Papers

Biodegradable plastics in soils: sources, degradation, and effects

This review examines whether biodegradable plastics are truly a safe alternative to conventional plastics in soil. While they do break down faster, the degradation process releases microplastics and potentially toxic byproducts that can harm soil organisms, reduce plant growth, and disrupt the microbial communities that maintain soil health.

A review on fate and ecotoxicity of biodegradable microplastics in aquatic system: Are biodegradable plastics truly safe for the environment?

This review examines whether biodegradable plastics are truly safe for aquatic environments, finding that they can break down into microplastics faster than conventional plastics and cause comparable or even greater harm to algae, invertebrates, and fish. The findings suggest that switching to biodegradable plastics alone will not solve the microplastic pollution problem, and these particles can still enter the human food chain through contaminated seafood.

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.

Preparation of a novel reusable 2D-MXene with flower-like LDH composite for ultra-high adsorption of congo red and doxycycline: Stability and environmental application

Scientists created a new recyclable material combining MXene and layered double hydroxides that can remove over 98% of certain pollutants from wastewater. While this study focused on dye and antibiotic removal rather than microplastics directly, the same type of advanced filtration technology could be adapted to help remove micro- and nanoplastic contaminants from water supplies.

Microfluidic Sensors for Micropollutant Detection in Environmental Matrices: Recent Advances and Prospects

This review covers advances in tiny sensor devices called microfluidic sensors that can detect trace amounts of pollutants including microplastics in water and environmental samples. Better detection tools matter for human health because they enable faster, more accurate monitoring of microplastic contamination in drinking water and food sources.

Impacts of microplastics on terrestrial plants: A critical review

This review examines how microplastics affect land-based plants, finding that they can alter soil structure, disrupt beneficial soil microbes, and reduce plant growth. Microplastics also carry toxic chemicals like plasticizers and heavy metals that can be taken up by plant roots and enter the food chain. The findings raise concerns about human health since contaminated crops could be a hidden source of microplastic and chemical exposure in our diets.

Comparing environmental fate and ecotoxicity of conventional and biodegradable plastics: A critical review

This review compares biodegradable and conventional plastics and finds that biodegradable plastics do not always fully break down under natural conditions -- instead they often fragment into microplastics and release chemical additives, similar to conventional plastics. Both types can absorb pollutants from the environment and cause toxic effects in living organisms, challenging the assumption that biodegradable plastics are a safe alternative.

How biochar works, and when it doesn't: A review of mechanisms controlling soil and plant responses to biochar

This comprehensive review synthesizes 20 years of research on biochar, a charcoal-like material made from organic waste that can improve soil health and reduce pollution. Biochar can reduce plant uptake of heavy metals by 17-39% and increase nutrient availability, making it potentially useful for cleaning up microplastic-contaminated soils. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant because biochar could help mitigate the effects of soil pollutants that microplastics carry and concentrate.

Effects of microplastics on the terrestrial environment: A critical review

This review summarizes what is known about microplastic contamination in land-based environments, covering sources, fate, and effects on soil and the organisms that depend on it. Microplastics in soil can interact with pesticides, heavy metals, and other pollutants, acting as carriers that move toxins through the food web and potentially up to humans. The authors note that compared to ocean research, the effects of microplastics on land ecosystems are much less studied and urgently need more attention.

Ecotoxicity of polylactic acid microplastic fragments to Daphnia magna and the effect of ultraviolet weathering

Scientists compared the toxicity of biodegradable PLA (polylactic acid) microplastics with conventional polyethylene microplastics on water fleas, a key species in aquatic food chains. The biodegradable PLA microplastics were actually more acutely toxic than conventional ones, partly because their higher density led to greater accumulation in the organisms. UV weathering further increased the toxicity of PLA microplastics, challenging the assumption that biodegradable plastics are automatically safer for the environment.

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.

Interactions between microplastics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products: Implications for vector transport

This review examines how microplastics can absorb pharmaceuticals and personal care products (like medications, sunscreen, and antibacterials) onto their surfaces in the environment. Environmental factors like water acidity, salt levels, and organic matter all affect how strongly these chemicals bind to plastic surfaces. When organisms ingest microplastics carrying these absorbed chemicals, the combined exposure could pose greater health risks than either the plastics or chemicals alone.

Analysis of microplastics in various foods and assessment of aggregate human exposure via food consumption in korea

Researchers measured microplastics in eight types of Korean food products including salt, soy sauce, fish sauce, seaweed, honey, beer, and beverages. They estimated that average Korean adults consume about 1,400 microplastic particles per week from food, which is far lower than some earlier estimates of exposure. The study highlights the importance of careful measurement methods, as previous estimates may have been inflated by relying on extreme data points.

