Search Results (2,284)

As plastic pollution continues to intensify worldwide, developing sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics has become increasingly important. Owing to its rapid growth, renewability, and potential biodegradability, bamboo offers a promising option for reducing reliance on plastic products. However, consumers’ purchase intentions for bamboo products in the context of the initiative of “Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic” and their underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on the Theory of Consumption Values (TCV) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study constructs an integrated model to elucidate how consumption values influence green purchase intention. It further investigates the mediating effects of attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, along with the moderating effect of the green consumption concept. Questionnaires were distributed through online platforms, resulting in the collection of 421 valid samples. SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 28.0 were employed to perform reliability and validity analyses, structural equation modeling, and Bootstrap tests for mediating and moderating effects. The results show that functional value, emotional value, social value, and environmental value all exert significant positive impacts on consumers’ green purchase intention for bamboo products. Attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control mediate the relationships between consumption values and green purchase intention. Furthermore, the green consumption concept enhances the positive influence of consumption values on green purchase intention. This study elucidates the psychological mechanisms through which consumption values determine purchase intention for bamboo products. The findings provide references for enterprises to optimize product value positioning and green marketing strategies, as well as for governments to refine relevant policies regarding bamboo as a substitute for plastic and consumer guidance systems. Full article

The study was conducted in subalpine karst and in lowland karst in Slovenia—Lake Bohinj, Lake Bled, Mt Komna, Lesce, Rižana Spring, and Malni Spring. Both lakes are karst lakes of glacio-tectonic origin, with Lake Bled being one of the largest tourist attractions in Slovenia. The lakes were sampled along different transects. We also collected two sediment samples from Lake Bohinj and one sediment sample from Lake Bled. On the other hand, we sampled two biggest karst springs in Slovenia that are used as sources of drinking water for up to 120,000 people during the peak tourist season on the Slovenian coast. In the FTIR-ATR analysis of the particles, we found mainly PA polymers in all samples, closely followed by copolymers and resins. Lake samples also contained larger amounts of PP, while the spring samples contained more rubber polymers. Of the two lakes, Lake Bohinj was the most polluted, with 0.684 MPs/m³ being the highest concentration. This is surprising because Lake Bohinj is also located in the Triglav National Park and is a less popular attraction compared to Lake Bled. Malni Spring showed a higher mean MP concentration than Rižana Spring (0.000274 ± 0.000448 vs. 0.0000498 ± 0.0000642 MPs/m³, respectively), and the negative-binomial model indicated a significant site effect (p = 0.046), but the difference could be due to the highly torrential nature of Rižana Spring. Future studies would require longer sampling campaigns under different hydrological conditions to better understand the dynamics of the MP transport in karst environments that will provide a stronger scientific basis for sustainable freshwater management, the protection of drinking-water resources, and the development of effective measures to reduce plastic pollution at the catchment scale. Full article

Microplastic (MP) contamination is a growing environmental concern in freshwater ecosystems, yet large Neotropical rivers remain understudied. This study investigated the occurrence, abundance, and spatial distribution of MPs in water and sediment samples from the middle Tocantins River, near Imperatriz, Maranhão, Brazil. Sampling was conducted monthly from February to May 2025 at four sites with distinct land-use characteristics. Microplastics were extracted using density separation and characterized by size, color, and morphology. The results revealed widespread MP contamination in both environmental compartments, with median water abundances ranging from 2000 to 20,000 items m⁻³ and sediment concentrations up to 333.3 items kg⁻¹ dry weight. No statistically significant spatial differences were observed, suggesting diffuse and continuous pollution sources rather than localized inputs. Particles < 0.5 mm dominated both matrices, with fibers and blue/black particles being the most frequent types, indicating contributions from textile fibers, urban runoff, and tire wear. These findings confirm chronic MP pollution in the Tocantins River with a homogeneous distribution along the studied stretch, highlighting the need for integrated watershed management to mitigate plastic inputs into this vital river system. It is important to note that particle identification was performed exclusively by visual stereomicroscopy; no Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), Raman, or other spectroscopic confirmation was performed. Therefore, the particles reported here are visually identified microplastics, and both polymer types and source inferences are indicative and must be interpreted with caution. Water concentrations were derived from small-volume (500 mL) grab samples extrapolated to items m⁻³ and should be regarded as semi-quantitative, order-of-magnitude estimates rather than absolute values. Full article

