Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Assessment of potential ecological risk for microplastic particles

Researchers developed a framework for assessing the ecological risk of microplastic particles, incorporating particle characteristics, environmental concentrations, and species sensitivity data. The assessment identified conditions under which current environmental microplastic levels pose significant risk to aquatic organisms.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Estimating species sensitivity distributions for microplastics by quantitatively considering particle characteristics using a recently created ecotoxicity database

Researchers estimated species sensitivity distributions for microplastics using Bayesian modeling that accounts for particle characteristics such as size, shape, and polymer type. The study suggests that quantitatively considering these microplastic properties yields more accurate environmental risk assessments than traditional approaches that treat all microplastics as equivalent.

2023 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Illustrating a Species Sensitivity Distribution for Nano- and Microplastic Particles Using Bayesian Hierarchical Modeling

Researchers developed a Bayesian hierarchical model to construct species sensitivity distributions for nano- and microplastic particles, deriving hazardous concentration thresholds to support environmental risk assessment of plastic pollution.

2022 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: addressing ecological risk through lessons learned

Researchers reviewed the current state of microplastic ecological risk assessment and proposed applying lessons learned from more established fields of environmental research. The study suggests that despite widespread concern about microplastic pollution, scientific understanding of actual ecological risk remains limited, and future research should follow more rigorous risk assessment frameworks.

2015 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 312 citations
Article Tier 2

Analyzing species sensitivity distribution of evidently edible microplastics for freshwater biota

Researchers developed a new framework for assessing the ecological risks of microplastics to freshwater organisms by focusing on species that are known to actually ingest them. The study found that current risk assessment methods may underestimate the danger to freshwater ecosystems and that species known to eat microplastics showed different sensitivity patterns than the broader population of test organisms.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Non-traditional species sensitivity distribution approaches to analyze hazardous concentrations of microplastics in marine water

Researchers analyzed species sensitivity distribution curves for microplastic toxicity in marine water using non-traditional approaches, determining hazardous concentration thresholds across multiple toxicity endpoints to support environmental risk assessment.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of potential ecological risk for microplastics in freshwater ecosystems

Researchers assessed the ecological risk of microplastics across freshwater ecosystems worldwide, including rivers and lakes in China, Vietnam, Europe, and South America. While one risk method showed negligible danger, more comprehensive assessment approaches revealed extreme ecological threats at every location studied, suggesting that microplastic pollution in freshwater may be more serious than previously thought.

2024 Chemosphere 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Toward an ecotoxicological risk assessment of microplastics: Comparison of available hazard and exposure data in freshwaters

Researchers compiled available exposure and toxicity data to perform the first probabilistic risk assessment of microplastics specifically in freshwater environments. The study found that while current concentrations in most freshwaters may not yet pose widespread ecological risk, localized hotspots could exceed harmful thresholds, highlighting the need for more standardized freshwater monitoring.

2018 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 188 citations
Article Tier 2

Bayesian species sensitivity distribution modeling for microplastic particles: integrating particle characteristics and intra-species variation

Researchers applied hierarchical Bayesian modeling to develop species sensitivity distributions for microplastics, incorporating particle size, shape, and censored effect data across up to 33 species, finding that smaller particles and fiber shapes are associated with lower chronic no-effect concentrations and estimating hazardous concentrations spanning several orders of magnitude.

2026 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Article Tier 2

Ecological and toxicological manifestations of microplastics: current scenario, research gaps, and possible alleviation measures

This review examines the ecological and toxicological effects of microplastics and their associated contaminants across aquatic and terrestrial environments, identifying key knowledge gaps and potential mitigation strategies. The authors emphasize that both physical particle effects and co-transported chemical pollutants pose compounding risks to wildlife and ecosystems.

2020 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological risks in a ‘plastic’ world: A threat to biological diversity?

This review synthesized evidence on how microplastic pollution affects biological diversity and community structure across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, finding that most studies document effects at the individual level but that community- and ecosystem-level impacts remain poorly characterized.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 134 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

A Meta-analysis of Ecotoxicological Hazard Data for Nanoplastics in Marine and Freshwater Systems

This meta-analysis assessed the environmental hazard of nanoplastics (extremely tiny plastic particles) in freshwater and marine systems. By building species sensitivity distributions from available toxicity data, it found that nanoplastics can harm aquatic organisms at relatively low concentrations, highlighting the need for better environmental safety thresholds.

