Microplastics (MPs) as emerging persistent pollutants have been a growing global concern. Although MPs are extensively studied in aquatic systems, their presence and fate in agricultural systems are ...not fully understood. In the agricultural soils, major causes of MPs pollution include application of biosolids and compost, wastewater irrigation, mulching film, polymer-based fertilizers and pesticides, and atmospheric deposition. The fate and dispersion of MPs in the soil environment are mainly associated with the soil characteristics, cultivation practices, and diversity of soil biota. Although there is emerging pollution of MPs in the soil environment, no standardized detection and quantification techniques are available. This study comprehensively reviews the sources, fate, and dispersion of MPs in the soil environment, discusses the interactions and effects of MPs on soil biota, and highlights the recent advancements in detection and quantification methods of MPs. The prospects for future research include biomagnification potency, cytotoxic effects on human/animals, nonlinear behavior in the soil environment, standardized analytical methods, best management practices, and global policies in the agricultural industry for the sake of sustainable development.
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•Microplastics are considered as emerging persistent pollutants.•Approximately 32% of plastics produced are available in terrestrial environments.•Annually, 4.8–12.7 Mt of terrestrial plastic wastes enter the ocean.•Sources, fate, and ecological risks of microplastics in soils are elaborated.•Extraction and characterization methods of microplastics in soils are emphasized.
Emerging contaminants such as microplastics and engineered nanoparticles (NPs) have become an environmental issue of global concern, but little is known about their joint effects in soil–plant ...systems. We studied the effects of two microplastics, conventional non-degradable high–density polyethylene (HDPE) and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), on maize growth and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities in a soil spiked with or without ZnO NPs. HDPE and low–dose PLA promoted plant growth, while high–dose PLA significantly decreased maize shoot (by 16%–40%) and root biomass (by 28%–50%), indicating high-dose PLA may have strong phytotoxicity. ZnO NPs displayed non-significant effects on plant growth, but caused greater Zn accumulation in plants. Both HDPE and PLA further increased Zn concentrations in roots, while decreasing Zn translocation to aerial parts. High–throughput sequencing showed that microplastics and ZnO NPs singly and jointly influenced AM fungal community composition and diversity, particularly the relative abundance of dominant genera. The presence of ZnO NPs and microplastics generally increased soil pH. Overall, our findings imply increasing contamination by microplastics and NPs can have profound ecological impacts on plant fitness, plant quality, and soil microbial community composition and diversity, resulting in uncertain consequences for agroecosystems.
•Interactions of microplastics and nanoparticles on mycorrhizae were first studied.•Polylactic acid had low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition effects on plants.•Polyethylene antagonistically interacted with ZnO nanoparticles on plant growth.•Microplastics altered Zn accumulation and translocation in plants exposed to ZnO.•Microplastics and ZnO nanoparticles altered AMF community structure and diversity.
Microplastics (MPs) have been well demonstrated as potential threats to the ecosystem, whereas the neurotoxicity of MPs in mammals remains to be elucidated. The current study was designed to ...investigate whether 50 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) could pass through the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and the following neurotoxic manifestation. In vivo study showed that PS-NPs (0.5–50 mg/kg. bw PS-NPs for 7 days) significantly induced the increase of permeability of BBB, and dose-dependently accumulated in the brain of mice. In addition, PS-NPs were found to be present in microglia, and induced microglia activation and neuron damage in the mouse brain. In vitro studies using the immortalized human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell (hCMEC/D3), the most commonly used cell model for BBB-related studies, revealed that PS-NPs could be internalized into cells, and caused reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activation, tumor necrosis factors α (TNF-α) secretion, and necroptosis of hCMEC/D3 cells. Furthermore, PS-NPs exposure led to disturbance of the tight junction (TJ) formed by hCMEC/D3, as demonstrated by the decline of transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) and decreased expression of occludin. Lastly, PS-NPs exposure resulted in the activation of murine microglia BV2 cells, and the cell medium of PS-NPs-exposed BV2 induced obvious damage to murine neuron HT-22 cells. Collectively, these results suggest that PS-NPs could pass through BBB and induce neurotoxicity in mammals probably by inducing activation of microglia.
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•PS-NPs accumulated in brain of mice exposed to 0.5–50 mg/kg PS-NPs for 7 days.•PS-NPs induced microglia activation and neuron damage in brain of mice.•PS-NPs induced oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and necroptosis in hCMEC/D3 cells.•PS-NPs disturbed the tight junction formed by hCMEC/D3 cells.•PS-NPs could penetrate through hCMEC/D3 cells layers.