This pilot study aimed to identify and characterize particles of microplastics (MPs) and other potentially harmful compounds excreted in the urine of children undergoing surgery at a free-standing children’s hospital in the United States. Procedural blank controls of molecular-grade water were collected in an identical manner to the urine samples to account for background environmental contamination. Specimens underwent digestion to remove organic components, followed by vacuum filtration through quartz microfiber filters with 1 micron pore size. Particles captured on the filters were characterized with Raman microspectroscopy. A total of 11 urine samples from 11 patients were analyzed, with a total of 112 particles detected, including MPs polymers and non-polymers (minerals/metal oxides, pigments, and natural fibers). Urine sample MP particle concentrations were significantly elevated after correction for background contamination with procedural blank controls (median 80 particles/L, p = 0.0078). Of the 112 particles characterized, 38 (33.9%) were synthetic plastic polymers (i.e., MPs), 57 (50.9%) were non-polymers, and 17 (15.2%) were complexes of polymers with non-polymers. The most common polymer was polyethylene/polypropylene co-polymer (14/38, 37%) and the non-polymer was hematite (23/57, 40%). Distribution of specific polymers differed in urine samples versus controls, with polyethylene being significantly more prevalent in samples (p = 0.05). Pigments identified across multiple samples included carbon black, cromophtal blue/violet, and irisol blue. Nearly one in six urine particles consisted of complexes of polymers with industrial additives and pigments, raising further concern for MPs acting as pathologic carriers of other harmful compounds. Future investigations should explore the association of MPs and additives with clinical diseases in children. Full article

Due to the ever-increasing use of plastic products, microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) have become ubiquitous environmental pollutants, with their highest concentrations found in the soil. These xenobiotics can affect soil properties: pH, water holding capacity, porosity, bulk density, infiltration, cation exchange capacity, electrolytic conductivity, nutrient retention capacity, biodiversity of soil microorganisms, and the fate of other agrochemicals present in the soil. Pesticides may, in turn, influence plastic particles aging, biological colonization, and environmental interactions. The aim of this review was to analyze the impact of MNPs on the fate of pesticides and to assess whether such co-contaminants may pose a threat to the food safety of agricultural crops intended for human consumption. Experimental studies indicate that MNPs can alter pesticide fate and toxicity, although the direction and magnitude of these effects vary substantially with polymer type, particle properties and age, pesticide characteristics, and environmental conditions. Additionally, degradation and fragmentation of biodegradable polymers may increase particle abundance and modify surface properties over time, potentially altering their interactions with pesticides and soil microorganisms. The most important research gap is the lack of studies that simultaneously assess the MNPs influence on pesticide fate in the soil and measure the concentrations of both contaminants in plant tissues. Full article

Compostable plastics have been proposed as a more sustainable alternative to conventional polyethylene for bags. However, very little is known about the effects of these plastics on soil biota. This study evaluated the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics (MPs) derived from a compostable bag, a commercial polyethylene bag (PE1), and virgin polyethylene resin (PE2) on the earthworm Eisenia andrei. To this end, the OECD standardized reproduction test was adapted by replacing artificial soil with sewage sludge as the exposure substrate. This approach incorporates the physicochemical complexity and pre-existing contaminants characteristic of a real environmental organic matrix, providing a more ecologically representative exposure scenario. A total of 480 individual earthworms were evaluated after exposure to three different concentrations (250, 750, and 1250 mg·kg⁻¹) of each MP type. No significant differences in survival or adult biomass were observed among treatments. By contrast, reproductive parameters were particularly sensitive to exposure. Cocoon production was significantly altered (p = 0.001), with a 39.9% increase in the compostable-material treatment and reductions of up to 54.2% in the polyethylene treatments in comparison with the control. Likewise, the number of juveniles decreased significantly only in the groups exposed to polyethylene, with an average reduction of up to 34 individuals (44%, p < 0.001), and PE2 had the greatest inhibitory effect. The findings call into question the supposed biological inertness of virgin polymers and highlight the need to develop ecotoxicological assessment strategies based on environmentally realistic matrices that allow for an understanding of the polymer’s intrinsic effect and its interaction with pre-existing contaminants. Full article

