Papers

Impact of microplastics on growth, photosynthesis and essential elements in Cucurbita pepo L.

Researchers grew squash plants in soil contaminated with four common types of microplastics and found that all four impaired plant growth, especially in the shoots and leaves. PVC was the most toxic, reducing leaf size, photosynthesis, and iron uptake more than the other plastic types. These findings raise concerns that microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil could reduce crop yields and potentially introduce plastics into the food chain.

Groundwater is a hidden global keystone ecosystem

This study argues that groundwater should be recognized as a "keystone ecosystem" because of its critical role in sustaining surface environments, biodiversity, and human water supplies. Over half of the world's land surface has significant interaction with groundwater, yet it remains overlooked in conservation planning. Protecting groundwater is essential for planetary health, including safeguarding water sources from emerging contaminants like microplastics.

Physiological responses of garden cress (L. sativum) to different types of microplastics

Researchers tested the effects of four common types of microplastics on garden cress plants and found that PVC was the most toxic, causing the greatest oxidative stress and growth inhibition. Both acute and chronic exposure to microplastics affected seed germination, plant height, biomass, and levels of stress-response compounds in the plants. This is one of the first studies to demonstrate that microplastics can trigger oxidative damage in terrestrial plants, with implications for agricultural ecosystems.

Groundwater is a hidden global keystone ecosystem

This study presents a global analysis showing that groundwater is a foundational ecosystem that supports over half of the world's land surface areas, yet it remains largely overlooked in conservation efforts. Researchers argue that groundwater should be recognized as a keystone ecosystem because its health directly influences rivers, wetlands, and other surface habitats. The findings call for including groundwater in global biodiversity protection frameworks before further depletion and pollution cause irreversible damage.

Microplastics as a vector for the transport of the bacterial fish pathogen species Aeromonas salmonicida

Researchers analyzed bacterial communities living on microplastics collected from the North Adriatic Sea surface and identified 28 bacterial species, including the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida. They also found hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria colonizing the plastic surfaces. The study provides evidence that microplastics can serve as vectors for transporting pathogenic bacteria through marine environments, potentially spreading disease to fish populations.

Thermal lens technique's surrogacy unveiled: A novel tool for microplastic detection and quantification in water

Researchers developed a new laser-based technique to detect and measure microplastics that leach from the plastic linings of paper cups into hot water. Using microscopy and spectroscopy, they confirmed that paper cups release microplastic particles and established a reliable method for quantifying them based on changes in the water's thermal properties. The study offers a sensitive, non-destructive approach that could improve how microplastic contamination in drinking water is monitored.

Effects of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics and acid rain on physiology and growth of Lepidium sativum

Researchers studied the combined effects of PET microplastics and acid rain on garden cress plants over 30 days. They found that both stressors negatively affected plant growth, triggered oxidative stress, and disrupted photosynthetic pigment production, with smaller microplastic particles causing the most harm. The combination of microplastics and acid rain produced compounding negative effects on plant physiology, suggesting these co-occurring environmental stressors may together threaten plant health.

Mussel watch program for microplastics in the Mediterranean sea: Identification of biomarkers of exposure using Mytilus galloprovincialis

This review evaluates the use of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) as bioindicators for monitoring microplastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Researchers identified several promising biomarkers of microplastic exposure in mussels, supporting their use in mussel watch programs for assessing marine environmental quality.

High doses of polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect the microbial community and nutrient status of vineyard soils

Researchers studied how high doses of polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics from vineyard management materials affect soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling over 120 days. They found that microplastics from both new and used vineyard strings significantly altered microbial diversity and bioavailable nutrient levels. The study highlights that the common practice of mulching plastic vineyard materials into topsoil can meaningfully disrupt soil health in agricultural settings.

Enzyme-immobilized hierarchically porous covalent organic framework biocomposite for catalytic degradation of broad-range emerging pollutants in water

Researchers developed an enzyme-immobilized covalent organic framework biocomposite that achieved high enzyme loading with minimal leaching, enabling efficient catalytic degradation of a broad range of emerging water pollutants including microplastics and pharmaceuticals.

Short-term physiological and biometrical responses of Lepidium sativum seedlings exposed to PET-made microplastics and acid rain

Lepidium sativum seedlings treated with PET microplastics (different sizes) and acid rain showed size-dependent growth inhibition and oxidative stress responses; combined exposure to PET and acid rain produced additive or synergistic effects on germination inhibition and plant biomass.

