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.
Polystyrene nanoparticles are widely used in packaging, but their effects on organisms are unclear. Very little was known about how they affect blood cell development until now.
Bio & Medicine
Mar 11, 2025
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44
University of Waterloo researchers have pinpointed for the first time how microplastics accumulate in coral reefs, a key step to understanding how to protect vulnerable ecosystems.
Bio & Medicine
Feb 10, 2025
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102
Wuhan University-led research is reporting the development of a revivable self-assembled supramolecular biomass fibrous framework (a novel foam filter) that efficiently removes microplastics from complex aquatic environments.
Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have developed a novel nanotechnology-based solution for the removal of micro- and nanoplastics from water. Their research is published in the journal Micron.
Bio & Medicine
Nov 12, 2024
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529
Plastic pollution has become a growing crisis for aquatic environments, with nanoplastics emerging as particularly hazardous due to their minuscule size and broad dispersal. Unlike larger plastic fragments, nanoplastics infiltrate ...
Bio & Medicine
Nov 4, 2024
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28
In a recent study, an international research team with significant involvement from MedUni Vienna has investigated how nanoplastic particles deposited in the body affect the effectiveness of antibiotics.
Bio & Medicine
Oct 30, 2024
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79
In a laboratory set-up simulating the human stomach and intestine, researchers at the University of Amsterdam have explored the fate of plastic nanoparticles during gastrointestinal digestion. In their paper published in ...
Bio & Medicine
Oct 28, 2024
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86
Water filters on the market today can remove some contaminants, but they're not designed to capture microplastics. In fact, some of them may actually add small plastics into drinking water during the filtration process. What's ...
Nanomaterials
Sep 16, 2024
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168
In a global first, University of Waterloo researchers have used 3D imaging technology to understand the fine details of microplastics, paving the way for more effective methods of plastic waste recycling.
Nanomaterials
Sep 5, 2024
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85
A new study published in the journal Nano Today reveals that nanoplastics, which are tiny plastic particles less than 1 micrometer in size, may cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
Bio & Medicine
Sep 4, 2024
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87
