Papers

61,005 results
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Review Tier 2

A State-of-the-Art Review of Aquatic eDNA  Sampling Technologies and Instrumentation: Advancements, Challenges, and Future  Prospects

This review surveys the current state of environmental DNA sampling technologies used to monitor aquatic biodiversity, covering methods from simple water filtration to automated in-situ samplers. Researchers found that while eDNA methods offer significant advantages over traditional species surveys, challenges remain in standardizing collection protocols and preventing contamination. The technology has broad implications for monitoring ecosystem health, including tracking how environmental stressors like pollution affect aquatic communities.

2025 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Utilizing aquatic environmental DNA to address global biodiversity targets

This review explores how environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis from water samples can help monitor aquatic biodiversity and track ecosystem health. While not directly about microplastics, eDNA technology is increasingly being adapted to study how plastic pollution affects aquatic ecosystems and species diversity. Better biodiversity monitoring tools help scientists understand the broader ecological impacts of microplastic contamination on the water systems that support human food and resources.

2025 Nature Reviews Biodiversity 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploitation of environmental DNA (eDNA) for ecotoxicological research: A critical review on eDNA metabarcoding in assessing marine pollution

This review examines how environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis -- a method that detects organisms through DNA traces left in water -- can be used to monitor the effects of marine pollution, including plastic waste. While eDNA does not detect plastics directly, it reveals how pollution changes the biodiversity of marine communities, serving as an early warning system. The approach could help scientists better track the ecological damage caused by microplastic contamination in oceans.

2024 Chemosphere 23 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A systematic review of biomonitoring microplastics in environmental matrices: Emphasis on airborne particles, dry deposits, and comparative analysis with traditional methods

This systematic review examines methods for monitoring microplastics in the air, including airborne particles and deposits. Researchers have found microplastics everywhere from city streets to clouds, underscoring the extent of airborne plastic pollution that people breathe in every day.

2025 Environmental Advances 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing environmental DNA: revolutionizing holistic monitoring of aquatic biodiversity for fishery management under the One Health framework

This review paper examines a new monitoring technique called environmental DNA (eDNA) that can detect fish and other water creatures by testing water samples for genetic material they leave behind. Scientists believe this tool could help better manage fish populations and protect both ocean health and human food security, since healthy fisheries provide food for billions of people worldwide. However, the technology still needs improvements before it can be widely used to make decisions about fishing limits and water safety.

2026 Frontiers in Marine Science
Article Tier 2

Forensics Meets Ecology – Environmental DNA Offers New Capabilities for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Research

This review describes how environmental DNA (eDNA) tools are expanding capabilities for marine ecosystem monitoring and fisheries research, enabling non-invasive detection of species presence, biodiversity assessment, and tracking of human impacts across large ocean areas.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 17 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Air monitoring by nanopore sequencing

This study demonstrated that nanopore sequencing-based metagenomics can robustly characterize the air microbiome, achieving species-level identification from low amounts of fragmented airborne DNA. Applied to urban Barcelona, the approach revealed stable location-specific microbial signatures, providing a fast and portable tool for comprehensive air quality monitoring relevant to tracking airborne biological and particulate pollutants.

2023
Article Tier 2

Environmental DNA in an Ocean of Change: Status, Challenges and Prospects

This review examines the status, challenges, and prospects of environmental DNA (eDNA) research in marine systems, surveying literature on metazoan eDNA studies to assess progress in detecting species distributions, biodiversity, and biomass, and highlighting future opportunities including marine time series, population genetics, natural sampler DNA, and eDNA-based trophic network reconstruction.

2022 Arquivos de Ciências do Mar 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in the Air

This review provides a comprehensive overview of methods for collecting, extracting, and identifying airborne microplastics, examining their sources, transport mechanisms, and persistence in urban and atmospheric environments, and establishing a methodological foundation for future research on microplastic air pollution.

2025
Article Tier 2

Adsorption and Protection of Environmental DNA (eDNA) on Polymer and Silica Surfaces

Environmental DNA (eDNA) was found to adsorb onto and be protected by plastic particles in water, meaning microplastics can preserve genetic material shed by aquatic organisms. This has dual implications: microplastics may interfere with eDNA-based biodiversity monitoring while also potentially serving as DNA carriers in ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne Microplastics: A Review Study on Method for Analysis, Occurrence, Movement and Risks

This review summarizes methods for sampling, identifying, and quantifying airborne microplastics in indoor and outdoor environments, noting that only seven studies had been published by the time of writing. Airborne microplastics are an important exposure route because people breathe them continuously, and early studies show they are ubiquitous in both indoor and outdoor air.

