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.
It is well known that more and more plastic waste is ending up in soil and bodies of water. Researchers are particularly concerned about tiny micro- and nano-sized particles. It remains unclear how and to what extent they ...
Nanomaterials
Aug 29, 2024
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162
Micro- and nanoplastics are in our food, water and the air we breathe. They are showing up in our bodies, from testicles to brain matter. Now, University of British Columbia researchers have developed a low-cost, portable ...
Bio & Medicine
Aug 27, 2024
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271
Researchers have demonstrated a way to speed up—and potentially scale up—the process for separating particles in fluids, which can be used for studying microplastics in drinking water or even analyzing cancer cells from blood.
Bio & Medicine
Aug 15, 2024
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122
James Cook University researchers have achieved a significant breakthrough that allows them to convert microplastics to a highly valuable material. The study is published in the journal Small Science.
Nanomaterials
Aug 13, 2024
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1290
Microplastics are a global problem: they end up in rivers and oceans, they accumulate in living organisms and disrupt entire ecosystems. How tiny particles behave in a current is difficult to describe scientifically, especially ...
General Physics
Aug 12, 2024
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287
Nanoplastics can accumulate in developing hearts, according to a study published in Environment International by biologist Meiru Wang from Leiden University. Her research on chicken embryos sheds new light on how these tiny ...
Bio & Medicine
May 28, 2024
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85
Microplastics pose a great threat to human health. These tiny plastic debris can enter our bodies through the water we drink and increase the risk of illnesses. They are also an environmental hazard; found even in remote ...
Nanomaterials
Apr 12, 2024
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608
Plastic household items and clothing made of synthetic fibers release microplastics, particles less than five millimeters in size that can enter the environment unnoticed. A small proportion of these particles are so small ...
Bio & Medicine
Feb 8, 2024
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353
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that can cause big problems when they enter the water supply. One way my fluid dynamics lab explores microplastic movement is by studying how tiny water-walking insects are pushed ...
Soft Matter
Jan 23, 2024
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117
Seas, oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water on Earth have become increasingly polluted over the past decades, and this is threatening the survival of many aquatic species. This pollution takes a wide range of forms, including ...
