Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Exploring Seaweed Cultivation in the Marine Environment and Its Interaction with Microplastic

This review examines interactions between seaweed cultivation in marine environments and microplastic pollution, exploring how seaweed can both accumulate microplastics and potentially be used in bioremediation strategies to reduce plastic contamination in coastal waters.

2025 BIOEDUSCIENCE
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Seaweed Biorefineries and Assessment of Their Potential for Carbon Capture and Storage

Not relevant to microplastics research; this paper reviews the potential of seaweed-based coastal marine biorefineries for producing third-generation biofuels and capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

2023 Preprints.org 14 citations
Article Tier 2

The environmental impact and economic feasibility assessment of composite calcium alginate bioplastics derived from Sargassum

Researchers assessed the environmental impact and economic feasibility of producing calcium alginate bioplastics from Sargassum seaweed, presenting a novel approach that could address both plastic pollution and invasive seaweed problems in the Caribbean.

2023 Green Chemistry 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing seaweed farming for climate mitigation in South Korea: evaluating carbon dioxide removal potential and future research directions

Researchers evaluated the potential of seaweed farming as a carbon dioxide removal strategy in South Korea. They found that seaweed cultivation can sequester carbon through biomass storage and dissolved organic carbon release, while also substituting carbon-intensive products. The study suggests that scaling up seaweed aquaculture could contribute meaningfully to climate mitigation goals, though more research is needed on long-term carbon storage pathways.

2024 ALGAE 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Seaweed Biorefineries and Assessment of Their Potential for Carbon Capture and Storage

This review covers recent advances in seaweed biorefinery technologies for producing biofuels, high-value chemicals, and carbon capture, examining the technical challenges that limit large-scale production. Seaweeds are highlighted for their rapid growth, lack of competition with food crops, and potential for CO2 sequestration.

2023 Sustainability 17 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

Harnessing green tide Ulva biomass for carbon dioxide sequestration

Researchers reviewed the potential of using Ulva seaweed from harmful green tide blooms as a resource for carbon dioxide sequestration through biochar production. They estimated that Ulva biomass could capture approximately 3.85 million tons of CO2 equivalent, with nearly half stabilized through conversion to biochar. While not directly about microplastics, the study explores how repurposing marine biomass could address both coastal pollution and climate change.

2024 Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology 20 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Food packaging based on biodegradable polymers from seaweeds: a systematic review

This systematic review examines the use of seaweed-based biodegradable polymers as alternatives to conventional plastic food packaging. The research explores how seaweed materials can provide effective food packaging while breaking down naturally in the environment. Replacing petroleum-based plastics with biodegradable alternatives is one strategy for reducing the microplastic pollution that enters our food and water.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 9 citations
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

An Overview of the Alternative Use of Seaweeds to Produce Safe and Sustainable Bio-Packaging

This review explores how compounds derived from seaweed, particularly polysaccharides like alginates and carrageenans, can be used to create biodegradable packaging as an alternative to conventional plastics. Researchers found that seaweed-based biopolymers offer both functional packaging properties and potential health benefits, while avoiding the microplastic pollution caused by petroleum-based plastics. The approach represents a promising step toward reducing ocean plastic contamination by replacing single-use plastics with marine-sourced biodegradable materials.

2022 Applied Sciences 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of microalgae as a sustainable alternative of biopolymers and its application in industries

Not a microplastics paper — this review examines the potential of algae-derived biopolymers (such as alginate, carrageenan, and polyhydroxyalkanoates) as biodegradable, eco-friendly replacements for petroleum-based plastics, highlighting their advantages but noting challenges for large-scale production.

2023 Plant Science Today 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Algal bioplastics: current market trends and technical aspects

Researchers reviewed the status and commercial potential of algal bioplastics as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based plastics, finding that microalgae outperform plants and microbes for bioplastic feedstock due to their fast growth and wastewater remediation capacity, while cost remains a key barrier to scale-up.

2022 Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy 64 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

Novel seaweed-based bioplastic: A prospective Life Cycle Assessment

This PhD thesis uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of making bioplastic from brown seaweed. Seaweed-based bioplastics could offer a lower-impact alternative to conventional plastics, potentially reducing the generation of persistent microplastics in the environment.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Victim of changes? Marine macroalgae in a changing world

Researchers reviewed the threats facing marine macroalgae (seaweeds) from anthropogenic stressors including climate change, ocean warming, and pollution. The study suggests that while habitat loss is less severe in oceans compared to land, climate change represents the most significant long-term threat to seaweed species, communities, and the ecosystem services they provide.

2023 Annals of Botany 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing microalgae for sustainable aquaculture and mariculture: Marine pollution mitigation and circular economy strategies

Researchers reviewed how microalgae can serve as a multipurpose bioremediation tool in aquaculture and mariculture, removing excess nutrients, capturing carbon, and reducing microplastic pollution, while also providing biomass for feed and supporting circular economy approaches that align with UN sustainability goals.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 4 citations
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

Global seaweed farming and processing in the past 20 years

This review examines global seaweed farming and processing trends over the past 20 years, covering production methods, diverse applications, and the challenges facing the industry as seaweed emerges as a promising sustainable resource.

2022 Food Production Processing and Nutrition 160 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-Inspired Eco-Composite Materials Seaweed Waste Integration for Sustainable Structural Applications

Researchers developed biodegradable substrates incorporating seaweed residue for cultivating algae in marine environments, aiming to address both plastic pollution and carbon dioxide emissions. Adding algae powder accelerated degradation in seawater, with up to 12% mass loss after two months of immersion. The study suggests these bio-inspired composites could serve dual purposes: supporting marine algae growth while gradually breaking down instead of persisting as plastic waste.

2024 Sustainability 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Nature’s fight against plastic pollution: Algae for plastic biodegradation and bioplastics production

This review explores two algae-based approaches to tackling plastic pollution: using algae to biodegrade existing plastic waste and using algae to produce biodegradable bioplastics. Researchers highlight promising early results showing certain algae species can break down conventional plastics, while algae-derived bioplastics offer a renewable and compostable alternative to petroleum-based materials.

2020 Environmental Science and Ecotechnology 436 citations
Article Tier 2

Food safety in the seaweed food supply chain : Inventory of production, consumption and chemical and physical hazards

This Dutch food safety report inventories the chemical and physical hazards — including microplastics — present in seaweed cultivated for human consumption. As the seaweed food market grows, understanding contamination risks including plastic particles is important for protecting consumer health.

2020 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Establishment of Effective Callus Induction in the Economically Important Brown Seaweed Ecklonia cava

Not relevant to microplastics — this study describes tissue culture techniques for inducing callus growth in the edible brown seaweed Ecklonia cava to support sustainable aquaculture, with no connection to plastic pollution.

2024 Applied Sciences 2 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

The microplastic menace: a critical review of its impact on marine photoautotrophs and their environment

This review examines how microplastics interact with marine macro- and microalgae, covering environmental prevalence, genetic responses to MP exposure, and mitigation strategies. It finds that annual introduction of 28.5 million tons of plastic into oceans threatens marine primary producers and indirectly affects marine food webs and human health through the consumption of contaminated seafood.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research