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Environments
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Ecotoxicity of Microplastics
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Ecotoxicity of Microplastics

A special issue of Environments (ISSN 2076-3298).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 1740

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Kuok Ho Daniel Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Interests: climate change mitigation and adaptation; phytoremediation; emerging pollutants; plastic pollution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microplastics are ubiquitous and enduring in our environment. They exist in oceans, rivers, soil, and even airborne particles. Due to their diminutive size, they can penetrate ecosystems readily and persist for extended durations, posing a long-lasting environmental challenge. Microplastics infiltrate the food chain, affecting species across all levels, from microscopic organisms to top predators. When small organisms ingest microplastics, they can transfer this contamination up the food chain, eventually impacting larger animals and even humans, who depend on these species for sustenance. By comprehending their ecotoxicity, we can assess the extent of the harm they inflict on ecosystems over time and their impacts on human food sources.

This special issue welcomes research or review papers exploring or critically presenting the detrimental impacts of microplastics across different environmental systems, including land and water ecosystems. Its scope also includes (1) how microplastics are introduced into the environment, their persistence within various ecosystems, and their effects on biodiversity; (2) the potential toxicity of microplastics to a diverse array of life forms, encompassing microorganisms, invertebrates, fish, and land animals, (3) their toxicity mechanisms such as physical harm, chemical leaching, and bioaccumulation, and (4) evaluation of their long-term effects on food webs and ecosystem health.

Prof. Dr. Kuok Ho Daniel Tang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Environments is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • harmful effects of microplastics on ecosystems
  • exposure of different organisms to microplastics
  • microplastic persistence within various ecosystems
  • microplastic toxicity to different organisms
  • microplastic risks to food webs and ecosystem health

