Papers

Mitigating microplastic pollution: A critical review on the effects, remediation, and utilization strategies of microplastics

This review summarizes how microplastics smaller than 150 micrometers can be easily consumed by living organisms and cause a range of toxic effects including acute, chronic, cancer-related, developmental, and genetic damage. It calls for sustainable approaches to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic waste, and explores ways to convert plastic trash into valuable products.

Microplastics in marine ecosystems: A comprehensive review of biological and ecological implications and its mitigation approach using nanotechnology for the sustainable environment

This review summarizes how microplastics are harming marine ecosystems, from disrupting microbial communities and plankton to causing developmental problems in larger sea creatures. Through the food chain, these effects can ultimately reach humans, potentially causing hormone disruption and metabolic disorders. The authors also explore nanotechnology-based approaches and international cooperation as potential solutions for cleanup.

Microplastics in Asian rivers: Geographical distribution, most detected types, and inconsistency in methodologies

A systematic review of 228 studies on microplastics in Asian rivers found polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET as the dominant polymers, primarily as fibers and fragments, with research concentrated in China and Japan. The diversity of sampling methods and reporting metrics across studies complicates comparative analysis, underscoring the need for standardized analytical frameworks in the region.

Microplastics in the environment: A critical overview on its fate, toxicity, implications, management, and bioremediation strategies

This review provides a broad overview of microplastic pollution, covering how these particles enter freshwater systems, accumulate in organisms, and carry toxic chemicals through the food chain. With approximately 360 million tons of plastic produced globally each year and only 7% recycled, microplastics have become a pervasive threat to water quality and, by extension, human health.

Unseen toxins: Exploring the human health consequences of micro and nanoplastics

Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) damage the body after being ingested or inhaled, finding they can cross the gut, blood-brain, and placental barriers to accumulate in the liver, kidneys, and brain, causing inflammation and oxidative stress. Vulnerable groups like pregnant women and newborns face the greatest risk, including potential long-term neurological effects passed to future generations.

Microplastic as an invisible threat to the coral reefs: Sources, toxicity mechanisms, policy intervention, and the way forward

This review examines how microplastics threaten coral reefs by causing physical damage, chemical toxicity, and disruption to coral biology. Microplastics can block coral feeding, carry harmful chemicals, and promote disease-causing bacteria on coral surfaces. While focused on coral ecosystems, the findings matter for human health because healthy reefs support fisheries and coastal communities that millions of people depend on.

Unveiling the effects of microplastics pollution on marine fauna

This review examines how microplastic pollution harms marine animals at every level of the food chain, from tiny plankton to large predators. Through ingestion, entanglement, and building up in tissues over time, microplastics disrupt feeding, reproduction, and growth in marine life, which also raises concerns about human exposure through seafood consumption.

Is Laccase derived from Pleurotus ostreatus effective in microplastic degradation? A critical review of current progress, challenges, and future prospects

This review explores using the enzyme laccase from oyster mushrooms as a natural way to break down persistent plastics like polyethylene, polystyrene, and PVC. While promising, the approach currently requires improvements through genetic engineering and optimized growing conditions to make it practical at scale. If successful, this biological approach could offer an environmentally friendly alternative to managing the growing microplastics problem.

A novel investigations on medical and non-medical mask performance with influence of marine waste microplastics (polypropylene)

This study used recycled marine microplastics made of polypropylene to manufacture face mask fabric through the melt-blown process. The researchers found they could produce effective masks while reusing ocean plastic waste, offering a way to address both microplastic pollution and mask demand. However, the long-term effects of wearing masks made from recycled microplastic materials on respiratory health need further study.

Microplastics, their abundance, and distribution in water and sediments in North Chennai, India: An assessment of pollution risk and human health impacts

Researchers analyzed microplastic pollution in water and sediment samples from North Chennai, India, finding contamination at all sampling sites. Landfills, densely populated areas, and tourist spots had the highest concentrations, with pollution risk levels ranging from low to extremely high. The presence of microplastics in lake water used for drinking purposes is a concern for human health in the region.

Exploring the effective adsorption of polystyrene microplastics from aqueous solution with magnetically separable nickel/reduced graphene oxide (Ni/rGO) nanocomposite

Researchers developed a magnetic nanocomposite material that can effectively remove polystyrene microplastics from water and be easily separated using a magnet for reuse. This technology could help reduce microplastic contamination in water supplies, potentially lowering human exposure to these tiny plastic particles through drinking water.

Alzheimer’s disease: the role of extrinsic factors in its development, an investigation of the environmental enigma

This review examines how environmental contaminants, including microplastics, may contribute to Alzheimer's disease risk. Along with air pollutants, toxic metals, and pesticides, plastics and microplastics are identified as potential risk factors that may promote brain inflammation and neurodegeneration. The review explores the molecular mechanisms behind these effects and suggests strategies to reduce the brain health impacts of environmental contaminants.