Improper disposal of household and industrial waste into water bodies has transformed them into de facto dumping grounds. Plastic debris, weathered on beaches degrades into micro-particles and ...releases chemical additives that enter the water. Microplastic contamination is documented globally in both marine and freshwater environments, posing a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. The small size of these particles makes them susceptible to ingestion by low trophic fauna, a trend expected to escalate. Ingestion leads to adverse effects like intestinal blockages, alterations in lipid metabolism, histopathological changes in the intestine, contributing to the extinction of vulnerable species and disrupting ecosystem balance. Notably, microplastics (MPs) can act as carriers for pathogens, potentially causing impaired reproductive activity, decreased immunity, and cancer in various organisms. Studies have identified seven principal sources of MPs, including synthetic textiles (35%) and tire abrasion (28%), highlighting the significant human contribution to this pollution. This review covers various aspects of microplastic pollution, including sources, extraction methods, and its profound impact on ecosystems. Additionally, it explores preventive measures, aiming to guide researchers in selecting techniques and inspiring further investigation into the far-reaching impacts of microplastic pollution, fostering effective solutions for this environmental challenge.
•Improper waste disposal pollutes water bodies, creating dumping grounds.•Microplastics (MPs) threaten aquatic life through ingestion and adverse effects.•The study of MP pollution underscores the imperative to curb its harm to ecosystems.
•PS MPs (10 particles/mL) decreased bioaccumulation of BaP (0.4 nM) in mussels.•PS MPs reduced the adverse effect of BaP on histopathology and oxidative stress.•Dysregulation of mRNA expression ...caused by BaP was alleviated by PS MPs.•No adverse effects of the extractable additive solutions of PS MPs were observed.
As two major ubiquitous pollutants, microplastics (MPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) coexist in the marine environment. However, the role of MPs in altering the toxicity of PAHs to marine organisms is poorly understood. We therefore investigated the accumulation and toxicity of benzoapyrene (BaP, 0.4 nM), in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis over a 4-day of exposure with or without the presence of 10 μm polystyrene microplastics (PS MPs) (10 particles/mL). The presence of PS MPs significantly decreased BaP accumulation in soft tissues of M. galloprovincialis by approximately 6.7%. Single exposure of PS MPs or BaP decreased the mean epithelial thickness (MET) of digestive tubules and enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in haemolymph, while upon co-exposure the adverse impacts were alleviated. Real-time q-PCR results showed that most selected genes involved in stress response (FKBP, HSP90), immune (MyD88a, NF-κB) and detoxification (CYP4Y1) were induced for both single exposure and co-exposure. The co-presence of PS MPs down-regulated the mRNA expression of NF-κB in gills compared with of BaP alone. The uptake and toxicity reductions of BaP might result from the decrease of its bioavailable concentrations caused by the adsorption of BaP by PS MPs and the strong affinity of BaP to PS MPs. Adverse outcomes for the co-existence of marine emerging pollutants under long-term conditions remain to be further validated.
In recent years, microplastics (MPs) pollution, as a global environmental problem, has been widely concerned by countries all over the world. However, the research on the impact of MPs on human ...health is still limited. In this study, we studied the photo-transformation behavior of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) under ultraviolet light and its toxicity to Caco-2 cells. Our results showed that the surface of PS-MPs was roughened by light, and cracks and pits appeared. UV–vis spectra showed that the opening of phenyl ring and the formation of carbonyl group might exist in this process. Based on FTIR and 2D-COS analysis, we observed the formation of carbonyl group and hydroxyl group, and preliminarily determined that the order of photo-transformation of PS-MPs was 698 (CH) > 752 (CH) > 1030 (CO) > 3645 (OH/OOH) > 1740 (CO). XPS showed that the photo-transformation of PS-MPs was a process in which carbon-containing functional groups were gradually partially transformed into oxygen-containing functional groups. Finally, the toxicity results showed that with the increase of PS-MPs concentration and the extension of light irradiation time, the survival rate of Caco-2 cells gradually decreased and the integrity of cell membrane was destroyed. The increased cytotoxicity can be explained at least in part by the fact that the toxicity of oxygen-containing functional groups is greater than that of carbon-containing functional groups, but how these functional groups affect the cytotoxicity of cells still needs sustained research in the future. This study can provide new insights for understanding the environmental behavior and ecological effects of PS-MPs in the environment.
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•Photo-transformation changed the surface morphology and microstructure of PS-MPs.•PS-MPs showed concentration-dependent cytotoxicity to Caco-2 cells.•Photo-transformation enhanced the cytotoxicity of PS-MPs.
