Top Research Papers on Microplastics

This review will highlight some of the methods appropriate for microplastics sampling and techniques for its identification in environmental samples, and a need and scope for development of more economical and portable techniques in this direction.

Evidence is accumulating that feeding bottles and medical devices can contribute to MP exposure in newborns and infants and there is evidence to support the hypothesis that MPs and their additives are potential obesogens.

The results suggest that ingested microplastics could undergo fragmentation and depolymerization (for certain polymers) in the earthworm gut and to evaluate the feasibility of microplastic bioremediation with earthworms.

Identifying and understanding the potential sources delivering microplastics into the urban water environment is imperative for microplastic pollution control. However, how atmospheric deposition contributes to microplastic pollution in the urban water environment is unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the contribution of atmospheric deposition to microplastic pollution in urban waters based on the analysis of the atmospheric deposition characteristics in the urban area. The results showed that microplastic deposition fluxes during wet weather and dry weather varied from 1.1 × 10 3 ±0....

Microplastics were detected in glacier surface snow on the Tibetan Plateau, which were isolated from the impact of human activities, indicating that microplastics can be transported over long distances.

Soil is a thin coating of matter that covers the earth's surface, formed through the process of rock weathering. It is a natural filter for impurities in groundwater and is very important to human health. Recently, some studies from around the world have confirmed that the presence of microplastics in soil is increasing. However, most of these studies only examined the impacts of soil microplastic contamination one or two soil health indicators, rather than study all three soil health indicators at once. In this review, we selected papers published internationally in the past decade and examin...

The ubiquity of microplastics in the global biosphere raises increasing concerns about their implications for human health, but whether these contaminants pose a substantial risk to human health is far from understood.

Scientists are rushing to study the tiny plastic specks that are in marine animals — and in us. Scientists are rushing to study the tiny plastic specks that are in marine animals — and in us.

This reference work reviews comprehensively the behaviour and impact of microplastics in the environment, covering topics such as monitoring of microplastics pollution, microplastics interaction with chemical pollutants, and pollution prevention, regulation and remediation.

Research shifts from ecotoxicology to ecosystem effects and Earth system feedbacks Concern about microplastics polluting different environmental compartments is mounting, and research on microplastic is only now on the verge of this wider view.

Mexican sandy beaches are a natural resource that provides environmental services and contribute to the economic growth of the country. However, due to mismanagement of solid waste, discharges of wastewaters and other land and marine activities, they can be polluted by microplastics. This research aimed to quantify and classify the microplastics found in Mexican beaches. Samples were taken in 33 beaches, along the five marine regions of the country, following a systematic method that allows comparison of results. Microplastics concentration varied from 31.7–545.8 M P/m2, with high variance coe...

Abstract Society has become increasingly reliant on plastics since commercial production began in about 1950. Their versatility, stability, light weight, and low production costs have fueled global demand. Most plastics are initially used and discarded on land. Nonetheless, the amount of microplastics in some oceanic compartments is predicted to double by 2030. To solve this global problem, we must understand plastic composition, physical forms, uses, transport, and fragmentation into microplastics (and nanoplastics). Plastic debris/microplastics arise from land disposal, wastewater treatment,...

It is concluded that the issue of microplastics in the food chain is still not sufficiently examined, and should be paid more attention to maintain the health of the population.

There is an urgent need to be aware of the harm of MPs to the human immune system and more studies about immunological assessments, and further elucidate the immunological hazards and risks of humans that exposed to MPs.

As emerging contaminants, the ecological impact of microplastics has attracted worldwide attention because of the limitations of recycling technology and their long durability, leading to their accumulation in the environment and the potential risk to human health. In this study, we investigated the effects of PE microplastics (1 % and 5 % w/w) on soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activity, and microbial community. The addition of PE microplastics pollution promoted the activities of urease and fluorescein diacetate hydrolase (FDAse), whilst the activity of neutral phosphatase was inhibi...

This review comprehensively summarizes the current technologies for eliminating microplastic from the environment and highlights two key aspects to achieve this goal: 1) Catalytic degradation of microplastics into environmentally friendly organics (carbon dioxide and water); 2) catalytic recycling and upcycling plastic wastes into monomers, fuels, and valorized chemicals.

Microplastics are found ubiquitous in the natural environment and are an increasing source of worry for global health. Rapid industrialization and inappropriate plastic waste management in our daily lives have resulted in an increase in the amount of microplastics in the ecosystem. Microplastics that are <150 μm in size could be easily ingested by living beings and cause considerable toxicity. Microplastics can aggregate in living organisms and cause acute, chronic, carcinogenic, developmental, and genotoxic damage. As a result, a sustainable approach to reducing, reusing, and recycling plasti...

The results suggest that the MP aging could induce complex changes in the interactive effects between MPs and pharmaceuticals on aquatic organisms.

This study discovered that the sludge dewatering liquor could contain a high amount of microplastics, and the estimated particle loading was about 3.6 times higher than that in dewatered sludge.

Results showed that lower concentrations of microplastics had no impact while higher concentrations significantly reduced growth and chlorophyll a content of the freshwater microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris, and the combined effect of the microplastic-metal combination (Cu, Zn, Mn).