Pharmaceuticals and other organic matter can remain in municipal wastewater after conventional treatment, while MBBR carriers are typically made from virgin plastics. This study investigated mechanically modified post-consumer polypropylene (PP) drinking straws and perforated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle caps as alternative microbial biofilm carriers for organic pollutant removal in a laboratory-scale MBBR. The reactors treated real secondary wastewater mixed with recycled sludge (1:1) and spiked with 0.1 mg/L ciprofloxacin (CIP). Three experimental series evaluated the effects of carrier filling ratio (10% and 30% PP straws) and carrier type (30% PP straws and 30% HDPE bottle caps) on pH, conductivity, UV₂₅₄ absorbance, extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), and UV₂₈₀ absorption associated with wastewater containing CIP. A fourth series compared the more effective carrier configuration (30% HDPE bottle caps) with and without the addition of CIP. Increasing the filling ratio from 10% to 30% improved process stability and UV₂₅₄ behavior, while the 30% HDPE bottle caps showed the most favorable overall performance. At equal filling ratio, HDPE bottle caps exhibited more stable behavior under the tested conditions than PP straws, achieving lower UV₂₅₄ absorbance and more stable UV₂₈₀ absorbance. The EPS dynamics reflected the growth and life cycle of the biofilm, while the no-CIP control confirmed that the UV₂₈₀ fluctuations were related to the CIP-containing wastewater and not only to the soluble organic matter originating from the biofilm. Overall, post-consumer HDPE bottle caps showed promising potential as low-cost alternative MBBR carriers for treating ciprofloxacin-containing wastewater, while supporting the utilization of plastic waste and circular economy approaches in wastewater treatment. Full article

Coastal zones rank among the most productive, densely populated, and rapidly transforming systems on Earth, yet the very development that sustains them increasingly compromises their long-term viability. Drawing on the international coastal management and marine science literature, this narrative review traces the ways in which human development along the coast drives environmental degradation and, in turn, elicits institutional and ecological responses. It shows that three principal activities—land reclamation, mariculture and marine aquaculture, and urban coastal sprawl—recur as the sources of a recurring suite of environmental harms, spanning shoreline erosion, plastic and heavy-metal pollution, invasive-species incursions, and the loss of blue-carbon habitat. In response, a growing literature documents integrated coastal management, marine functional zoning, carrying-capacity assessment, and climate-adaptive and nature-based solutions as progressively more integrated instruments of governance. The review argues that these three stages form a single development–degradation–response cycle, and that whether that cycle closes constructively depends less on the mere presence of development than on the quality of the governance response it elicits. Across the cases synthesized here, the most acute pressure–degradation couplings arise where rapid urbanization and intensive coastal use coincide with weak or fragmented governance, whereas durable institutions of integrated coastal management and zoning have demonstrably contained or reversed degradation. The review closes by identifying the most pressing research gaps and the policy levers available to decision-makers seeking to reconcile coastal development with sustainability. Full article

Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental, health, and socio-economic challenges worldwide, driving rapid growth in scientific research over the last decade. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global research on plastic particles as environmental contaminants published between 2015 and 2025. The search expression employed was (*plastic) AND (pollut* OR contaminat*) to retrieve publications addressing plastic pollution and the occurrence of plastics as environmental contaminants. A total of 50,946 documents, including articles, reviews, and book chapters indexed in the Scopus database, were analyzed using VOSviewer 1.6.20 and Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny v. 2026.01.1 Build 403 to evaluate publication trends, collaboration networks, conceptual structure, and the bibliometric organization of the field. The analysis revealed a sustained increase in scientific production, led by China (15,667 publications), the United States (5540), and India (5374), with Environmental Science representing the dominant subject area (31.2%). To characterize the most recent thematic structure, keyword co-occurrence analysis was specifically performed using articles published during 2024–2025. Keyword co-occurrence and thematic mapping identified microplastics, nanoplastics, and adsorption as the principal motor themes, while circular economy, sustainability, biodegradation, and machine learning emerged as rapidly expanding research directions. Author-productivity and journal-dispersion analyses revealed a concentrated scientific structure, characterized by a relatively small group of highly productive authors and a core set of journals accounting for a substantial proportion of the literature but with significant deviations from the theoretical Lotka and Bradford distributions. Furthermore, the collaboration analysis revealed an irregular geographic distribution of publication output and international co-authorship, with the largest absolute contributions concentrated in China, the United States, India, and several European countries. By integrating bibliometric indicators with policy frameworks, funding patterns, and sustainability perspectives, this study provides a system-level understanding of the evolution of research on plastic pollution. It identifies strategic priorities to support evidence-based environmental governance, circular economy implementation, and future research agendas. Full article

