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Papers
146 resultsShowing papers from Universitat de Barcelona
ClearHave genetic targets for faecal pollution diagnostics and source tracking revolutionized water quality analysis yet?
This analysis of over 1,100 publications establishes genetic faecal pollution diagnostics as a distinct scientific discipline that has transformed water quality analysis over the past 30 years. PCR and sequencing methods have enabled precise identification of faecal contamination sources in water, a major advance over traditional culture-based methods.
The recovery of European freshwater biodiversity has come to a halt
Researchers analyzed 1,816 freshwater invertebrate community datasets from 22 European countries spanning 1968 to 2020, finding that biodiversity recovered steadily through the 1990s and 2000s thanks to water quality improvements, but has largely plateaued since the 2010s. Emerging threats including climate warming, emerging pollutants like microplastics, and invasive species are now offsetting earlier conservation gains, signaling that stronger protections are urgently needed.
A systematic review on microplastic pollution in water, sediments, and organisms from 50 coastal lagoons across the globe
This systematic review examined microplastic pollution in 50 coastal lagoons worldwide. These important ecosystems showed higher microplastic levels near populated areas with heavy human activity. Fibers and fragments made of polyethylene, polyester, and polypropylene were the most common types found, highlighting how everyday plastics end up contaminating the waters where our seafood comes from.
Vulnerability of benthic trait diversity across the Mediterranean Sea following mass mortality events
Researchers analyzed 35 years of mass mortality events across the Mediterranean Sea affecting nearly 400 bottom-dwelling species, finding that larger, slower-growing animals like corals and sponges are most vulnerable to die-offs driven by warming, disease, and other stressors. Over the last five years alone, roughly 11% of the region's functional biodiversity may have been temporarily lost, signaling rapid ecological transformation.
Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds
Researchers combined ocean plastic density maps with GPS tracking data for over 7,000 seabirds across 77 petrel species to identify where birds are most likely to encounter and accidentally eat plastic debris. High-risk zones were identified in the Mediterranean, northeast Pacific, and South Atlantic, with threatened species facing disproportionately greater exposure — often in international waters beyond any single country's control.
Tracing the fate of microplastic in wastewater treatment plant: A multi-stage analysis of treatment units and sludge
Researchers tracked microplastics through every stage of a wastewater treatment plant and found that while treatment removes many particles from the water, most end up concentrated in the leftover sludge. Fibers and fragments were the most common shapes, made primarily of polyester and polyethylene. Since treated sludge is often spread on farmland, this creates a pathway for microplastics to enter soil and potentially the food chain.
The missing ocean plastic sink: Gone with the rivers
Researchers reanalyzed data on microplastics in rivers and oceans and found that previous estimates of how much plastic rivers deliver to the ocean were overestimated by 100 to 1,000 times. This means microplastics actually stay at the ocean surface much longer than previously thought, lasting years rather than days. The finding changes our understanding of where ocean microplastics come from and how long marine life and potentially seafood are exposed to them.
Particles, chemicals or both? Assessing the drivers of the multidimensional toxicity of car tire rubber microplastic on early life stages of Atlantic cod
This study separated the effects of tire rubber particles from the chemicals they release, testing both on developing Atlantic cod. The chemicals leached from tire rubber were the main driver of toxicity, reducing hatching success and increasing larval death, while the particles alone had minimal effect. This is significant because tire wear is one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution, and the findings suggest the chemicals they carry are more dangerous than the particles themselves.
Guidelines for the purification and characterization of extracellular vesicles of parasites
This paper provides guidelines for scientists studying extracellular vesicles released by parasites, which play roles in infection and immune evasion. While not about microplastics, the standardized methods described here for isolating and analyzing tiny biological particles are relevant to microplastics research, where similar techniques are needed to study how nanoplastics interact with cells. Better laboratory standards across these fields help improve the quality of research on tiny particle exposure and health effects.
Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
Researchers examined the stomach contents of 56 yellow-legged gull chicks in Barcelona and found microplastics in 100% of the birds, with larger plastic pieces in about 20%. The chicks ingested plastics from their urban coastal environment, mostly fragments and fibers from common consumer plastics. This study shows how urban wildlife can serve as indicators of plastic pollution levels and highlights the widespread contamination of coastal food webs that humans also depend on.
Microplastics from headwaters to tap water: occurrence and removal in a drinking water treatment plant in Barcelona Metropolitan area (Catalonia, NE Spain)
Researchers tracked microplastics through an entire drinking water treatment plant in Barcelona, from river source to tap. The study found microplastic concentrations of about 1 particle per liter in the raw intake water, with sand filtration removing roughly 78% of particles and the overall treatment process achieving 93% removal. Advanced treatments like ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis proved more effective at removing microplastics than conventional ozonation and carbon filtration.
Developmental toxicity of pre-production plastic pellets affects a large swathe of invertebrate taxa
This study tested the toxicity of chemicals leaching from plastic pre-production pellets (nurdles) on the embryonic development of animals from all major animal groups, including sea urchins, mussels, worms, and crustaceans. The plastic leachates caused developmental problems across nearly all species tested, including disrupted cell formation, abnormal body shapes, and impaired growth. These findings suggest that plastic pollution could have widespread, potentially devastating effects on marine animal populations that humans depend on for food.