Over 90% of microplastics that enter wastewater treatment plants end in the wasted activated sludge. The effect of microplastic abundance on the activated sludge anaerobic digestion has been rarely ...reported. This study investigated the methane production performance during anaerobic digestion with different abundance of microplastic doses (0, 1,000, 3,000, 6,000, 10,000, 30,000, 60,000, 100,000 and 200,000 polyester particle/kg activated sludge). The methane production was reduced to 88.53 ± 0.5%, 90.09 ± 1.2%, 89.95 ± 4.7%, 95.08 ± 0.5%, 90.29 ± 0.5%, 93.16 ± 0.8%, 92.92 ± 1.3%, and 92.72 ± 0.6% as compared with control after digestion for 59 days. The methane production of all conditions was fitted with the logarithm model (R2 > 0.95) and one-substrate model (R2 > 0.99). The predicted and actual methane production values of digestion for 59 days had high correlation in all conditions with R2 > 0.95. The analysis based on the biochemical methane potential test model indicated that the methane production potential (B0) and hydrolysis coefficient (k) decreased at nearly all tested conditions. The reactor digestate with microplastics retained higher organic matter and nutrient concentration and had slightly lower dewaterability than the control. The inhibition of methane production potential could be attributed to the incomplete digestion with the existence of microplastics. The microbial community showed no significant difference with and without microplastics.
•Microplastics inhibited methane production in anaerobic digestion.•Methane production potential and hydrolysis coefficient decreased with the existence of microplastics.•Methane production potential inhibition could attribute to incomplete digestion with existence of microplastics.•Microbial community shows no significant difference with and without microplastics.
Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are regarded as emerging particulate contaminants. Here, we first summarize the distribution of plastic particles in fish. Field investigations verify the ...presence of various kinds of fibrous, spherical, and fragmentary MPs in fish gastrointestinal tract and gills, and specifically in muscle and liver. Laboratory works demonstrate that NPs even penetrate into blood vessels of fish and pass onto next generations. Second, we systematically discuss the translocation ability of MPs and NPs in fish. MPs can enter early-developing fish through adherence, and enter adult fish internal organs by intestine absorption or epidermis infiltration. NPs can not only penetrate into fish embryo blastopores, but also reach adult fish internal organs through blood circulation. Third, the cellular basis for translocation of plastic particles, NPs in particular, into cells are critically reviewed. Endocytosis and paracellular penetration are two main pathways for them to enter cells and intercellular space, respectively. Finally, we compare the chemical and physical properties among various particular pollutants (MPs, NPs, settleable particulate matters, and manufactured nanomaterials) and their translocation processes at different biological levels. In future studies, it is urgent to break through the bottleneck techniques for NPs quantification in field environmental matrix and organisms, re-confirm the existence of MPs and NPs in field organisms, and develop more detailed translocating mechanisms of MPs and NPs by applying cutting-edge tracking techniques.
Microplastic (MP) pollution has become one of the global environmental concerns, but the contamination and effect of MP on chicken skeletal muscle are scarcely researched. Here, we found MP ...contamination in the chicken skeletal muscles, which were directly collected from a large-scale chicken farm. Using Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Agilent 8700 laser direct infrared imaging spectrometer, we found that polystyrene (PS) and polyamide are the significant type of MPs detected in chicken skeletal muscle. Constant PS-MP oral feeding for >21 days increases the content of MP deposited in chicken breast muscle, but the MP content in the leg muscle was gradually decreased. Surprisingly, the chicken's body and skeletal muscle weight was increased after constant PS-MP feeding. Physiological results showed that PS-MP exposure inhibited energy and lipid metabolism, induced oxidative stress, and potential for neurotoxicity in the skeletal muscle. Metabolomic analysis of the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography coupled with the mass spectrometer results showed that PS-MP exposure changed the metabolomic profile and reduced meat quality. In vitro, experimental results showed that PS-MP exposure induced chicken primary myoblasts proliferation and apoptosis but decreased myoblasts differentiation. Transcriptome analysis of the skeletal muscle indicates that PS-MP exposure affects skeletal muscle function by regulating genes involved in neural function and muscle development. Considering that chicken is one of the most important meat foods in the world, this study will provide an essential reference for protecting meat food safety.
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•Microplastics accumulate in the muscles of farmed broilers.•Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) promote the muscle growth of broilers.•PS-MP exposure reduced meat quality but increased the muscle weight of chickens.•PS-MPs feeding can affect the expression of genes related to neural function.
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