Microplastic contamination refers to the presence and distribution of synthetic polymer particles typically <5 mm in environmental matrices, including marine, freshwater, terrestrial, atmospheric, and biological systems. As a research topic, it encompasses sources (primary and secondary microplastics), transport pathways (e.g., hydrodynamic and atmospheric dispersion), physicochemical properties (size, shape, polymer type, surface chemistry), and interactions with co-contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants and metals. Studies investigate bioavailability, trophic transfer, organismal and cellular responses, and potential human exposure via inhalation and ingestion, as well as methodological challenges in sampling, analytical detection, quantification, and risk assessment frameworks.
Microplastics and nanoplastics in soils are a growing environmental problem. The extent to which agricultural crops absorb these particles and whether they end up in food has so far been difficult to prove. This is because ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 1, 2025
0
20
Plastic may well be a useful everyday item, but its careless disposal in oceans and inland waterways is a pressing global problem. Plastic pollution poses a significant threat to human health and the health of our planet. ...
On the edge of California's Monterey Bay, ecologist Matthew Savoca and a team of volunteers sift through sand and seawater for microplastics, one of the planet's most pervasive forms of pollution.
Earth Sciences
Sep 30, 2025
1
42
The accumulation and poor management of plastic fibers and particles remains a pressing global issue, with serious consequences for both human health and environmental sustainability.
Environment
Sep 29, 2025
2
42
Plastic pellets, bio-beads and other microplastics are polluting coastlines around the world, with new research showing sharp regional differences in the types and concentrations of plastic found.
Environment
Sep 29, 2025
1
86
Microplastics are a growing problem worldwide. They disrupt ecosystems and contribute to adverse effects, like metabolic disorders, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and developmental toxicity in the bodies of various organisms ...
Light as a feather and seemingly ubiquitous, plastic drinking straws tip the scales as environmental villains—clogging landfills, choking marine life and lasting for years.
Environment
Sep 23, 2025
0
138
Plastic pollution represents a global environmental challenge, and once in the environment, plastic can fragment into smaller and smaller pieces.
Environment
Sep 17, 2025
0
60
Microplastics seem to be everywhere—in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. They have turned up in human organs, blood, testicles, placentas and even brains.
Environment
Sep 15, 2025
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37
In October 1984, volunteers on the coast of Oregon hauled away 26 tonnes of waste in a single day, most of it plastics. It was the first beach cleanup of its kind—part scientific survey, part environmental action—and it helped ...
Environment
Sep 15, 2025
0
17