Plastic pollution is a growing concern in urban estuarine environments, where hydrodynamic conditions and structural features of vegetated habitats can promote the interception and accumulation of plastic debris. This study evaluated the coconut-fiber matrix of a mangrove-based floating island as a passive retention substrate for plastic pellets and smaller plastic particles under real field conditions in the Estero Salado, Guayaquil, Ecuador. The system consisted of three connected floating modules containing coconut fiber and 27 mangrove propagules and was originally developed to support mangrove establishment and local phytoremediation. Following approximately one month of estuarine exposure, the floating structure remained stable and plastic particles were visibly retained within the coconut-fiber substrate. A total of 300 visible plastic particles were recovered, of which 40 were randomly selected for morphological and ATR-FTIR characterization. Pellet-like particles represented 72.5% of the analyzed subset, and polymer analysis identified polyethylene (PE) in 87.5% and polypropylene (PP) in 12.5% of the characterized visible particles. Smaller retained particles were additionally recovered from coconut-fiber subsamples using saturated NaCl flotation, membrane filtration, stereomicroscopy, and FTIR microspectroscopy. Spectroscopic analysis provided evidence of synthetic microplastics, including spectra associated with PET and LLDPE, together with a separate fraction of cellulosic fiber-like materials associated with cotton, linen, and regenerated cellulose (rayon). Overall, the results demonstrate that the coconut-fiber matrix performed an additional function beyond its original role as a planting substrate by acting as a retrievable passive interception matrix for plastic particles under urban estuarine exposure. These findings support the further development of coconut-fiber-based floating systems for plastic interception while providing a basis for future quantitative assessments of retention performance. Full article

Plastic pollution remains one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the twenty-first century. Global production reached 413.8 million tons in 2023 and 430.9 million tons in 2024, while annual post-consumer waste continues to approach 300 million tons. Conventional mechanical and chemical recycling routes remain limited in scale, efficiency, and applicability to mixed or contaminated streams. Microbial systems that enzymatically depolymerize synthetic polymers can, for hydrolyzable polyesters, release monomers under mild conditions and thereby support biological recycling. This review synthesizes the engineering of microbial systems for plastic depolymerization and monomer recovery, progressing from natural degraders and plastisphere communities through the redesign of enzymes and metabolic pathways to synthetic consortia and early industrial translation. PET hydrolases such as LCCICCG and TurboPETase achieve 90–98% conversion of pretreated, amorphized PET under high-solid loadings. Equivalent monomer recovery from untreated high-molecular-weight polyolefins has not been demonstrated. Bibliometric analyses document a sharp acceleration in research output after the 2016 discovery of Ideonella sakaiensis. Limitations in catalytic rate, substrate scope, assay standardization, environmental relevance, and process scalability are examined, and a framework is set out that links plastisphere colonization to engineered monomer recovery without equating surface enrichment or mass loss with complete biodegradation. Engineered microbial platforms can contribute to a circular plastics economy only if laboratory advances are validated under industrially and environmentally realistic conditions. Full article