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 6542 KiB  
Article
Effects of Dietary Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics on the Thyroid Gland in Xenopus laevis
by María Victoria Pablos, María de los Ángeles Jiménez, Eulalia María Beltrán, Pilar García-Hortigüela, María Luisa de Saint-Germain and Miguel González-Doncel
Environments 2025, 12(8), 252; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12080252 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 293
Abstract
Plastic manufacturing involves using compounds that could be considered endocrine disruptors. Consequently, concern about the effect of these particles on the hormonal regulation of various systems, including the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis, has been increasing. By applying the Amphibian Metamorphosis Assay (AMA), the effects of [...] Read more.
Plastic manufacturing involves using compounds that could be considered endocrine disruptors. Consequently, concern about the effect of these particles on the hormonal regulation of various systems, including the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis, has been increasing. By applying the Amphibian Metamorphosis Assay (AMA), the effects of irregular polystyrene microplastics (PS) MPs on the thyroid gland of Xenopus laevis were investigated. The histological effects on other organs of tadpoles were also studied. Tadpoles were exposed to 500 and 50 µg of virgin PS MP particles, (200 µm range)/L, administered by diet for 21 days. PS dietary exposure revealed statistically significant effects for the snout to vent length and the whole body length apical endpoints on day 21. The histological survey of both treatment groups revealed no noteworthy effects on the thyroid gland, digestive tract, or kidneys, but slight modifications to the liver. Mild ultrastructural modifications were detected in tadpoles’ enterocytes and hepatocytes in both treatment groups, but were likely to be reversible. Overall, our results contrast with previous research results in which effects were observed, but using different types, concentrations, and numbers of MPs. All this suggests the need for standardized methods for the environmental risk assessment of MPs/NPs (nanoplastics). Concern about the risk of NPs seems to be greater, and more studies with NP particles should be conducted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecotoxicity of Microplastics)
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15 pages, 1095 KiB  
Article
Virgin and Photoaged Polyethylene Microplastics Have Different Effects on Collembola and Enchytraeids
by Elise Quigley, Ana L. Patrício Silva, Sónia Chelinho, Maria J. I. Briones and Jose P. Sousa
Environments 2025, 12(6), 175; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12060175 - 25 May 2025
Viewed by 593
Abstract
Wariness is increasing about resident times of microplastics (MPs) in soils; however, limited knowledge is available on ultraviolet (UV) light exposure of MPs to soil fauna. This study investigated the effects of virgin and photoaged polyethylene microplastics (PE MPs) on soil mesofauna (enchytraeids [...] Read more.
Wariness is increasing about resident times of microplastics (MPs) in soils; however, limited knowledge is available on ultraviolet (UV) light exposure of MPs to soil fauna. This study investigated the effects of virgin and photoaged polyethylene microplastics (PE MPs) on soil mesofauna (enchytraeids and collembolans) at environmentally relevant concentrations in a microcosm incubation experiment. Ten individuals of each Enchytraeus crypticus and Folsomia candida and twenty Proisotoma minuta were exposed separately to virgin and photoaged PE MPs (40–48 μm) admixed in agricultural soil (0.2–2000 mg/kg) to evaluate reproduction and survival. After 28 d of exposure to photoaged PE MPs, there was a moderate survival reduction but reproduction promotion of E. crypticus. Contrastingly, F. candida exhibited an opposite trend, with survival enhancement and reproduction depression rates when exposed to both PE MP contaminated soils. However, P. minuta was the only species with significant apical endpoint changes after PE MP exposure; at 20 mg/kg photoaged and 2000 mg/kg virgin PE MP exposure, there was a 34% and 31% decrease in survival, respectively, and at 200 mg/kg photoaged PE MP exposure, an increase of 39% for reproduction. PE MPs had contrasting impacts on soil mesofauna species, which highlights the need to account for these variable results when understanding the repercussions of MP pollution on community assemblage and population dynamics in soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecotoxicity of Microplastics)
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16 pages, 1523 KiB  
Article
Do Waterborne Nanoplastics Affect the Shore Crab Carcinus maenas? A Case Study with Poly(methyl)methacrylate Particles
by Beatriz Neves, Miguel Oliveira, Carolina Frazão, Mónica Almeida, Ricardo J. B. Pinto, Etelvina Figueira and Adília Pires
Environments 2025, 12(5), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments12050169 - 20 May 2025
Viewed by 402
Abstract
Nanoplastics (NPs) pose a significant environmental threat due to their small sizes, widespread distribution, and bioavailability, enabling interactions with marine organisms from pelagic to benthic species. In this study, the effects of 10 days of exposure to waterborne poly(methyl)methacrylate (PMMA) NPs were evaluated [...] Read more.
Nanoplastics (NPs) pose a significant environmental threat due to their small sizes, widespread distribution, and bioavailability, enabling interactions with marine organisms from pelagic to benthic species. In this study, the effects of 10 days of exposure to waterborne poly(methyl)methacrylate (PMMA) NPs were evaluated in the crab Carcinus maenas by assessing behavioral and biochemical endpoints (in gills, hepatopancreas, muscle, and hemolymph). Behavioral assessments using an open field test revealed that exposure to PMMA NPs resulted in an increase in distance walked (from 73.662 ± 17.137 cm in control to 248.560 ± 25.462 cm in the highest PMMA NPs concentration) and in random movement patterns. Muscle acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity decreased from 10.83 ± 0.73 to 6.75 ± 0.45 nmol/min/mg of protein with PMMA NPs concentration increase, which, combined with behavioral responses, suggests neurological incapacities. In the gills and hepatopancreas, defense and detoxification mechanisms were activated, with a significant increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (at 20 µg/L in gills and 80 µg/L in hepatopancreas) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) activity (all PMMA NPs concentrations in gills and 20 and 320 µg/L in hepatopancreas). Despite these activations, oxidative damage was observed, with a significant increase in protein carbonylation (PC) levels (20, 80, and 320 µg/L in gills and 5, 20, and 80 µg/L in hepatopancreas) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) (80 and 320 µg/L in gills and 80 µg/L in hepatopancreas). Effects on hemolymph followed a pattern similar to those reported for gills and hepatopancreas. An increase in SOD hemolymph activity was observed in organisms exposed to 5 and 80 µg/L, and GSTs activity increased in crabs exposed to 80 µg/L. Oxidative damage in hemolymph was only detected through LPO at 5 and 320 µg/L. Overall, this study showed that PMMA NPs induce biochemical alterations and damage in different tissues of C. maenas and affect its behavior with potential impacts at a population level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecotoxicity of Microplastics)
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