Tracking microplastics at the source: a comparative study of fluorescent and FTIR microscopy at a drinking water intake in the Perak River, Malaysia

Researchers measured microplastic contamination at a drinking water intake point on the Perak River in Malaysia, finding 12 different polymer types with most particles smaller than 10 micrometers. The study compared two detection methods and found that specialized infrared microscopy was more accurate at identifying microplastic types than fluorescence microscopy. Since this river water goes directly to a treatment plant for drinking water, the findings highlight the need to understand and filter out microplastics before they reach the tap.

Examining the hidden dangers: Understanding how microplastics affect pregnancy

This review examines how microplastics may affect pregnancy, covering how these tiny particles enter the body through food, water, and air, and can potentially cross the placenta to reach the developing fetus. Early research suggests that the timing of exposure during pregnancy may influence the level of risk to both mother and baby. While the field is still young, the findings highlight pregnancy as a particularly vulnerable period for microplastic exposure.

Polystyrene nanoplastics synergistically exacerbate diclofenac toxicity in embryonic development and the health of adult zebrafish

When zebrafish embryos and adults were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with the common pain medication diclofenac, the mixture was significantly more harmful than either substance alone. The combination reduced hatching rates, increased mortality, caused developmental abnormalities, and triggered intestinal inflammation in adult fish. This finding is concerning because nanoplastics and pharmaceutical residues frequently coexist in waterways, and their combined effects on aquatic life could be worse than what studies of individual pollutants suggest.

RETRACTED: Environmental fate of aquatic pollutants and their mitigation by phycoremediation for the clean and sustainable environment: A review

This retracted review covered how algae-based remediation could help clean up water pollutants including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. It discussed how nanomaterials and microplastics interfere with marine ecosystems and can harm both aquatic life and humans. Note: this paper has been retracted, so its findings should be treated with caution.

IoT-Driven Image Recognition for Microplastic Analysis in Water Systems using Convolutional Neural Networks

Researchers developed an IoT-based system using artificial intelligence to automatically detect and count microplastics in water samples through image recognition. The system uses cameras at distributed sensor points to continuously monitor waterways and can identify microplastics of different sizes, shapes, and colors. This technology could improve environmental monitoring of microplastic pollution in real time, helping communities and agencies respond faster to contamination threats in drinking water sources.

Microplastics in packaged water, community stored water, groundwater, and surface water in rivers of Tamil Nadu after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak

Researchers tested water sources across Tamil Nadu, India, after the COVID-19 pandemic and found microplastics in rivers, groundwater, community-stored water, and even packaged drinking water bottles. Over half of the microplastics found were smaller than 1 millimeter, mostly fibers from common plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. The study shows that microplastic contamination is widespread in both treated and untreated water supplies that millions of people rely on daily.

RETRACTED: Combined effects of a high-fat diet and polyethylene microplastic exposure induce impaired lipid metabolism and locomotor behavior in larvae and adult zebrafish

Note: This paper has been retracted. It originally reported that polyethylene microplastics combined with a high-fat diet worsened fat accumulation and liver damage in zebrafish, resembling nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. While the findings suggested concerning interactions between diet and microplastic exposure, the retraction means these results should be interpreted with caution until replicated by other researchers.

Extraction and detection methods of microplastics in food and marine systems: A critical review

This critical review evaluates the various methods used to extract and detect microplastics in food and marine samples, from sample preparation to analytical identification. Researchers found significant inconsistencies across studies in how microplastics are separated, quantified, and characterized, making it difficult to compare results. The study calls for standardized protocols to enable more reliable assessments of microplastic contamination in food and the environment.

Polyethylene microplastics affect behavioural, oxidative stress, and molecular responses in the <i>Drosophila</i> model

Fruit flies exposed to polyethylene microplastics showed reduced climbing and crawling ability, increased oxidative stress, and activation of genes involved in cell death and stress responses. The microplastics overwhelmed the flies' antioxidant defenses and triggered the same cellular damage pathways associated with disease in mammals. Since fruit flies share many biological pathways with humans, these findings suggest that microplastic exposure could cause similar oxidative damage and stress responses in human cells.

Ecological risk assessment of microplastics in agricultural soils of Coimbatore region, India

Researchers assessed the ecological risk of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils near Coimbatore, India, and found that soils treated with inorganic fertilizers had the highest risk levels. While overall pollution loads were categorized as low, the types of plastics found (including PVC and polystyrene) pushed risk scores into the extremely dangerous category due to their potential toxicity. The study raises concerns about how farming practices may be introducing hazardous microplastics into the soil where food is grown.

From Environment to Endothelium: The Role of Microplastics in Vascular Aging

This review examines how microplastics may contribute to vascular aging and cardiovascular problems. Evidence indicates that once microplastics enter the body through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact, they can reach blood vessels and trigger oxidative stress, inflammation, and damage to the cells lining blood vessel walls. The findings suggest that chronic microplastic exposure could be an underappreciated factor in the development of age-related cardiovascular issues.

Microplastics: a cancer-causing agent for humans and prospects for identification using AI and modern approaches