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Papers
102 resultsShowing papers from Southwest University
ClearImpaired denitrification of aerobic granules in response to micro/nanoplastic stress: Insights from interspecies interactions and electron transfer processes
This study found that micro- and nanoplastics in wastewater disrupt the ability of beneficial bacteria to remove nitrogen through a process called denitrification. After 90 days of plastic exposure, the communication system bacteria use to coordinate their activity broke down, leading to an imbalance where some bacteria stopped contributing while still consuming shared resources. This reduced the overall efficiency of biological wastewater treatment, a system many communities rely on to clean their water.
Microplastics stimulated nitrous oxide emissions primarily through denitrification: A meta-analysis
Meta-analysis of 60 studies found that microplastic exposure increased soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 140.6%, primarily by stimulating denitrification rates (up 17.8%) and denitrifier gene abundance (up 10.6%), while nitrification remained unaffected. This resulted in a 38.8% increase in soil nitrite and a 22.4% decrease in nitrate.
Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Microplastic Exposure Cause Cholestasis and Bile Acid Metabolism Dysregulation through a Gut-Liver Loop in Mice
Mice exposed to environmentally realistic levels of polystyrene microplastics for 30 days developed damaged intestinal barriers, liver injury, and disrupted bile acid metabolism. The study revealed a gut-liver feedback loop where microplastics alter gut bacteria, which changes bile acid production, which in turn causes further liver damage, suggesting a mechanism by which everyday microplastic exposure could harm digestive health.
Long-term polystyrene nanoplastic exposure disrupt hepatic lipid metabolism and cause atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice
Long-term exposure to tiny polystyrene nanoplastics caused atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in mice by disrupting fat metabolism in the liver and triggering inflammation and oxidative stress. This is one of the first studies to directly link nanoplastic exposure to cardiovascular disease development, raising concerns about heart health risks from the nanoplastics found in our food and environment.
Endothelial leakiness elicited by amyloid protein aggregation
Scientists discovered that clumps of amyloid beta protein, which are linked to Alzheimer's disease, can physically pry open the junctions between cells lining blood vessels in a way similar to how nanoparticles do. This causes blood vessel leakiness in the brain, which may help explain how Alzheimer's disease spreads. While not directly about microplastics, the finding that tiny particles can breach blood vessel barriers is relevant to understanding how nanoplastics might also enter the brain.
Is Ocean Acidification Really a Threat to Marine Calcifiers? A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of 980+ Studies Spanning Two Decades
This meta-analysis of over 5,100 observations from 985 studies found that many marine calcifiers, including echinoderms, crustaceans, and cephalopods, are more tolerant to near-future ocean acidification than previously assumed, with over 70% of growth and calcification observations being non-negative. However, corals, coccolithophores, and calcifying algae remain sensitive, and larval stages are more vulnerable than adults. The interaction between ocean acidification and other stressors like microplastic pollution could compound the threats facing sensitive marine organisms.
Oral exposure of polystyrene microplastics and doxycycline affects mice neurological function via gut microbiota disruption: The orchestrating role of fecal microbiota transplantation
Mice exposed to both polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic doxycycline showed brain inflammation and declines in learning and memory, driven by disruptions to their gut bacteria. Fecal transplants from healthy mice reversed some of these brain effects, confirming the gut-brain connection plays a key role. This suggests that microplastics combined with common antibiotics could harm brain function through changes in the gut microbiome.
Polystyrene nanoplastics promote muscle cell senescence through microtubule hyper-stabilization-mediated mitophagy dysfunction and cGAS-Sting activation
Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics cause premature aging in human muscle cells by disrupting the internal skeleton of cells and impairing the cleanup of damaged mitochondria. The nanoplastics made the cell's structural framework too rigid, which blocked normal cell signaling and triggered an inflammatory aging response. This study suggests that nanoplastic exposure could contribute to muscle weakness and age-related muscle loss in humans.
Effect of Multiyear Biodegradable Plastic Mulch on Soil Microbial Community, Assembly, and Functioning
This study examined how using biodegradable plastic mulch (PBAT) on farmland for multiple years affected soil microbes. The mulch changed the types of bacteria and fungi in the soil, including encouraging bacteria that may help break down plastic but also disrupting natural nutrient cycling. The findings raise questions about whether biodegradable plastic alternatives are truly safe for long-term agricultural use, since they still alter soil ecosystems as they break down into microplastics.
Insights Into the Efficiency and Health Impacts of Emerging Microplastic Bioremediation Approaches
This review summarizes research on using living organisms like bacteria, fungi, and worms to break down microplastics, finding that bioremediation is a promising but still limited approach. Microplastics were detected in human feces (44% of studies), lungs (35%), and blood (17%), confirming widespread human contamination. While biological methods can partially degrade some plastics, no single organism can fully eliminate them, and the byproducts of biodegradation may themselves pose health risks.
Insects at the crossroads of microplastics pollution: Mechanistic insights, ecological risks, and research frontiers
This review of existing research found that tiny plastic particles called microplastics are harming insects by causing stress in their bodies and affecting their ability to digest food, think clearly, and reproduce. Insects also break down larger plastic pieces into even more microplastics, making the pollution problem worse. This matters because insects are crucial for pollinating our food crops and keeping ecosystems healthy, so plastic pollution could threaten our food supply.
