Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Nanoplastic: a Tool for Drug Delivery and Environmental Challenge

This review discusses the dual nature of biodegradable nanoplastics — their promise as targeted drug delivery vehicles due to their controllable surface chemistry, versus the environmental concern of uncontrolled nanoplastic accumulation from biodegradable polymer degradation in ecosystems.

2025 Journal of Biological Research - Bollettino della Società Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale
Article Tier 2

Advances in Drug Targeting, Drug Delivery, and Nanotechnology Applications: Therapeutic Significance in Cancer Treatment

This review covers advances in targeted drug delivery using nanotechnology, including nanoparticles and liposomes designed to release medications precisely where needed in the body. While focused on cancer treatment, the drug delivery technologies discussed are relevant to understanding how nanoscale plastic particles may also travel through the body and accumulate in specific tissues.

2025 Pharmaceutics 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Chitosan/Alginate-Based Nanoparticles for Antibacterial Agents Delivery

This review examines how nanoparticles made from chitosan and alginate (natural sugar-based materials) can deliver antibacterial drugs more effectively by improving how the drugs dissolve and how long they stay active. While not directly about microplastics, these biodegradable nanoparticle systems could offer alternatives to plastic-based drug delivery methods, reducing reliance on synthetic plastics in medicine.

2024 International Journal of Nanomedicine 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Pharmacokinetic Profile of Intra-articular Fluticasone Propionate Microparticles in Beagle Dog Knees.

This pharmacokinetics study tracked the distribution of a slow-release corticosteroid microparticle formulation injected into dog knee joints, finding that drug concentration peaked rapidly in synovial fluid. This paper uses 'microparticles' in a pharmaceutical drug delivery context and is not related to environmental plastic pollution.

2019 Cartilage
Article Tier 2

Integrating Artificial Intelligence with Quality by Design in the Formulation of Lecithin/Chitosan Nanoparticles of a Poorly Water-Soluble Drug

This study used artificial intelligence and quality-by-design methods to create optimized nanoparticles for delivering a cancer-fighting drug called silymarin. While not directly about microplastics, the research advances understanding of how nanoparticles interact with biological systems, which is relevant because nanoplastics behave similarly in the body. The techniques developed here could help researchers better predict how nanoscale plastic particles are absorbed and distributed in human tissues.

2023 AAPS PharmSciTech 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation and Characterization of Cellulose/Silk Fibroin Composites Microparticles for Drug Controlled-Release Applications

This paper is not about microplastics; it focuses on developing cellulose and silk fibroin composite microparticles as controlled drug delivery systems, with no relevance to plastic pollution or environmental health.

2024 Preprints.org 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Shaping, Degradation And Drug Release Of Biosourced Particles Made From Acrylated Vegetable Oils

Researchers developed biodegradable particles from acrylated vegetable oils as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based polymers, characterizing their shaping, degradation kinetics, and drug release profiles. The biosourced particles demonstrated controlled degradation and tunable drug release, offering a pathway to reduce microplastic pollution from biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Surface Morphology-Enhanced Delivery of Bioinspired Eco-Friendly Microcapsules

Researchers developed biodegradable microcapsules made from proteins and biominerals as a sustainable replacement for the synthetic polymer microplastic particles used in many consumer products including cosmetics and paints. The capsules degraded naturally and performed comparably to conventional capsules in controlled release tests. Replacing non-biodegradable microcapsules with protein-mineral alternatives could significantly reduce microplastic pollution from consumer goods.

2022 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of paclitaxel octreotide conjugate on human ovarian paclitaxel-resistant cell xenograft tumor model and the mechanism underlying reversal of paclitaxel resistance

This paper is not relevant to microplastics — it examines the efficacy of a paclitaxel-octreotide conjugate for overcoming drug resistance in human ovarian cancer cell xenograft models.

2023 Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
Article Tier 2

Nanomaterials in Drug Delivery: Strengths and Opportunities in Medicine

This review covers how nanomaterials are being used to improve drug delivery for treating cancer and infections, offering better targeted therapy with fewer side effects. While not directly about microplastics, the research on how nanoparticles interact with human tissues provides insight into how similarly sized nanoplastics might behave once inside the body.

2024 Molecules 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced Anti-Tumor Activity in Mice with Temozolomide-Resistant Human Glioblastoma Cell Line-Derived Xenograft Using SN-38-Incorporated Polymeric Microparticle.

This study tested polymer microparticles as a delivery system for a cancer drug in brain tumor models. This is a drug delivery and cancer treatment research paper with no direct connection to environmental microplastics.