Plastic debris in lakes and reservoirs
Researchers conducted the first standardized cross-national survey of plastic debris in 38 lakes and reservoirs, finding plastic in every water body sampled and showing that densely populated urban lakes and large reservoirs with long water-retention times accumulate plastic at concentrations rivaling the most polluted ocean garbage patches.
Plastic Accumulation in the Mediterranean Sea
Researchers measured floating plastic concentrations throughout the Mediterranean Sea and found densities comparable to the five major ocean garbage patches, with plastic present at 100% of sampling sites. The most common items were fragments of bags, wrapping, and fishing materials, with the highest concentrations in populated coastal areas. The study establishes the Mediterranean as a major global accumulation zone for plastic pollution, comparable to subtropical ocean gyres.
Levels of microplastics and their characteristics in molluscs from North-West Mediterranean Sea: Human intake
Researchers measured microplastic contamination in commercially consumed mollusks along the Catalan coast of the Mediterranean Sea, finding microplastics in all species tested. Large oysters and mussels had the highest concentrations at around 19 to 23 particles per individual. Based on typical consumption patterns, the study estimated that the local adult population ingests an average of over 8,000 microplastic particles per year through mollusk consumption alone.
Natural Pyrolusite-Catalyzed Ozonation for Nanoplastics Degradation
This study tested a new water treatment method that uses a natural mineral called pyrolusite combined with ozone to break down nanoplastics. Researchers found that this approach removed up to 75% of total organic carbon from polystyrene nanoplastics in just 30 minutes, and the mineral catalyst could be reused multiple times with minimal loss in effectiveness. The results suggest this could be a sustainable, environmentally friendly strategy for removing nanoplastics from drinking water.
Plastic exposure risk for costal seabirds varies seasonally with freshwater runoff
Researchers tracked the seasonal distribution of floating marine litter and microplastics in the Ebro Delta, an important Mediterranean wetland, and assessed the risk to breeding tern populations. They found that plastic pollution peaked in autumn and spring, coinciding with river discharge and irrigation runoff, creating high-risk zones where tern feeding areas overlapped with concentrated debris. The study highlights how seasonal agricultural and hydrological patterns drive wildlife exposure to plastic pollution.
Modulation of biofilm growth by shear and fluctuations in turbulent environments
Researchers investigated how water turbulence affects the growth of biofilms on microplastic surfaces, a process important for understanding how plastics behave in ocean environments. They found that biofilm growth is primarily driven by shear forces rather than turbulent fluctuations, with moderate shear promoting the thickest biofilm development. The findings matter because biofilms on microplastics increase their stickiness and tendency to sink, influencing where plastic pollution ultimately ends up in the ocean.
Impact of Biodegradable Plastics on Soil Health: Influence of Global Warming and Vice Versa
This review examines how biodegradable plastics affect soil health and how rising global temperatures may accelerate their breakdown and alter their environmental impact. Researchers found that biodegradable plastic fragments can change soil structure, microbial communities, and nutrient cycling, with effects varying by plastic type and environmental conditions. The study highlights a feedback loop where warming speeds plastic degradation while the resulting microplastics may further influence soil carbon processes.
Adsorption of benzophenone-3 and octocrylene UV filters on polyethylene: analysis by HPLC-MS/MS and voltammetry with screen-printed electrodes
This study investigated how microplastic particles made of polyethylene absorb sunscreen chemicals (benzophenone-3 and octocrylene) from water, particularly in coastal areas. Researchers found that octocrylene binds more strongly to polyethylene due to its water-repelling properties, and that exposure time was the most important factor in how much chemical was absorbed. The findings show that microplastics can act as sponges for personal care product chemicals, potentially concentrating them in aquatic ecosystems.
Organic amendments as vectors of micro and macro plastic pollution of terrestrial ecosystems
Researchers analyzed seven types of organic amendments commonly applied to farmland, including sewage sludge, manure, composts, and digestates, for microplastic contamination. They found microplastics in all samples, with sewage sludge containing the highest levels and a wide variety of polymer types. The study demonstrates that organic soil amendments are an important and underappreciated pathway through which both micro and macro plastics enter agricultural soils.
Evaluation of microplastics and metal accumulation in domestic ducks (Anas platyrhynchos f. domesticus) of a contaminated reservoir in Central Mexico
Researchers examined domestic ducks living near a contaminated reservoir in central Mexico and found nearly all birds had ingested microplastics, averaging about 155 suspected particles per individual. The ducks also showed signs of heavy metal contamination and poor body condition. The study provides baseline data linking microplastic and metal pollution in waterfowl to human activities around contaminated water bodies.
Set up and validation of a method to analyse microplastics in stool and small intestine samples
Researchers developed and validated practical methods for extracting and identifying microplastics from human stool samples and pig intestinal tissue. Using gentle chemical and enzyme-based digestion followed by infrared spectroscopy, they successfully detected multiple polymer types including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene, providing tools for studying microplastic exposure in the human digestive system.
Detection of faecal bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in biofilms attached to plastics from human-impacted coastal areas
Researchers analyzed biofilms on marine plastics collected from coastal areas impacted by human sewage in the Mediterranean Sea and found faecal bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes present on the plastic surfaces. The plastics harbored bacterial communities including potential pathogens like Vibrio species, with biofilm composition differing between floating plastics and those in sediments. The findings suggest that marine plastics can act as vectors for both faecal contamination and antibiotic resistance in coastal environments.