Papers

Current Progress and Open Challenges for Combined Toxic Effects of Manufactured Nano-Sized Objects (MNO’s) on Soil Biota and Microbial Community

This review examines the combined toxic effects of manufactured nanomaterials, including nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes, on soil organisms and microbial communities. Researchers found that these materials can disrupt soil nutrient cycling, harm beneficial microbes, and alter plant-microbe interactions in agricultural systems. The paper identifies significant knowledge gaps in understanding how nanomaterial mixtures behave in complex soil environments.

Protective effect of Moringa oleifera leaf ethanolic extract against uranyl acetate-induced testicular dysfunction in rats

Researchers found that Moringa oleifera leaf extract protected rats from testicular damage caused by uranyl acetate, a toxic uranium compound, by boosting antioxidant defenses and reducing oxidative stress. While focused on uranium toxicity, the protective mechanisms studied are relevant to microplastics research because microplastics also cause testicular damage through oxidative stress in animal studies. Natural antioxidants like those in Moringa may help protect reproductive health from environmental pollutants.

Polystyrene nanoplastic and engine oil synergistically intensify toxicity in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics and engine oil together caused much worse damage to Nile tilapia fish than either pollutant alone, triggering severe inflammation, blood cell changes, and oxidative stress. The combined exposure overwhelmed the fish's natural defenses and caused significant organ damage. Since tilapia is a widely consumed fish, this research highlights how mixtures of pollutants in waterways could compound health risks for both aquatic life and humans who eat contaminated seafood.

Sustainable valorization of waste glycerol into bioethanol and biodiesel through biocircular approaches: a review

Researchers reviewed how crude glycerol — a waste product of biodiesel production — can be converted into new biofuels using microorganisms, insects like black soldier fly larvae, and microalgae. Black soldier fly larvae showed particularly high biodiesel productivity, suggesting biological recycling of glycerol waste could improve the sustainability of the biofuel industry.

Coupling wastewater treatment, biomass, lipids, and biodiesel production of some green microalgae

Researchers demonstrated that green microalgae species can simultaneously treat wastewater by removing nutrients and heavy metals while producing lipid-rich biomass suitable for biodiesel production, offering a dual-purpose environmental solution.

Effects of microplastic exposure on the blood biochemical parameters in the pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)

European pond turtles fed diets containing 250–1000 mg/kg polyethylene microplastics for 30 days showed dose-dependent increases in liver enzymes, cholesterol, glucose, and inflammatory markers, indicating hepatic stress and metabolic disruption from dietary MP exposure.

Mechanical Properties and Fracture Toughness Prediction of Ductile Cast Iron under Thermomechanical Treatment

This paper is not about microplastics. It studied the mechanical properties and fracture toughness of ductile cast iron under different temperatures and strain rates. The term 'plastic deformation' in this context refers to metal bending, not plastic pollution particles.

Monitoring and Assessment Techniques for Microplastics

Pyrolysis kinetic modelling of abundant plastic waste (PET) and in-situ emission monitoring

Researchers studied the chemical breakdown of PET plastic — the material in water bottles — using a process called pyrolysis (heating without oxygen) and tracked the gases released in real time. Their precise kinetic data on how PET decomposes could help design better plastic recycling reactors as the world moves away from fossil fuels.

Protective Effects of Curcumin and/or Ginger Supplementation against Oreochromis niloticus Oxidative Stress Induced by Ultraviolet-A Radiation

Researchers found that dietary supplementation with curcumin and/or ginger significantly protected Nile tilapia from oxidative stress induced by ultraviolet-A radiation, improving antioxidant enzyme activity and reducing DNA fragmentation and lipid peroxidation. The findings suggest these natural compounds can serve as effective antioxidant feed additives in aquaculture.

Environmentally azithromycin pharmaceutical wastewater management and synergetic biocompatible approaches of loaded azithromycin@hematite nanoparticles

Researchers used plant-derived iron oxide nanoparticles to efficiently remove the antibiotic azithromycin from pharmaceutical wastewater, achieving a removal rate of over 90%. The resulting nanoparticle-antibiotic combination also showed promising antibacterial, anticancer, and antiviral activity, pointing toward a dual-purpose environmental and medical application.

Perspective Chapter: The Toxic Silver (Hg)

This paper is not about microplastics; it is a book chapter on the toxicology and environmental fate of mercury, including its neurotoxic effects on humans and strategies for soil remediation.

Marine Pollution - Recent Developments

This book examines recent developments in marine pollution across 10 chapters, covering topics including microplastics, oil dispersion in the sea, contamination by potentially toxic elements, and emerging strategies for reducing marine pollution and improving ocean water quality.

Boehmite nanopowder recovered from aluminum cans waste as a potential adsorbent for the treatment of oilfield produced water

Researchers recovered high-surface-area boehmite particles from aluminum can waste and evaluated their ability to remove contaminants from oil industry wastewater. This work contributes to developing sustainable methods for water treatment using waste-derived materials, as cleaner water treatment reduces the chemical burden that often co-occurs with microplastic pollution.

Biodiversity, distributions and isolation of microplastics pollution in finfish species in the Panjkora River at Lower and Upper Dir districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan

Researchers documented fish biodiversity and microplastic pollution across 10 sites in the Panjkora River, Pakistan, collecting 724 fish specimens representing 18 species across 5 families and characterizing microplastic contamination in fish tissues, with Cyprinidae dominating the community and microplastics detected throughout the sampling area.

Sheep Dung Ash as a Low-Cost Adsorbent for the Reduction of COD of Highly Polluted Oilfield-Produced Water

This study evaluated sheep dung ash as a low-cost adsorbent for treating oilfield-produced water, characterizing the material with FTIR, EDX, and SEM. The ash effectively reduced chemical oxygen demand and showed promise as a sustainable, renewable alternative to conventional adsorbents.

Segmentation of Spectral Plant Images Using Generative Adversary Network Techniques

This study developed a generative adversarial network (GAN) approach for segmenting spectral plant images to improve extraction of relevant analytical signals in hyperspectral analysis. Unlike traditional methods, the GAN approach incorporates contextual information from the image scene to improve classification accuracy.