Insight into the effect of UVC-based advanced oxidation processes on the interaction of typical microplastics and their derived disinfection byproducts during disinfection
Scientists found that UV-based water treatment processes, while intended to clean drinking water, caused microplastics to release more organic matter and form more disinfection byproducts during chlorination. Up to 42% of the toxic byproducts formed were absorbed back onto the microplastic surfaces, creating contaminated particles. This concerning finding suggests that some common water treatment methods could unintentionally make microplastic contamination in drinking water more hazardous.
Anionic nanoplastic exposure induces endothelial leakiness
Researchers discovered that nanoplastics made of anionic polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) can disrupt the junctions between blood vessel cells, causing increased vascular leakiness. This effect was dose-dependent and driven by biophysical interactions rather than typical cell toxicity like oxidative stress or cell death. The findings reveal a previously unknown way that nanoplastics could affect the body's circulatory system by making blood vessels more permeable.
Revealing the environmental hazard posed by biodegradable microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: An investigation of polylactic acid's effects on Microcystis aeruginosa
Researchers tested whether biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics are safer for aquatic life than traditional plastics by exposing the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to them for 63 days. Surprisingly, PLA microplastics actually promoted algae growth despite causing oxidative stress and cell damage, which could fuel harmful algal blooms. This suggests that so-called biodegradable plastics may still pose environmental risks and are not necessarily a safe alternative in aquatic ecosystems.
Microplastics cause reproductive toxicity in male mice through inducing apoptosis of spermatogenic cells via p53 signaling
In a mouse study, polystyrene micro and nanoplastics taken orally for 60 days caused damage to sperm-producing cells in the testes by triggering a cell-death pathway called p53. Both larger microplastics and smaller nanoplastics led to tissue damage and increased cell death in reproductive organs. This research suggests that microplastic exposure could be a meaningful risk factor for male reproductive health.
Alleviating binary toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and atrazine to Chlorella vulgaris through humic acid interaction: Long-term toxicity using environmentally relevant concentrations
Researchers found that when nanoplastics and the herbicide atrazine were combined in water, they had a synergistic toxic effect on algae that was worse than either pollutant alone. However, adding humic acid, a natural substance found in soil and water, significantly reduced this combined toxicity by coating the nanoplastics and changing their surface properties. This suggests that natural organic matter in the environment may offer some protection against the harmful effects of nanoplastic-chemical mixtures.
Impact of microplastic particle size on physiological and biochemical properties and rhizosphere metabolism of Zea mays L.: Comparison in different soil types
Researchers found that smaller microplastics caused more harm to corn plant growth than larger ones, and that soil type affected how toxic the microplastics were. The microplastics disrupted root metabolism and weakened the plants' ability to produce lignin, a structural compound important for healthy roots. This matters for food safety because microplastic contamination in farm soil could reduce crop yields and potentially affect the nutritional quality of food.
Heavy metals concentrations in commercial organic fertilizers and the potential risk of fertilization into soils
Researchers measured heavy metals in 74 commercial organic fertilizers sold in China, finding that large proportions exceeded safety limits — 46% for arsenic and over 75% for zinc and nickel by European Union standards. The findings raise concerns that widespread organic fertilizer use could gradually accumulate toxic metals in farmland soils, with cadmium identified as the most important metal to monitor.
Pioneering Role of Nanopore Single-Molecule Sensing in Environmental and Food Surveillance
This review covers how nanopore sensors, which detect individual molecules as they pass through a tiny pore, are being applied to environmental monitoring and food safety testing. The technology shows promise for rapidly and sensitively identifying harmful contaminants including heavy metals, pesticides, microplastics, and pathogens in environmental and food samples.
Combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and lead on Chlorella vulgaris growth, membrane lipid peroxidation, antioxidant capacity, and morphological alterations
Researchers found that amino-functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics and lead act synergistically to inhibit the growth of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris, with combined exposure producing greater reductions in chlorophyll, biomass, and cell size than either pollutant alone.
Aging Processes Dramatically Alter the Protein Corona Constitution, Cellular Internalization, and Cytotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics
Researchers found that aging processes such as UV and ozone exposure dramatically alter how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with blood plasma proteins, form protein coronas, and enter cells. The study suggests that environmentally aged nanoplastics may have different biological effects than pristine particles, which has important implications for accurately assessing the health risks of real-world nanoplastic exposure.
Fate and mass budget of microplastic in the Beibu Gulf, the northern South China sea
Researchers mapped the distribution and mass budget of microplastics across the Beibu Gulf in the northern South China Sea, sampling both water and sediment. They found microplastics in all samples, with sediments containing the highest concentrations and river input being a major source. The study provides a comprehensive picture of how microplastics accumulate and move through a semi-enclosed tropical marine ecosystem.
Occurrence and emission characteristics of microplastics in agricultural surface runoff under different natural rainfall and short-term fertilizer application
Researchers investigated how microplastics travel from agricultural fields into waterways through surface runoff during natural rainfall events. They found that fertilizer application and rainfall intensity significantly affected the amount and type of microplastics washed off farmland. The study highlights agricultural runoff as a major pathway for microplastic transfer from land to aquatic environments.
Effect of different additions of low-density polyethylene and microplastics polyadipate/butylene terephthalate on soil bacterial community structure
Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable PBAT microplastics and traditional LDPE microplastics on soil bacterial communities. The study found that PBAT significantly altered soil nutrient levels and bacterial community structure in a dose-dependent manner, with low additions increasing microbial richness while higher amounts reduced it. Evidence indicates that PBAT microplastics may disrupt soil carbon-nitrogen cycling and affect key processes like nitrogen fixation and phosphorus availability.