Tyre granulate on the loose; How much escapes the turf? A systematic literature review.

Tyre granulate used as infill for artificial turf is hailed by some as a good example of reuse, while others see it as a baleful means to dispose of discarded tyres. Because the particles are applied loosely to the surface, they will inevitably disperse into the environment. The possible environmental and health impacts of the particles are a source of societal concern.

Sampling strategies and analytical techniques for assessment of airborne micro and nano plastics.

The atmosphere is pervasively polluted by microplastics and nano plastics (M/NPs) released into indoor and outdoor areas. However, various methodologies and their limitations along with non-standardization make the comparison of information concerning their prevalence difficult. Such diversity in techniques greatly limits the interpretation of results.

Polystyrene Microplastics of Varying Sizes and Shapes Induce Distinct Redox and Mitochondrial Stress Responses in a Caco-2 Monolayer.

Currently, we lack crucial knowledge on how the physicochemical properties of particles affect cellular health, resulting in an important gap in our understanding of the human toxicity of microplastics (MPs). Our aim was to evaluate the impact of the size and the shape of MPs on uptake and the intracellular effects in a human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cell line. Spherical (200 nm and 2 µm) and fibre-/fragment-shaped (8.

Interactive toxicity of copper and cadmium in regenerating and adult planarians.

In a polluted environment, metals are present as complex mixtures. As a result, organisms are exposed to different metals at the same time, which affects both metal-specific as well as overall toxicity. Detailed information about the molecular mechanisms underlying the adverse effects of combined exposures remains limited in terms of different life stages.

Microplastics in coastal areas and seafood: implications for food safety.

Microplastics have become ubiquitous in the marine environment. Microplastics have been detected in many coastal environments and species, including commercial seafood. This triggers concern about potential economic impacts and the risks of dietary exposure, especially for coastal communities.

Toxicity Assessment of Silver Nanoparticles in Homeostatic versus Regenerating Planarians.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) belong to the most commercialized nanomaterials, used in both consumer products and medical applications. Despite its omnipresence, in-depth knowledge on the potential toxicity of nanosilver is still lacking, especially for developing organisms. Research on vertebrates is limited due to ethical concerns, and planarians are an ideal invertebrate model to study the effects of AgNPs on stem cells and developing tissues , as regeneration mimics development by triggering massive stem cell proliferation.

Wear and Tear of Tyres: A Stealthy Source of Microplastics in the Environment.

Wear and tear from tyres significantly contributes to the flow of (micro-)plastics into the environment. This paper compiles the fragmented knowledge on tyre wear and tear characteristics, amounts of particles emitted, pathways in the environment, and the possible effects on humans. The estimated per capita emission ranges from 0.

Reactive Oxygen Species in Planarian Regeneration: An Upstream Necessity for Correct Patterning and Brain Formation.

Recent research highlighted the impact of ROS as upstream regulators of tissue regeneration. We investigated their role and targeted processes during the regeneration of different body structures using the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, an organism capable of regenerating its entire body, including its brain. The amputation of head and tail compartments induces a ROS burst at the wound site independently of the orientation.

Redox-Related Mechanisms to Rebalance Cancer-Deregulated Cell Growth.

A delicate balance exists between the process of carcinogenesis and tissue regeneration. A number of malignant tumours are considered the outcome of an impaired or incomplete regeneration process, resulting in persistently dividing cells. Regeneration-competent tissues and animals are able to prevent and counteract growth abnormalities and seem to have a low vulnerability to chemical carcinogenesis.

Toxic effects of cadmium on flatworm stem cell dynamics: A transcriptomic and ultrastructural elucidation of underlying mechanisms.

Stem cells or undifferentiated cells can cope more easily with external stresses. To evaluate the impact of toxic compounds on stem cell dynamics in vivo, in relation to other biological responses, we use the carcinogenic element cadmium and the regenerating model organism Macrostomum lignano. Through both BrdU and anti-histone H3 immunostainings, cadmium-induced effects were investigated at different stages of the stem cell cycle.

Physiological and molecular characterisation of cadmium stress in Schmidtea mediterranea.

The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea is a well-studied model organism for developmental research, because of its stem cell system. This characteristic also provides a unique opportunity to study stress management and the effect of stress on stem cells. In this study, we characterised the stress signature at different levels of biological organization.

The cellular redox state as a modulator in cadmium and copper responses in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings.

The cellular redox state is an important determinant of metal phytotoxicity. In this study we investigated the influence of cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) stress on the cellular redox balance in relation to oxidative signalling and damage in Arabidopsis thaliana. Both metals were easily taken up by the roots, but the translocation to the aboveground parts was restricted to Cd stress.

Leaf proteome responses of Arabidopsis thaliana exposed to mild cadmium stress.

The leaf proteome of 3-week-old Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings exposed for 1 week to low, environmentally realistic Cd concentrations was investigated. The data indicated that at 1muMCd, A. thaliana plants adapted their metabolism to cope with the Cd exposure.

Oxidative stress-related responses at transcriptional and enzymatic levels after exposure to Cd or Cu in a multipollution context.

The physiological effects of Cd and Cu have been highlighted in several studies over the last years. At the cellular level, oxidative stress has been reported as a common mechanism in both stress situations. Nevertheless, because of differences in their redox-related properties, the origin of the stress and regulation of these effects can be very different.

Critical evaluation and statistical validation of a hydroponic culture system for Arabidopsis thaliana.

Arabidopsis thaliana is one of the most widely used model organisms in plant sciences. Because of the increasing knowledge in the understanding of its molecular pathways, a reproducible and stable growth set-up for obtaining uniform plants becomes more important. In order to be able to easily harvest and study both roots and shoots, and to allow simple exposure to water-soluble toxic substances, a hydroponic system is the desired cultivation method for controlled plant growth.

Subcellular localization of cadmium in roots and leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana.

We examined the subcellular cadmium (Cd) localization in roots and leaves of wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana (ecotype Columbia) exposed to environmentally relevant Cd concentrations. Energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDXMA) was performed on high-pressure frozen and freeze-substituted tissues. In the root cortex, Cd was associated with phosphorus (Cd/P) in the apoplast and sulfur (Cd/S) in the symplast, suggesting phosphate and phytochelatin sequestration, respectively.