Overview of the ecotoxicological impacts of micro and nanoplastics in aquatic environments

Toxicological review of micro- and nano-plastics in aquatic environments: Risks to ecosystems, food web dynamics and human health

Smart and accurate detection of nanoplastics in aquatic environments by photoelectrochemical-electrochemical dual-mode portable sensor

ABSTRACTPharmaceutical pollutants in aquatic environments have become a growing concern worldwide due to their persistence and potential ecological and human health impacts. In Malaysia, the rapid expansion of urban areas, increasing population, and rising healthcare demands have contributed to the growing influx of pharmaceutical pollutants into water bodies. These pollutants, including antibiotics, analgesics, and hormones, enter aquatic ecosystems primarily through wastewater discharge, agricultural runoff, and improper disposal of unused medications. The Malaysian water treatment infrastructure, designed to target conventional pollutants, often fails to adequately remove these pharmaceutical pollutants, leading to their accumulation in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. This review explores the current state of pharmaceutical pollution in Malaysia's aquatic environments, focusing on the sources, types, and concentrations of pharmaceuticals detected in surface and wastewater systems. Additionally, the study investigates the ecological impacts, particularly on aquatic organisms, and the potential for bioaccumulation and trophic transfer, which could affect both wildlife and human populations. Existing mitigation efforts, such as policy initiatives, advancements in wastewater treatment technologies, and public awareness campaigns, are also discussed. However, significant challenges remain regarding regulatory enforcement and the need for more effective, cost‐efficient removal technologies. This paper highlights the urgency of addressing pharmaceutical pollutants in Malaysia's aquatic systems. It suggests avenues for future research, including advanced treatment solutions and collaborative policy frameworks, to safeguard the environment and public health from these emerging contaminants.

Effects of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems: Current research trends and perspectives

The pervasive presence of antibiotics and microplastics in aquatic environments poses a significant ecological concern. These contaminants, known for their environmental persistence and bioaccumulation potential, cause adverse effects on aquatic organisms, such as reduced growth, impaired reproduction, and altered behavior. However, few reviews exist on the ecotoxicological effects of co-exposure to antibiotics and microplastics on aquatic organisms and the associated risk assessment. Utilizing Daphnia magna, a key bioindicator in freshwater ecosystems, this review examines the combined effects of antibiotics and microplastics. Both acute and chronic toxicities manifested as changes in mortality, behavior, and physiological and biochemical processes were summarized. The influence of environmental factors on the interactions between antibiotics and microplastics as well as their effects on the test organism was reviewed. Further, the ecological risks of antibiotics based on D. magna were assessed by the risk quotient methodology, revealing that while individual antibiotics might pose a low to moderate risk, their interaction with microplastics potentially heightens the overall ecological threat. Thus, to advance our understanding, integrating the toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic model with adverse outcome pathways as a refined approach for risk assessment in co-exposure scenarios is necessary. Future research should focus on investigating long-term, multigenerational effects, developing advanced analytical techniques, and incorporating complex environmental interactions into ecological risk assessment approaches. Overall, this review underscored the need for extensive research and comprehensive data collection to guide effective management and mitigation strategies for antibiotic and microplastic pollution in aquatic environments.

Cation-π mechanism promotes the adsorption of humic acid on polystyrene nanoplastics to differently affect their aggregation: Evidence from experimental characterization and DFT calculation

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are increasingly utilized in agriculture, electronics, and medicine, raising concerns about their environmental fate and toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. This study aims to review the fate, bioaccumulation, and toxicity of ZnO NPs in aquatic ecosystem. This review was conducted through a comprehensive analysis of peer-reviewed literature from databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Finding indicates that ZnO NP fate in aquatic ecosystems is governed by key environmental factors, including pH, ionic strength, and DOM. ZnO NPs tend to aggregate in high-salinity environments, whereas acidic conditions enhance dissolution, leading to increased Zn²⁺ ion release and potential toxicity. Smaller ZnO NPs exhibit higher reactivity and bioavailability, increasing their potential for bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation of ZnO NPs is influenced by concentration, exposure time, and particle size, with smaller nanoparticles being more readily absorbed by aquatic organisms. Toxicity varies depending on exposure duration and environmental conditions, with DOM playing a mitigating role by reducing Zn²⁺ ion availability. Additionally, ZnO NP exposure has been linked to oxidative stress, developmental abnormalities, and behavioral changes in aquatic organisms, highlighting the need for regulations and tailored risk assessments that account for water chemistry variations to mitigate ecological risks. Future research should focus on long-term impacts, including multi-species interactions and trophic transfer, to improve mitigation strategies.