2021 International journal of molecular sciences
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene Glycol-Based Polymer-Drug Conjugates: Novel Design and Synthesis Strategies for Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy and Targeted Drug Delivery

This paper is not about microplastics — it reviews the design and synthesis of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based polymer-drug conjugates as targeted drug delivery systems for cancer and other diseases, with no relevance to microplastic pollution or environmental health.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastic Contaminants on Drug Stability and Safety

Researchers reviewed how microplastic contaminants may alter the stability, bioavailability, and safety of pharmaceutical products by adsorbing drug compounds and releasing them unpredictably. Survey data from pharmaceutical quality assurance professionals and literature synthesis identified specific mechanisms by which MPs could degrade drug formulations, flagging an underexplored drug safety concern.

2025 International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Sciences
Article Tier 2

End group chemistry modulates physical properties and biomolecule release from biodegradable polyesters.

Researchers developed models of end group chemistry in biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles to better predict protein release kinetics, finding that end group composition modulates both the physical properties and biomolecule release profiles of these drug delivery systems.

2025 Journal of materials chemistry. B
Article Tier 2

Hierarchical Plant Protein Microcapsules for Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Cargo Molecules

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper describes biodegradable plant protein microcapsules for food and pharmaceutical delivery, which meet ISO biodegradability standards for freshwater but are not themselves a microplastic source or subject.

2024 arXiv (Cornell University) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Keratin–Chitosan Microcapsules via Membrane Emulsification and Interfacial Complexation

This study developed a continuous-production method for making biodegradable microcapsules from keratin and chitosan — proteins and natural polymers — capable of producing millions of capsules per minute. Biodegradable capsule materials offer an alternative to the synthetic microplastic spheres currently used in cosmetics and other controlled-release applications.

2021 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Spray-Dried Chitosan Hydrogel Particles as a Potential Delivery System for Benzydamine Hydrochloride

Researchers developed spray-dried chitosan hydrogel microparticles as potential drug delivery systems for benzydamine hydrochloride. The study explored different formulation approaches using crosslinking and coating techniques, contributing to biodegradable polymer research that offers alternatives to conventional plastic-based pharmaceutical delivery materials.

2024 Gels 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanotechnology in cancer treatment: revolutionizing strategies against drug resistance

This review explores how nanotechnology is being used to overcome drug resistance in cancer treatment, using materials like carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, and liposomes to deliver drugs more precisely to tumors. While not directly about microplastics, the nanomaterial strategies discussed share relevance with understanding how nano-sized plastic particles interact with human cells and tissues.

2025 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis of model polyethylene particles for the study of nanoplastics in the oceans

Researchers developed a synthesis method for model polyethylene particles designed to replicate the physicochemical properties of naturally degraded nanoplastics in the ocean, addressing the need for environmentally representative reference materials for studying nanoplastic behavior in marine systems.

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

Triple-Emulsion-Based Antibubbles: A Step Forward in Fabricating Novel Multi-Drug Delivery Systems

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper describes a novel triple-emulsion 'antibubble' drug delivery system designed to carry both water-soluble and fat-soluble medications simultaneously.

2023 Pharmaceutics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable chito-beads replacing non-biodegradable microplastics for cosmetics

Biodegradable microbeads were prepared by reacetylation of chitosan as a direct substitute for synthetic polymer microbeads in cosmetic exfoliators. The chitosan-based beads demonstrated suitable mechanical properties and high cleansing efficiency, offering a viable biodegradable alternative to conventional microplastic microbeads.

2021 Green Chemistry 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling nanoplastic release from single-use eyedrop vials: A particle-based approach for identification and quantification

Researchers used advanced analytical techniques to detect and quantify nanoplastics released from single-use disposable eyedrop containers. They found that thousands of micro- and nanoplastic particles were released simply upon opening the containers, with 88% of particles falling in the nanoscale range. The findings raise concerns about direct ocular exposure to nanoplastics from a common medical product.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Degradable poly(β-amino ester) microparticles for cleansing products and food fortification

Researchers developed degradable microparticles made from a material that breaks down into sugar and amino acid byproducts, designed to replace the non-degradable plastic microbeads used in cleansing products and food fortification. These new particles performed similarly to conventional plastic microbeads but dissolve harmlessly in the environment. This innovation could help reduce one significant source of microplastic pollution that enters waterways and the food supply.

2024 Nature Chemical Engineering 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Chitosan Nanoparticles against Listeria monocytogenes

Not relevant to microplastics — this is a microbiology study testing the antimicrobial effectiveness of chitosan nanoparticles from different sources against the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, finding that nanoparticle size — not just molecular weight or deacetylation degree — drives efficacy.

2023 Polymers 12 citations