebrafish mediated by ferroptosis pathway through increased silver accumulation

When zebrafish were exposed to both polystyrene nanoplastics and silver nanoparticles together, the liver damage was significantly worse than from silver alone because the nanoplastics helped more silver accumulate in the body. The combined exposure triggered a specific type of cell death called ferroptosis in liver tissue, suggesting that nanoplastics can make other environmental pollutants more toxic.

Neurological Outcomes of Joint Exposure to Polystyrene Micro/Nanospheres and Silver Nanoparticles in Zebrafish

This zebrafish study found that tiny nanoplastics made the brain-damaging effects of silver nanoparticles worse, while larger microplastics had less of an impact. The findings suggest that when nanoplastics combine with other common pollutants, they may create greater risks to the nervous system than either pollutant alone.

Soil properties explain the variability in tire wear particle effects in soil based on a laboratory test with 59 soils

Researchers tested how tire wear particles, one of the most common types of microplastics, affect 59 different soil types and found that the effects varied widely depending on soil properties like clay content and density. This matters because tire dust washes into soil and waterways everywhere, and understanding which soils are most vulnerable helps predict where pollution impacts will be greatest.

Divergent responses in microbial metabolic limitations and carbon use efficiency to variably sized polystyrene microplastics in soil

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics of all sizes disrupted soil microbe metabolism, but the smallest particles (nanoscale, 0.1 micrometers) caused the most stress. Smaller particles were more likely to enter microbial cells directly and reduce the efficiency with which soil microbes process carbon. This matters because soil microbes play a critical role in carbon cycling, and widespread microplastic contamination could affect how soil stores and releases carbon.

Influence of soil microplastic contamination and cadmium toxicity on the growth, physiology, and root growth traits of Triticum aestivum L.

Researchers grew wheat plants in soil contaminated with polyethylene microplastics, the toxic heavy metal cadmium, or both, finding that combined exposure caused the worst damage — shrinking root area, reducing gas exchange in leaves, and lowering key growth indicators. These findings raise concerns about crop yields in farmland where plastic pollution and heavy metal contamination overlap, which is increasingly common.

Microplastics meet invasive plants: Unraveling the ecological hazards to agroecosystems

This study examined how microplastic contamination in soil combines with invasive plant species to affect rice crops. The combination of both stressors caused greater changes in rice metabolism and antioxidant responses than either stressor alone. These findings highlight how microplastic pollution in agricultural soil can interact with other environmental challenges to threaten food safety and crop health.

Micro/nanoplastics: Critical review of their impacts on plants, interactions with other contaminants (antibiotics, heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and management strategies

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics harm plants, both alone and in combination with other pollutants like antibiotics, heavy metals, and hydrocarbons. The combined exposure often worsens the damage, including inhibited growth, reduced seed germination, and genetic toxicity. The review also explores strategies to reduce this plant damage, which matters for food safety since contaminated crops are a route for microplastics to reach humans.

The suspension stability of nanoplastics in aquatic environments revealed using meta-analysis and machine learning

Researchers combined machine learning and meta-analysis to model nanoplastic aggregation behavior in water, finding that surface charge is the dominant factor, and predicting that nanoplastics will aggregate and settle in estuarine and low-flow conditions such as those found in China's Poyang Lake.

The promoting effects of soil microplastics on alien plant invasion depend on microplastic shape and concentration

A greenhouse experiment showed that soil microplastic pollution can help invasive plant species outcompete native plants. The invasive goldenrod grew better in soil contaminated with certain shapes and concentrations of polyethylene microplastics, while the native species was less affected. This suggests that microplastic pollution in soil could worsen the spread of invasive plants, with knock-on effects for ecosystems and agriculture.

Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics Combined With Antibiotics in the Aquatic Environment: Recent Developments and Prospects

This review examines how microplastics and antibiotics interact in water environments, finding that microplastics can absorb antibiotics onto their surfaces and carry them over long distances. When aquatic organisms encounter these antibiotic-laden microplastics, the combined toxicity can be worse than either pollutant alone. Microplastics also promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, which is a growing public health concern.