2020 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 69 citations
Article Tier 2

A probabilistic risk framework for microplastics integrating uncertainty across toxicological and environmental variability: Development and application to marine and freshwater ecosystems

Researchers developed a new probabilistic risk assessment framework for microplastics that accounts for uncertainty in how laboratory toxicity data translates to real environmental conditions. Using Monte Carlo simulation and an enhanced species sensitivity distribution model, they found that uncertainty from particle-trait alignments can drive threshold variability by up to two orders of magnitude. The framework highlights that current risk assessments may underestimate hazards and identifies key research needs for improving microplastic environmental safety thresholds.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Global distribution characteristics and ecological risk assessment of microplastics in aquatic organisms based on meta-analysis

This meta-analysis assessed the global distribution of microplastics in aquatic organisms across multiple trophic levels, finding that biological characteristics like body size and feeding strategy significantly influence microplastic ingestion rates. The study provides a framework for ecological risk assessment and proposes strategies to reduce microplastic input into water bodies.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 22 citations
Article Tier 2

A new holistic perspective to assess the ecological risk of microplastics: A case study in Baiyangdian Basin, China

Researchers developed a more comprehensive method for assessing the ecological risks of microplastic pollution by considering not just concentration but also the physical and chemical properties of the particles. Applied to a Chinese wetland basin, the approach revealed that traditional methods significantly underestimate the true ecological risk, with human activity and poor water flow contributing to the highest danger zones.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling the spatiotemporal distribution, bioaccumulation, and ecological risk assessment of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: A review

Researchers modeled the spatiotemporal distribution and ecological risk of microplastics across a coastal marine environment, incorporating hydrodynamic data and bioaccumulation factors for multiple species. The model predicted highest microplastic concentrations near urban outflows with risk extending through the food web.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Species sensitivity distributions of micro- and nanoplastics in soil based on particle characteristics

Researchers analyzed data from 74 studies to assess which soil organisms are most sensitive to micro and nanoplastics, finding that smaller particles and polystyrene types pose the greatest ecological risk. The hazardous concentration threshold for soil organisms was estimated at about 88 mg per kilogram of soil. This is the first study to factor in microplastic physical properties when calculating species sensitivity, providing a foundation for soil pollution guidelines.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological Risks of Microplastic Toxicity on Biota and Plants

This review examines the ecological risks of microplastic toxicity to a wide range of organisms including plants, invertebrates, fish, and soil biota, synthesizing dose-response data and identifying the most sensitive species and exposure pathways across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

2025
Article Tier 2

Environmental Fate and Ecological Risk of Micro- and Nanoplastics across Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems

Scientists reviewed existing research on tiny plastic particles (microplastics and nanoplastics) and found they're spreading throughout soil, rivers, and oceans, where animals eat them and pass them up the food chain. These plastic particles cause stress and health problems in wildlife, but researchers still don't fully understand the long-term effects or how much exposure is dangerous. This matters because these same plastic particles can end up in our food and water, but we need better research methods to understand the real risks to human health.

2026 Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Multitiered Framework for Ecological Risk Assessment and Mitigation

Researchers proposed a multi-level framework for assessing the ecological risks of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems, combining statistical analysis, mechanistic modeling, and machine learning. The framework addresses how microplastics accumulate through food chains, interact with other pollutants, and affect organisms at different levels. The study provides a structured approach that could help environmental managers better evaluate and respond to microplastic pollution in waterways.

2025 ACS ES&T Water 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterizing the multidimensionality of microplastics across environmental compartments

Researchers characterized the size, shape, polymer type, volume, and mass of over 60,000 individual microplastic particles collected from various aquatic environments including surface water, sediments, and organisms. They found that particle size distributions follow predictable mathematical patterns that differ by environmental compartment and polymer type. The findings provide a framework for more realistic risk assessments by capturing the full diversity of microplastic characteristics relevant to toxicology.

2021 Water Research 219 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental distribution, transport and ecotoxicity of microplastics: A review

This review covers the environmental distribution and transport of microplastics across marine, freshwater, soil, and atmospheric compartments, and analyzes their toxicity to organisms at different trophic levels including potential effects on human health.

2020 Journal of Applied Toxicology 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Species sensitivity distributions of microplastics based on toxicity endpoints and particle characteristics: Implications of assessing ecological risk in Tai Lake

Researchers used species sensitivity distributions to assess the ecological risk of microplastics in Tai Lake, China, finding that fiber-shaped particles and PVC plastics posed the greatest threat. Fish were identified as the most sensitive group compared to crustaceans and mollusks, and particles in the 100 to 1,000 micrometer range showed the highest toxicity. The study provides a framework for evaluating which types and sizes of microplastics pose the greatest ecological concern in freshwater lakes.

2024 Environmental Pollution 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Risk assessment of microplastics in freshwater sediments guided by strict quality criteria and data alignment methods

Researchers developed a quality-screened risk assessment framework for microplastics in freshwater sediments worldwide, rescaling published exposure data to a standard 1-5000 µm size range and aligning ecotoxicity thresholds to account for polydispersity and bioaccessible fractions. Using species sensitivity distributions, they calculated hazardous concentrations for 5% of species at approximately 4.9 x 10^9 particles/kg dry weight, finding that current environmental concentrations approach but generally fall within the margin of uncertainty of this threshold.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)