All microplastics articles
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NewsBacteria that ‘shine a light’ on microplastic pollution
Researchers have developed a living sensor that attaches to plastic and produces green fluorescence. In an initial test on real-world water samples, the biosensor could easily detect environmentally relevant levels of microplastics.
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NewsStudy reveals the microbial battlegrounds within estuaries - and the part played by microplastics
Estuaries are known hotspots for biodiversity and are turbulent mixing zones where freshwater and seawater microbes confront one another. Source: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of the Baltic Sea ...
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NewsStudy uncovers how the plastisphere can influence growth of harmful algal blooms
A new study published in Sustainable Microbiology delves into how the age and size of microplastics affects the growth of harmful algal blooms.
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OpinionThe problem of microplastics in the oceans: it’s time for effective solutions
Francielly Bruna Neto Francisco and Ricardo Henrique Krüger, from the University of Brasília (UNB), warn that we urgently need technologies that will effectively eliminate partially or nonbiodegradable polymers from the marine environment.
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NewsHidden threats to soil revealed in sewage sludge research
Hidden threats from the agricultural use of contaminated sewage sludge could be contributing to already diminished poor soil health, according to a new report.
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NewsPlastic-eating enzyme identified in wastewater microbes
Plastic pollution is everywhere, and a good amount of it is composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET, ♳). This polymer is used to make bottles, containers and even clothing. Now, researchers report in ACS’s Environmental Science & Technology that they have discovered an enzyme that breaks apart PET ...
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NewsBacterial contamination and microplastics threaten Colombia’s largest and most productive coastal lagoon
A study warns of the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria in microplastics extracted from water, sediments and the digestive tract of fish in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, the largest and most productive coastal lagoon system in the Colombian Caribbean.
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NewsSwarms of miniature robots clean up microplastics and microbes simultaneously
A study describes swarms of microscale robots (microrobots) that captured bits of plastic and bacteria from water. Afterward, the bots were decontaminated and reused.
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FeaturesUnder the microscope: microplastics
Examining the issue of plastic pollution with a round-up of microbial advances from the last few years.
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NewsMicroplastics affect soil fungi depending on drought conditions
Moisture levels in the soil can impact the effects that microplastic pollution has on soil fungi, according to new research published in Environmental Microbiology, an Applied Microbiology International publication.
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NewsResearchers uncover how tiny plastics threaten our soil and health
A new study has found that both nanoplastics and microplastics alter soil microbes and increase antibiotic resistance. Nanoplastics, due to their small size and large surface area, had a more significant impact, even in small quantities.
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NewsArtificial intelligence predicts the influence of microplastics on soil properties
Scientists used machine learning to reveal how different characteristics of soil microplastics can significantly alter soil properties.
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NewsExperiment shows biological interactions of microplastics in watery environment
Microplastic-induced eating difficulties limit the ability of zooplankton to control algal proliferation, researchers have found.
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NewsSoil microplastics could usher superbugs into food supply
Micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soil could contribute to antibiotic resistant bacteria with a ready route into our food supply, a new study warns.
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NewsGlitter impairs growth of cyanobacteria, study shows
Use of glitter in makeup, party costumes and decorations should be reconsidered, say researchers who investigated the effects of five concentrations of glitter on two strains of cyanobacteria.
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NewsMicroplastics limit energy production in tiny freshwater species
Microplastic pollution reduces energy production in a microscopic creature found in freshwater worldwide, new research shows.
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NewsVirus plus microplastics equal double whammy for fish health
A new lab study reveals that the presence of microplastics increases the severity of viral fish disease IHNV.