Chapter 13 - Nanoplastics in aquatic environments—Sources, sampling techniques, and identification methods

Rapid, sensitive, and non-destructive on-site quantitative detection of nanoplastics in aquatic environments using laser-backscattered fiber-embedded optofluidic chip

Micro- and nanoplastics are emerging contaminants of international concern that cannot be ignored as future environmental threats. New studies are being carried out to determine the critical challenges posed by the presence of these plastics in the ecosystem. In this review, the sources of micro- and nanoplastic contamination are described, highlighting their abundance and their environmental fate after being released. Moreover, their role in affecting aquatic organisms and the mechanisms involved are clarified. Some insights into their impacts on human health and the challenges faced by researchers in measuring both types of plastics extracted from biota are also presented. Assessing the toxicological impact of these plastics on sediment and aquatic organisms is an emerging issue, as they have been found in microalgae, brine shrimp larvae, bivalves, fish and shellfish. The amount of plastic waste in the seas is continuing to increase and part of that waste is degraded to produce microplastics and nanoplastics. Therefore, exposure to these materials will inevitably increase, resulting in an emerging food safety issue. Micro- and nanoplastics contamination might cause damage to metabolic, morphological, physiological, food uptake, and behavioral processes, and as a consequence, their impacts may be significant at both the cellular and ecosystem levels. Research output concerning the source, fate, and toxicological impact of micro- and nanoplastics on marine organisms has increased dramatically, but there are still gaps in knowledge about the molecular alterations that they cause.

The transport and fate of nanoplastics (NPs) in aquatic environments are closely associated with their colloidal stability, which is affected by aging and natural organic matter (NOM) adsorption. This study systematically investigated the combined effects of photoaging and NOM (e.g. humic acids, HA; and a model protein, bovine serum albumin, BSA) on the aggregation kinetics of NPs (polystyrene, PS) in NaCl and CaCl2 solutions. Our results showed that photoaged NPs adsorbed less HA than pristine NPs due to weaker hydrophobic and π-π interactions. In return, HA showed weaker impacts on NPs’ stability after photoaging. Differently, photoaged NPs absorbed more BSA than pristine NPs due to stronger hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction. Thus, the inhibitory effects of BSA on the aggregation kinetics of NPs were enhanced after photoaging. Regarding the effects of NOM on the aging of NPs, our results showed that HA competed with NPs for photons and underwent photo-degradation. Subsequently, the destruction/reconstruction of adsorbed HA increased (in NaCl) or decreased (in CaCl2) the stability of NPs. Notably, light radiation-induced flocculation of BSA molecules, which wrapped and integrated NPs and lead to their destabilization. Overall, this study provided new insights into the aggregation behavior of NPs in aquatic systems, which have significant implications for predicting the transport and fate of NPs in complex real-world environments.

Characterization, occurrence, environmental behaviors, and risks of nanoplastics in the aquatic environment: Current status and future perspectives

Impacts of graphene oxide contamination on a food web: Threats to somatic and reproductive health of organisms

Plastic pollution ranks among the most severe environmental disasters caused by humans, generating millions of tonnes of waste annually. The extensive and unregulated use of plastics has led to ecotoxicity and environmental imbalance. Microplastics (MPs) are prevalent in aquatic environments, and these MPs further degrade into even smaller particles known as nano-plastics (NPs). Both MPs and NPs impact the environment by readily absorbing organic pollutants and pathogens from their surroundings, owing to their bigger surface area to volume ratio. This review focuses on the source of origin, bioaccumulation, and potential impact of MPs and NPs on aquatic organisms and human health. Additionally, the review explores various methods employed for identification and quantification of these particles in aquatic ecosystems. Sufficient information is available on their characteristics, distributions, and effects on marine ecosystems compared with freshwater ecosystems. For plastic particles <10 μm, more toxicological effects were observed compared with larger size particles, in aquatic life. Understanding the mechanism of action and ecotoxicological effects of micro/nano-plastics on the health of aquatic life across various trophic levels, as well as human health, is of utmost importance. We address knowledge gaps and provide insights into future research approaches for a better understanding of the interactive mechanisms between binary pollutants.

First insights into the bioaccumulation, biotransformation and trophic transfer of typical tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) analogues along a simulated aquatic food chain