Fate and enzymatic response of co-exposed photoaged nanoplastic and PFAS: Insights from a human gastrointestinal simulation

This study simulated human digestion to examine what happens when nanoplastics and PFAS (forever chemicals) are consumed together. Sun-aged nanoplastics were far more bioaccessible in the digestive system than fresh ones, and the combination with certain PFAS types increased absorption of both pollutants. The results suggest that real-world exposure, where weathered nanoplastics and forever chemicals co-exist, may pose greater health risks than studies of individual pollutants indicate.

Characterization of airborne microplastics and health risks in high-temperature urban streets: A case study of Nanjing city

Researchers measured airborne microplastics on high-temperature streets in Nanjing, China, and found that hotter ground temperatures significantly increased the release of traffic-related microplastics. Tire wear and road markings were identified as major sources, and health risk modeling showed that daily inhalation exposure could reach concerning levels for both adults and children. The study highlights that people living in hot urban areas with heavy traffic may face higher microplastic exposure through breathing.

Self-rotating wood-based floating solar-driven interfacial evaporator for continuous and high-efficiency desalination

A review of microplastics on anammox: Influences and mechanisms

This review summarizes how microplastics affect anammox, a key biological process used in wastewater treatment to remove nitrogen. Microplastics disrupt the microbial communities that perform this process, reducing treatment efficiency depending on plastic concentration, size, and type. Since wastewater treatment is a critical barrier preventing pollutants from reaching drinking water sources, any reduction in treatment performance could increase human exposure to contaminants.

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.

Comparative impact of pristine and aged microplastics with triclosan on lipid metabolism in larval zebrafish: Unveiling the regulatory role of miR-217

Scientists found that when microplastics and the antimicrobial chemical triclosan coexist in water, microplastics increase the amount of triclosan that accumulates in zebrafish larvae, disrupting fat metabolism through a specific genetic pathway. Aged microplastics, which have weathered surfaces, actually carried less triclosan and caused less harm than fresh microplastics. This research shows how microplastics can amplify the toxic effects of common household chemicals in aquatic organisms that are part of the food chain.

Combined exposure to microplastics and amitriptyline caused intestinal damage, oxidative stress and gut microbiota dysbiosis in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to microplastics and the antidepressant amitriptyline, both separately and combined, and found that the mixture caused the most severe intestinal damage and gut microbiome disruption. The microplastics appeared to absorb the drug and deliver higher concentrations to gut tissue. This highlights how microplastics can act as carriers for pharmaceutical pollutants, potentially amplifying their toxic effects on aquatic life.

Effects of microplastics on denitrification and associated N2O emission in estuarine and coastal sediments: insights from interactions between sulfate reducers and denitrifiers

This study investigated how microplastics affect nitrogen cycling and greenhouse gas emissions in estuary sediments by altering the interactions between two key types of bacteria. Microplastics disrupted the balance between sulfate-reducing and nitrogen-removing bacteria, with different effects depending on location in the estuary. These changes could worsen water quality in coastal zones where microplastic pollution is severe, potentially affecting fisheries and water resources that communities depend on.

Biodegradable microplastics pose greater risks than conventional microplastics to soil properties, microbial community and plant growth, especially under flooded conditions

Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on soil and found that biodegradable plastics (PLA) actually caused more harm to soil chemistry, microbial communities, and plant growth than traditional polyethylene plastics. The damage was especially severe under flooded conditions, which accelerated the breakdown of biodegradable plastics and released more harmful byproducts. This challenges the assumption that switching to biodegradable plastics is always better for the environment.

Cation-π mechanism promotes the adsorption of humic acid on polystyrene nanoplastics to differently affect their aggregation: Evidence from experimental characterization and DFT calculation

Researchers investigated how humic acid and metal ions in natural lake water affect the clumping behavior of polystyrene nanoplastics, finding that a cation-π bonding mechanism — where metal ions bridge humic acid molecules onto the nanoplastic surface — governs whether particles aggregate or remain dispersed, with major implications for their environmental persistence and toxicity.