Invisible Threats: Microplastics in Milk and Their Implications for Human and Animal Health

The biodegradation of polylactic acid microplastic and their toxic effect after biofouling in activate sludge

This study tested whether biofouling (natural coating by microorganisms) changes how toxic biodegradable PLA microplastics are to water fleas. Fresh PLA microplastics significantly reduced survival and reproduction, but after four weeks of biofouling, the coated particles were much less harmful. However, the PLA only degraded 50% over 28 days, showing that even biodegradable plastics persist in the environment long enough to cause harm before breaking down.

The toxicological effect on pak choi of co-exposure to degradable and non-degradable microplastics with oxytetracycline in the soil

This study tested how microplastics and the antibiotic oxytetracycline, both common contaminants in farmland soil, affect pak choi (a leafy vegetable). Both types of microplastics harmed root growth, photosynthesis, and plant metabolism, and surprisingly, biodegradable PLA microplastics caused more damage than conventional polyethylene ones. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could reduce crop quality and nutritional value, with so-called eco-friendly plastics potentially being worse for plants.

Natural Solar Irradiation Produces Fluorescent and Biodegradable Nanoplastics

Researchers found that sunlight exposure causes nanoplastics to become fluorescent and more biodegradable, with PVC nanoplastics showing the strongest effect. The fluorescent properties allowed researchers to track the particles inside Daphnia, a common aquatic organism. This discovery suggests that sunlight-aged nanoplastics may be easier to detect in the environment and could behave differently in living organisms than fresh particles.

Photoreforming of Microplastics: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Environmental Remediation

This review explores photoreforming, a technology that uses sunlight to break down microplastics and convert them into useful chemicals like hydrogen fuel. The process could offer a sustainable way to clean up microplastic pollution while producing valuable products, though it is still in the early research stage. If scaled up, this approach could help reduce the environmental and health risks of microplastics by actually eliminating them rather than just filtering them out of water.

Chronic toxicity of biodegradable microplastic (Polylactic acid) to Daphnia magna: A comparison with polyethylene terephthalate

Scientists compared the toxicity of biodegradable PLA microplastics with conventional PET microplastics on water fleas and found that PLA was actually more harmful. At higher concentrations, PLA microplastics killed nearly half the organisms, reduced reproduction, and increased birth defects more than PET particles did. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safer for the environment, suggesting they may pose similar or even greater ecological risks than conventional plastics.

Challenges and opportunities in sustainable management of microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment

This review examines the challenges and emerging strategies for sustainably managing micro- and nanoplastic pollution in the environment. Researchers assessed various approaches including advanced filtration, biodegradation, chemical recycling, and policy interventions aimed at reducing plastic waste. The study emphasizes that achieving meaningful progress will require combining technological solutions with stronger regulations and changes in how plastics are produced and consumed.

Enhanced ASGR2 by microplastic exposure leads to resistance to therapy in gastric cancer

Researchers fed polystyrene microplastics to mice and found that the particles accumulated in stomach tissue, where they triggered changes associated with more aggressive cancer behavior. In gastric cancer cells, microplastic exposure increased migration, induced drug resistance to multiple cancer therapies, and activated a gene called ASGR2 that appears to drive these effects. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in the stomach may interfere with the effectiveness of cancer treatments.

The release, degradation, and distribution of PVC microplastic-originated phthalate and non-phthalate plasticizers in sediments

This study examined how chemical additives called plasticizers leach out of PVC microplastics into surrounding sediment. Researchers found that 35-79% of plasticizers were released from the microplastics within 30 days, and specific bacteria in the sediment helped break them down. This matters because PVC is one of the most common plastics, and its microplastic fragments are continuously releasing potentially harmful chemicals into the environment that can enter the food chain.

Challenges and Recent Analytical Advances in Micro/Nanoplastic Detection

This review covers the challenges scientists face in detecting and measuring micro- and nanoplastics in the environment, especially for particles smaller than one micrometer. Current analytical methods have significant limitations for identifying nanoplastics due to their extremely small size and diverse chemical compositions. Improving detection technology is essential for accurately assessing how much microplastic contamination exists in water, food, and human tissues.

Microplastic biofilms in water treatment systems: Fate and risks of pathogenic bacteria, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes

This review examines how microplastics in drinking water and wastewater treatment plants develop biofilms that harbor dangerous bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. The biofilm-coated microplastics can protect pathogens from disinfection processes, allowing them to survive treatment and potentially reach tap water. This raises concerns about microplastics serving as vehicles for antibiotic-resistant bacteria in our water supply.