Microplastics, Volume 1, Issue 3

In order to identify how research contributes to the knowledge of marine litter as a pressure on beaches, we reviewed interactions of beach fauna with this pollutant. Entanglement of pinnipeds in fishing gear, negative correlations between macroinver...

Plastic pollution is one of the significant environmental concerns due to the threefold increase in global plastic waste. Marine microplastics, including petroleum-based plastic pieces and synthetic and artificial fibers smaller than 5 mm, are not on...

A large amount of the globally produced plastics are not treated and are eventually released into landfills or natural environments, including surface waters. The plastics that enter the aquatic environment are very often microplastics, which are pro...

As there is still little knowledge of interactions between microplastics (MP) and hydrophilic compounds, we propose ways the toxicity of hydrophilic pesticides can be modulated by MP, when sorption can be excluded. Larvae of Chironomus riparius were...

Textile materials from polyester fibres are sensitive to washing, especially at higher temperatures, due to their thermoplastic properties, hydrophobic nature and sensitivity to the alkaline medium. The issue of microplastic fibres’ (MFs’...

This study aims to determine whether differences exist between the presence of microplastics and mesoplastics in fishes of coral reef and mangrove ecosystems, in Isla Grande, Colombian Caribbean. The collection of three species of coral reef (Centrop...

A wide range of weathering processes contributes to the degradation of plastic litter items which leads to the formation of microplastics that may be detrimental to marine ecosystems and the organisms inhabiting them. In this study, the impact of UV...

An intra-laboratory calibration to quantify microplastic in fine-grained marine sediments was performed with two objectives: (a) to determine the recovery rate of self-produced microplastics characterized by a size ranging from 220 µm to 5 mm a...

Food packaging has been demonstrated as a crucial issue for the migration of microplastics (MPs) into foodstuffs, concerning human health risk factors. Polymeric materials called plastics are continuously utilized in food packaging. Polyethylene (PE)...

In ancient Greece, people said that “honey is the Food of the Gods”, and they were right. They believed that honey fell from the sky, with the morning dew, on the flowers and leaves, and from this point, the bees collected it. Honey is one of the mos...

Microplastic (MP) contamination is an urgent environmental issue to address. Fibrous microplastics (FMPs) are the principal MP type in the air and have already been found in human stool and lung tissues. FMPs are generated from the lifecycle of synth...

Composite materials constitute an appealing choice in many industrial sectors, due to their unique composition and characteristics, such as low maintenance requirements, light weight, corrosion resistance, and durability. However, the sustainable man...

Assessing data analysis routines (DARs) for microplastics (MP) identification in Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) images left the question ‘Do we overlook any MP particles in our sample?’ widely unanswered. Here, a reference image of mic...

The presence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment, and the effects that the ingestion of these materials can have on organisms, can be aggravated by the adsorption of harmful substances on the surface or inside the MPs. Of special relevance are...

Microplastics-induced histopathological changes in gastrointestinal tracts of fish have been widely reported. However, the translation of adverse effects in the gut to impacts on growth are understudied. This study investigated the effect of MP-induc...

In recent years, microfibers released from synthetic fabrics have been identified as the main contributor to primary microplastic pollution. These pollutants have been detected in several products for human consumption. This work aims to evaluate the...