2019 Preprints.org 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Simple multi-residue analysis of persistent organic pollutants and molecular tracers in atmospheric samples

Researchers developed a streamlined analytical method to simultaneously detect a wide range of persistent organic pollutants and molecular tracers in air samples using gas chromatography. This multi-residue approach offers a more efficient way to monitor atmospheric contamination by hazardous chemicals.

2023 MethodsX 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The Use of Mosses in Biomonitoring of Air Pollution in the Terrestrial Environment: A Review

This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews the use of mosses as biomonitors for air pollution by metals and organic compounds.

2023 Ochrona Srodowiska i Zasobów Naturalnych - Environmental Protection and Natural Resources 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Sampling strategies and analytical techniques for assessment of airborne micro and nano plastics

This review evaluates sampling strategies and analytical techniques for assessing airborne micro- and nanoplastics in indoor and outdoor environments, highlighting methodological limitations and the lack of standardization that hinder cross-study comparisons.

2023 Environment International 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Status and prospects of atmospheric microplastics: A review of methods, occurrence, composition, source and health risks

This review summarized the sampling methods, occurrence, composition, sources, and health risks of atmospheric microplastics. Researchers found that airborne microplastics are detected both indoors and outdoors, with fibers being the most common shape, and that inhalation represents an important but understudied exposure pathway. The study suggests that atmospheric transport plays a significant role in the global distribution of microplastic pollution.

2022 Environmental Pollution 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of Methods for Studying Viruses in the Environment and Organisms

This review systematically summarizes methods for extracting and detecting viruses from environmental samples including soil, water, faeces, and air, as well as biological samples from plants and animals, comparing the applicability, advantages, and limitations of each approach for virus ecology research.

2025 Viruses
Article Tier 2

Evaluating Ecological Impacts and Atmospheric Fate of Microplastics: Ecological Perspectives and Challenges

Researchers review how microplastics spread through the atmosphere via wind and weather before settling into water bodies, soil, and plant life — creating pathways for human exposure through the food chain. The study highlights gaps in analytical methods and calls for standardized, accurate measurement techniques to better understand and address the full ecological threat of airborne microplastic pollution.

2024 Environmental Engineering and Management Journal 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Airborne Microplastics and its Impact to Environmental Health

This review compiles recent findings on airborne microplastics, examining their sources, transport pathways, and potential health effects. The study highlights that airborne microplastics can travel long distances through atmospheric currents, contaminating both urban and remote environments, and that inhalation may contribute to respiratory disorders, particularly among vulnerable populations.

2025 Water Air & Soil Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of analytical methods and models used in atmospheric microplastic research

This review summarizes sampling devices, pretreatment methods, identification techniques, and transport models used in atmospheric microplastic research, highlighting the need for standardized approaches to better understand airborne plastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Lichens and Mosses as Biomonitors of Airborne Microplastics

Researchers compared lichens and mosses as biomonitors for airborne microplastics, finding that both organisms effectively capture and accumulate atmospheric microplastic particles, offering a simpler alternative to traditional labor-intensive sampling methods.

2023 Atmosphere 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and nanoplastics in the air: a review

This review examines the occurrence, sources, physicochemical characteristics, and sampling and analytical methods for microplastics and nanoplastics in atmospheric air across urban, industrial, coastal, and remote environments. The authors find that fibers and fragments are the dominant atmospheric microplastic forms, that no standardized sampling methods currently exist, and that both passive and active collection approaches are used across the literature with limited comparability.

2025 Vietnam Journal of Science and Technology/Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

Does microplastic really represent a threat? A review of the atmospheric contamination sources and potential impacts

This review examines airborne microplastics as emerging atmospheric contaminants that people inevitably inhale during normal breathing. Researchers found that fibers from synthetic textiles are the most common form of airborne microplastics, and their small size allows them to remain suspended in air and potentially cause health problems. The study discusses analytical methods used to measure airborne microplastics and calls for more research into their environmental and health impacts.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 128 citations
Article Tier 2

A Short Review On Content And Composition Of Airborne Microplastics

This short review synthesizes current knowledge on airborne microplastic concentrations and polymer composition, summarizing monitoring data from indoor and outdoor environments and identifying research gaps in exposure assessment.

2024 1 citations
Review Tier 2

A review of atmospheric microplastics pollution: In-depth sighting of sources, analytical methods, physiognomies, transport and risks

This review provides an in-depth analysis of atmospheric microplastic pollution, examining sources, detection methods, physical characteristics, transport mechanisms, and health risks. Researchers found that indoor environments tend to contain higher concentrations of airborne microplastics than outdoor settings, and that current detection methods are limited in their ability to capture the smallest particles. The study emphasizes the need for standardized sampling procedures and more research into the health effects of inhaling microplastic particles.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 118 citations