A Call to Include Plastics in the Global Environment in the Class of Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT) Pollutants

Caught in Fish Gut: Uptake and Inflammatory Effects of Nanoplastics through Different Routes in the Aquatic Environment

“…In recent years, the widespread use of plastic products has led to a frequent occurrence and elevated concentrations of their micronano particles in aquatic environments, which has raised serious concerns about the potential risks to aquatic biota. , As a result, the negative impacts of NPs on aquatic organisms, including fish and bivalves, have been increasingly studied, although most previous studies have only focused on a single exposure route (waterborne or dietary). , However, the differences in the accumulation and toxic effects of the exposure routes on NPs within aquatic organisms are unclear. We exposed zebrafish during their early life stages to a wide range of concentrations (0.1, 1, and 10 mg/L) of polystyrene NPs via three routes: waterborne, foodborne, and a combination of both, aiming to understand the influence of the exposure route on accumulation potential and immune-induced response.…”

(Micro)Plastics Are Toxic Pollutants

“…Rochman et al (2014) [40] studied metal accumulation on new (virgin) MPs, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP), in San Diego Bay, USA, and average concentrations on all polymers after one year were highest for Zn and lowest for Pb. Munier and Bendell (2018), and Kazmiruk (2023) [35,41] studied Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn sorbed on different MPs (PVC, nylon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polycarbonate (PC), polyester (PE), and polyurethane (PUR)) in urban intertidal regions in Vancouver, BC, Canada. LDPE generally adsorbed higher concentrations of all the metals than other polymers.…”

The “Microplastome” – A Holistic Perspective to Capture the Real-World Ecology of Microplastics

“…The pollution of microplastics (plastic particles < 5 mm), as a critical planetary boundary threat, , is currently a global environmental issue of high concern. , Microplastics are found in almost all abiotic (including aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric) and biotic (including plants, animals, and humans) ecosystem compartments on Earth. − Given the increasing trajectory in annual production and disposal of plastic products and the limited recycling and reuse, as well as the poor degradability of the materials, this pollution issue represents a grand environmental challenge that is difficult to reverse. , Microplastics can affect environmental quality and biological health through their own physicochemical properties and their interactions with chemicals and microorganisms in the ambient medium. − In particular, these particles carrying adsorbed matters such as chemicals and microorganisms travel across biotic and abiotic compartments, resulting in combined contamination effects. − Moreover, the toxicity-debt effect (potential long-term consequences of plastic degradation and pollution release) of microplastics leads to a potential future toxicity peak . Beyond the nature of ubiquity and ecotoxicity, the microplastic pollution issue is known for its highly complexity. , Polluted microplastics are highly variable in physicochemical properties including size, shape, polymer type, additive, aging time, and associated matter. ,,, Variances in these aspects of microplastics have been demonstrated to have distinct fates and yield distinct different ecological consequences and impacts. ,− Given that real-world microplastic contamination is a mixed suite of diverse particles and their associated contaminants, a more holistic approach is required for effective microplastic research to support public policy.…”

“… 3 − 10 Given the increasing trajectory in annual production and disposal of plastic products 11 and the limited recycling and reuse, as well as the poor degradability of the materials, this pollution issue represents a grand environmental challenge that is difficult to reverse. 4 , 12 Microplastics can affect environmental quality and biological health through their own physicochemical properties and their interactions with chemicals and microorganisms in the ambient medium. 12 − 18 In particular, these particles carrying adsorbed matters such as chemicals and microorganisms travel across biotic and abiotic compartments, resulting in combined contamination effects.…”

“… 4 , 12 Microplastics can affect environmental quality and biological health through their own physicochemical properties and their interactions with chemicals and microorganisms in the ambient medium. 12 − 18 In particular, these particles carrying adsorbed matters such as chemicals and microorganisms travel across biotic and abiotic compartments, resulting in combined contamination effects. 19 − 21 Moreover, the toxicity-debt effect (potential long-term consequences of plastic degradation and pollution release) of microplastics leads to a potential future toxicity peak.…”