Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Rehashing Our Insight of Seaweeds as a Potential Source of Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Pharmaceuticals

This review summarizes research on seaweed as a source of beneficial compounds including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and other health-promoting substances. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because seaweeds grow in marine environments increasingly contaminated with microplastics. Understanding the health benefits of seaweed also requires considering the potential risks of microplastic contamination in these marine food sources.

2023 Foods 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Contribution of seaweed farming to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and microplastics pollution

Researchers reviewed how seaweed farming can help fight two major environmental problems: seaweed absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere without competing for agricultural land, and seaweed-derived polymers can be used to make biodegradable plastics that break down without generating persistent microplastics. Scaling up seaweed-based bioplastics remains limited by production costs, but the potential environmental benefits make further research worthwhile.

2024 Algal Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Seaweed as a sink for microplastic contamination: Uptake, identifications and food safety implications

This review examines how seaweed, a widely consumed food, absorbs and accumulates microplastics from ocean water. Research shows seaweed can account for up to 45.5% of total dietary microplastic intake in some regions, with particularly high levels in South Asia. The findings are concerning for human health because seaweed is eaten directly and is also increasingly used in health supplements and food additives.

2025 Environmental Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The seaweed Chaetomorpha linum cultivated in an integrated multitrophic aquaculture system: A new tool for microplastic bioremediation?

Researchers tested whether the seaweed Chaetomorpha linum, grown in an aquaculture system, could trap microplastics from surrounding water. The seaweed effectively captured microplastic particles in its tangled filaments, and a simple washing procedure could remove most of the trapped plastics from the harvested biomass. This suggests that growing certain seaweeds could serve as a natural, low-cost way to filter microplastics from marine environments.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Content of Seaweeds in the Mariculture Potential Zone at The Southwest of Coastal Bawean Island

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in seaweeds from Bawean Island, Indonesia, finding that even sheltered coastal waters contained microplastics in red, green, and brown seaweed species collected from mariculture potential zones.

2023 JURNAL BIOLOGI TROPIS 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecosystem Services Provided by Seaweeds

This review summarizes the many ecosystem services that seaweeds provide, including food production, carbon storage, water filtration, and habitat for marine life. Seaweeds can also help combat pollution by absorbing heavy metals and other contaminants from the water. The review is relevant to microplastics research because healthy seaweed ecosystems may play a role in filtering microplastics from ocean water, and damage to these ecosystems could worsen marine plastic pollution.

2023 Hydrobiology 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in seaweed: impacts on human health and mitigation approaches

This review found that microplastics contaminate many types of edible seaweed, with fibers and fragments being the most common forms. Since seaweed is consumed worldwide, these microplastics can enter the human body and potentially cause oxidative damage, cell toxicity, and neurotoxicity. More research is needed to fully understand the health risks of eating microplastic-contaminated seaweed.

2025 Discover Oceans 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic evidence and removal from the seaweed bioremediator Chaetomorpha linum

Researchers evaluated microplastic presence and removal from the seaweed Chaetomorpha linum collected in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto and transplanted into an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system, using density-based extraction and spectroscopic identification to characterize trapped particles. The study demonstrated that macroalgae bioremediators can accumulate microplastics from their growth environment, raising considerations for their use in aquaculture-based pollution mitigation.

2022 2022 IEEE International Workshop on Metrology for the Sea; Learning to Measure Sea Health Parameters (MetroSea) 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Potential of Algae in the Mitigation of Plastic Pollution in Aquatic Environments

This review examined how algae can help mitigate plastic pollution in aquatic environments, finding that certain algal species can adsorb, degrade, or entrap microplastics, suggesting potential bioremediation applications though large-scale effectiveness remains to be demonstrated.

2022 Practice, progress, and proficiency in sustainability 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Algae for plastic biodegradation

This review examines how algae interact with microplastics in marine environments, both as organisms harmed by plastic pollution and as potential agents for plastic biodegradation. Microplastics reduce algal photosynthesis and growth, while algal extracellular polymeric substances can trap and sink microplastic particles. Algae-driven biodegradation represents a promising avenue for reducing the persistence of microplastic contamination in the ocean.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The Prevalence of Microplastics in Farmed Seaweed Kappaphycus Alvarezii in Panguil Bay, Philippines

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in farmed seaweed from Panguil Bay, Philippines, and confirmed 1,298 microplastic particles across two farming sites. Fibers and filaments were the most common shapes, with rayon and polyester as the dominant polymer types, and washing seaweed before consumption reduced but did not eliminate microplastic content.