Pollutant removal with organic macrocycle-based covalent organic polymers and frameworks

Quantifying Microplastic Leaching from Paper Cups: A Specklegram Image Analytical Approach

Researchers developed a novel speckle interferometric method to detect and quantify microplastics leaching from paper cups into hot water. They found that microplastic release increased with water temperature, and surface analysis confirmed thermal-induced melting and smearing of the plastic lining. The technique offers a rapid, image-based alternative to conventional counting methods for assessing microplastic contamination from everyday food-contact materials.

Anthropic Settlements’ Impact on the Light-Absorbing Aerosol Concentrations and Heating Rate in the Arctic

Researchers measured light-absorbing aerosol concentrations during Arctic oceanographic campaigns near the Svalbard Archipelago, comparing pristine background conditions to areas near human settlements. The study found that settlements like Tromsoe significantly elevated aerosol concentrations and atmospheric heating rates, suggesting local pollution sources have a meaningful climate impact in the Arctic.

Maximizing olefin production via steam cracking of distilled pyrolysis oils from difficult-to-recycle municipal plastic waste and marine litter

Researchers analyzed distilled pyrolysis oils from mixed municipal plastic waste and sea-bottom marine litter using two-dimensional gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, finding that the waste-derived naphtha fractions yielded fewer light olefins than fossil naphtha during steam cracking and that mild upgrading or dilution with fossil feedstocks would make them industrially viable.

Ecotoxicological assessment, in freshwater environment, of wastewater sludge coupled and uncoupled with micro‐polyvinyl chloride on algae and water fleas

Researchers conducted an ecotoxicological assessment of wastewater sludge in a freshwater environment, measuring the combined toxicity of microplastics and co-occurring contaminants in sludge on aquatic invertebrate and algae test species.

Sea surface microplastics in Slovenian part of the Northern Adriatic

Researchers conducted 17 manta trawl surveys over 20 months in the Slovenian portion of the Northern Adriatic Sea, finding a high average microplastic concentration of 406,000 particles per km2 with polyethylene dominating, and linking concentration variability to surface current patterns modeled with a Markov chain approach.

Effective microorganisms technology applied to sewage sludge and tested in short exposure on Lepidium sativum

The Circular Economy: The Butterfly Diagram, Systems Theory and the Economic Pluriverse

This paper is not directly about microplastics — it is a theoretical analysis of the circular economy through the lens of systems theory, examining how supply chains, biological nutrients, and resilience principles connect economics and sustainability policy.

Ecotoxicological Effects of Sodium Metasilicate on Two Hydra Species, Hydra viridissima Pallas, 1766 and Hydra oligactis Pallas, 1766

This paper is not about microplastics; it is an ecotoxicology study testing the effects of sodium metasilicate — a cleaning-product ingredient — on the morphology and behaviour of two freshwater Hydra species.

Effect of polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene microplastics on nutrient status in two vineyard soils of contrasting pH

Researchers conducted a 120-day soil incubation experiment to evaluate the effects of new and aged polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics on soil pH and the bioavailability of macro- and micronutrients in two vineyard soils of contrasting pH, finding that microplastics increased pH and reduced nutrient availability, with acid soils and PVC showing the strongest effects.

Conversion of Marine Litter from Venice Lagoon into Marine Fuels via Thermochemical Route: The Overview of Products, Their Yield, Quality and Environmental Impact

Researchers explored converting plastic marine litter collected from the Venice Lagoon directly into marine fuels through thermochemical processing without presorting. The study found this approach technically feasible but highlights significant challenges around yield, quality, and environmental impact that must be addressed before scaling up.

Stress Effect Induced by Microplastics Coupled with Acid Rain, on Garden Cress, During Short and Long Time: Two Exposures in Comparison

Researchers grew garden cress plants in soil contaminated with four types of microplastics and also exposed them to simulated acid rain, finding that combined exposure caused more plant damage than either stress alone. Both short- and long-term exposures were tested, with longer exposure causing more severe effects. The study shows that microplastic contamination interacts with other environmental stressors like acid rain to worsen damage to terrestrial plants.

The ǂcircular economy

This review examines the circular economy framework through the lens of systems theory, critically analyzing the standard 'butterfly diagram' model and identifying unresolved tensions between economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The authors propose an expanded concept of an 'economic pluriverse' nested within broader social and ecological systems to better capture the complexity of circular supply chains.