Category Archives: Microplastics & Environmental Health

The pervasive environmental presence of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), combined with their ability to cross biological barriers and accumulate in the brain, has raised significant concerns regarding their neurotoxic potential. While neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative effects are increasingly documented, a focused synthesis of their impact on depression-relevant behaviors is lacking. This systematic review evaluates the evidence linking MNPs exposure to depressive-like phenotypes across…

The impact of plastic particles on living organisms must be studied to develop monitoring and other environmental protection activities. Baikal endemic gastropods, Benedictia baicalensis, were cultivated for nine months in the presence of fluorescently labeled polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) nanoparticles with a diameter of 80-150 nm at concentrations of 0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg/L. Light, laser confocal microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy methods were used to characterize the…

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review examines micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) exposure as an emerging risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, focusing on how individual-level exposures shaped by behaviours, micro-environments, and lifestyle factors contribute to cumulative internal dose and cardiovascular risk.

The widespread occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in natural environments, along with their associated potential health risks, has garnered significant scientific interest. Compared to MPs, NPs have a smaller particle diameter and a substantially larger surface-to-volume ratio. Therefore, NPs are hypothesized to pose a greater risk than MPs. In this study, we employed a multimodality approach combining pre-processing, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive…

Microplastic pollution is a major environmental problem affecting ecosystems, wildlife and people worldwide. Microplastics are solid synthetic polymer particles > 5 mm, insoluble in water and potentially containing functional additives and adsorbed chemical contaminants. They originate from bulk industrial products and from the degradation of large plastic debris (EFSA CONTAM Panel, in EFSA Journal 14, 2016). The extent of the contamination is critical, with global plastic production projected…

CONCLUSION: MNP contamination may substantially increase the clinical and economic burden associated with carotid endarterectomy in Australia. Although model-based and subject to uncertainty arising from potential false positives of MNPs due to challenges with analysis in tissue matrices, these findings highlight MNPs as a plausible, previously unrecognised contributor to adverse vascular outcomes and healthcare expenditure.

Ingested nanoplastics (NPs) readily translocate across the intestinal barrier due to their small size, posing a pervasive threat to human health. Current mitigation approaches, constrained to environmental water purification or postexposure injury alleviation, entail unavoidable NPs ingestion or organism damage. Effective strategies to impede NPs internalization at the lumen stage and promote safe elimination remain limited. Here, an edible biohybrid platform, composed of a natural polyphenol…

Microplastics have emerged as a pervasive contaminant in global food and environmental systems. This review systematically synthesizes the complete pathway of microplastics from environmental compartments to the human food chain, with particular emphasis on their role as carriers of co-contaminants (microorganisms, persistent organic pollutants, and heavy metals). Key findings indicate that microplastics are widely detected across air, water, soil, and food matrices, yet the combined toxicity of…

Nanoplastics are ubiquitous in freshwater ecosystems and pose a threat to environmental and human health. They inhibit the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and increase its microcystin content, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here we investigated the effects of nano-polystyrene on the growth, photosynthesis, microcystin content and transcriptome of M. aeruginosa. The results showed that 10 mg/L nano-polystyrene slightly inhibited the growth during the first two days of exposure…

The presence of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in daily life raises increasing concerns about their potential health and environmental impacts. However, how food components influence MNP release from packaging materials and the resulting exposure risks remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effect of the primary tea polyphenol, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), on MNP release from polystyrene cups during a simulated tea-drinking process involving thermal treatments. A…