With rapid global urbanization, exposure to environmental pollutants has emerged as a potentially important determinant of cognitive health. We therefore systematically searched PubMed and Embase for epidemiological studies published between 2020 and 2026 and reviewed the associations between ambient air pollution, environmental chemical pollutants, and dementia. Evidence on potential biological mechanisms was identified to support the biological plausibility of the observed associations. Epidemiological evidence indicated that long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM_2.5), nitrogen oxides (NO₂), and black carbon was associated with increased dementia risk, whereas evidence for PM₁₀ and ozone remained inconclusive. Plastic-associated chemicals, including phthalates and bisphenols, heavy metals (Lead-Pb and Cadmium-Cd), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFOS), were linked with poorer cognitive function and dementia-related outcomes; findings for pesticides and herbicides were inconsistent. In terms of possible mechanisms, molecular evidence suggests that air pollution and environmental chemical pollutants may promote oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, metabolic dysfunction, Alzheimer’s disease pathology, and vascular damage, although evidence for epigenetic mechanisms remains more limited for environmental chemical pollutants. Overall, the evidence remains limited due to the predominance of observational studies. Future research that integrates molecular biomarkers and causal inference techniques is needed to better understand the role of environmental pollutants in dementia. Full article

This study investigated the seasonal distribution, density, and composition of macro-litter in the lentic and lotic ecosystems in the southeastern Black Sea region of Türkiye. Seasonal sampling was conducted throughout 2025 in Arılı (4 stations) and Çağlayan (3 stations) streams and the Muratlı Dam Lake (4 stations). To quantify pollution dynamics, the litter items (>2.5 cm) were collected within 100 m² transects along riverbanks and reservoir coasts. The collected items were categorized into nine primary classes following the Guidance on Monitoring Marine Litter in European Seas. The resulting data were evaluated using non-parametric statistics. Litter items were observed among all the sampling stations during the surveys, with a significant spatial heterogeneity. Litter items were observed among all the sampling stations during the surveys, with a significant spatial heterogeneity. The highest litter densities were determined at stream-mouth stations, reaching 4.70 items/m² in Arılı and 4.32 items/m² in Çağlayan. Muratlı Dam Lake exhibited the highest overall litter accumulation (1.77 ± 0.17 items/m²), significantly exceeding Arılı (0.91 ± 0.34 items/m²) and Çağlayan (1.25 ± 0.43 items/m²). Seasonal fluctuations were particularly pronounced in Muratlı Dam Lake, where litter density increased from 1.24 ± 0.05 items/m² in winter to 2.80 ± 0.21 items/m² in spring due to intensified rainfall, snowmelt, and runoff-driven transport processes. Plastics overwhelmingly dominated litter composition across all seasons and locations, accounting for 65.5–80.1% of the total litter items, while cigarette butts (24.2%), and tear-off plastic bags (9.1%) represented the most abundant litter subcategory. These findings highlight the need for integrated watershed management and public awareness to curb upstream plastic pollution and secondary microplastic generation. Addressing this transboundary challenge requires robust international collaboration and long-term monitoring of regional hydrological changes. Full article

The extensive use of plastic materials across the fisheries sector, including fishing, aquaculture and fish product manufacturing and processing, represents a significant source of environmental pollution. In particular, end-of-life fishing nets, typically made of oil-based polymers, contribute to the accumulation of persistent plastic waste in marine ecosystems. Mechanical recycling has recently emerged as a promising strategy to recover such materials and reintroduce them into production cycles, supporting circular economy practices. In this work, post-consumer polypropylene (PP) fishing nets were collected and mechanically recycled. The recovered polymer was blended with virgin PP at 10 wt% and 30 wt% and processed via extrusion. The resulting materials were characterized in terms of rheological, structural, and mechanical properties to assess their processability and performance. The results demonstrate that recycled PP derived from fishing nets can be effectively reprocessed and used as a secondary raw material, enabling the development of more sustainable polymer systems while reducing dependence on virgin plastics and mitigating environmental impact. Full article

Currently, plastic pollution is a growing global issue due to its non-biodegradability, increasing demand for eco-friendly alternatives such as bioplastics. This study explores the development of bioplastic films from chickpea starch using a three-step molding process. In the first step, starch is extracted from chickpeas. The second step involves hydrolysis and plasticization of starch with glycerol in different ratios. In the final step, the modified starch is blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in varying ratios to produce the bioplastic films. The optimal formulation, CPS 1:2:2, exhibited strong performance (4.1 MPa TS, 281% EA, and 70.1° WCA). The developed films exhibited improved physicochemical, mechanical, barrier, and chemical resistance properties, including enhanced acid and alkaline stability. FTIR and SEM analyses confirmed the formation of a crosslinked polymer network and its biodegradation, indicating the environmental sustainability of the developed bioplastic. Full article