2025 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of microplastic accumulation in halophyte plants and macroalgae: A critical review

This critical review examines how halophyte plants and marine macroalgae accumulate microplastics and nano-plastics from coastal environments, acting as natural traps for marine debris. The authors assess both the ecological implications of plastic accumulation in these organisms and their potential utility as bioindicators or phytoremediation tools for coastal microplastic pollution.

2024 Environmental Research and Technology
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal features of microplastics pollution in macroalgae growing in an important mariculture area, China

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in cultivated macroalgae from Haizhou Bay, a major mariculture area in China. They found that seaweed harvested during the culture period contained higher microplastic levels than during non-culture periods, with fibers making up over 90% of particles. The study suggests that aquaculture gear is a significant source of microplastic pollution, releasing an estimated 1,037 tons of plastic into the environment annually.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 135 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastic impacts on seagrasses, epiphytes, and associated sediment communities

This review synthesizes research on microplastic accumulation in seagrass ecosystems, examining effects on seagrass plants, epiphytic communities, and associated sediment biota. The authors identify seagrass meadows as both sinks for microplastics and potentially sensitive ecosystems where plastic contamination may disrupt complex ecological relationships.

2022 Environmental Pollution 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the commercial seaweed nori

Researchers quantified microplastic contamination in commercial nori (edible seaweed) at different stages of processing, finding that microplastics were present in both raw and processed products. The results suggest that nori can accumulate microplastics from its marine growing environment and retain them through processing into consumer products.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 258 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the potential of microalgae in removal of microplastics from the environment and scope of this entity as feedstock for biofuel production

This review explores the potential of microalgae to capture and remove microplastics from aquatic environments, examining the mechanisms by which algal cells adsorb or aggregate plastic particles and discussing the feasibility of algae-based remediation at scale.

2025
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Micro-/Nanoplastic (MNPs) Removal by Microalgae and Possible Integrated Routes of Energy Recovery

This review examined the interactions between micro- and nanoplastics and microalgae, covering how microalgae are affected by plastic particles and how they can in turn be used to remove plastics from aquatic environments. The authors identify microalgae-based systems as promising tools for combined plastic removal and biomass production.

2022 Microorganisms 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Biomonitoring of microplastics, anthropogenic microfibres and glass retroreflective beads by marine macroalgae

Researchers explored the potential of marine macroalgae as biomonitors for microplastics, anthropogenic microfibers, and glass retroreflective beads in coastal environments. The study suggests that seaweed species could offer a more standardized and reliable method for tracking microscopic debris compared to conventional water and sediment sampling approaches.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

From Ocean to Medicine: Harnessing Seaweed’s Potential for Drug Development

This review explores how compounds derived from seaweed show promise for drug development, with properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity. While not directly about microplastics, marine-derived bioactive compounds could be relevant to addressing the inflammation and oxidative stress that microplastic exposure is known to cause in the body.

2024 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the seagrass ecosystems: A critical review

This review critically assessed microplastic contamination in seagrass ecosystems worldwide, finding that these nearshore habitats accumulate significant plastic pollution due to their proximity to human activities and the trapping effect of submerged vegetation.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics – A major contaminant in marine macro algal population: Review

This review identified the occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in marine macroalgae, highlighting macroalgae as both indicators of MP pollution and potential entry points for microplastics into marine food webs.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential for Using Algae to Reduce Microplastics in the Environment

This review examined the potential of algae to reduce microplastic pollution both by adsorbing and intercepting plastic particles in water and by serving as a feedstock for biosynthesizing biodegradable bioplastics as alternatives to petroleum-based materials.

2025 MATEC Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Emerging technologies for conversion of sustainable macroalgal carrageenan biomass into L-lactic acid: A state-of-the-art review

This review examines how macroalgae (seaweed) can be converted into lactic acid for making polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable plastic alternative. Using non-food biomass like seaweed to produce biodegradable plastics could help reduce dependence on fossil-based plastics that generate persistent microplastic pollution.

2023 MATEC Web of Conferences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic debris in coastal macroalgae

Plastic debris including microplastics was investigated in five macroalgae species along Chinese coastlines, finding contamination in all species with differences in debris type and abundance related to algal morphology and coastal location, revealing macroalgae as both collectors and potential vectors of plastic pollution.

2021 Environmental Research 69 citations