When microplastics meet microalgae: Unveiling the dynamic formation of aggregates and their impact on toxicity and environmental health.

Microplastics (MPs) commonly coexist with microalgae in aquatic environments, can heteroaggregate during their interaction, and potentially affect the migration and impacts of MPs in aquatic environments. The hetero-aggregation may also influence the fate of other pollutants through MPs' adsorption or alter their aquatic toxicity. Here, we explored the hetero-aggregation process and its key driving mechanism that occurred between green microalga Chlorella vulgaris (with a cell size of 2-10 μm) and two types of MPs (polystyrene and polylactide, 613 μm).

Innovative microalgae technologies for mariculture wastewater treatment: Single and combined microalgae treatment mechanisms, challenges and future prospects.

The discharge of aquaculture wastewater, comprising nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals, and antibiotics from large-scale aquaculture, poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems and human health. Consequently, addressing the treatment of marine aquaculture wastewater is imperative. Conventional physicochemical treatment methods have various limitations, whereas microalgae-based biological treatment technologies have gained increasing attention in the field of water purification due to their ability to efficiently absorb organic matter from mariculture wastewater and convert CO₂ into biomass products.

The threat of microplastics and microbial degradation potential; a current perspective.

Microplastics in marine environments come from various sources, and over the years, their buildup in marine environments suggests an inevitable need for the safe mitigation of plastic pollution. Microplastics are one of the chief and hazardous components of marine pollution, as they are transferred through the food chain to different trophic levels, affecting living organisms. They are also a source of transfer for pathogenic organisms.

UV aging may enhance adsorption capacity of Poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) to heavy metals and toxicity to zebrafish.

Compared with the fossil-based plastics, biodegradable plastics are more easily decomposed into small-sized particles (e.g., microplastics).

Unraveling the nexus: Microplastics, antibiotics, and ARGs interactions, threats and control in aquaculture - A review.

In recent years, aquaculture has expanded rapidly to address food scarcity and provides high-quality aquatic products. However, this growth has led to the release of significant effluents, containing emerging contaminants like antibiotics, microplastics (MPs), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study investigated the occurrence and interactions of these pollutants in aquaculture environment.

Effects of polypropylene microplastics on carbon dioxide dynamics in intertidal mangrove sediments.

Microplastics (MPs) in soil can influence CO dynamics by altering organic carbon (OC) and microbial composition. Nevertheless, the fluctuation of CO response attributed to MPs in mangrove sediments is unclear. This study explores the impact of micro-sized polypropylene (mPP) particles on the carbon dynamics of intertidal mangrove sediments.

Metformin facilitates anti-PD-L1 efficacy through the regulation of intestinal microbiota.

Metformin is a synthetic biguanide proven to have beneficial effects against various human diseases. Research has confirmed that metformin exerts its effects by regulating the composition of intestinal microbiota. The composition of intestinal microbiota influences the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy.

Effects of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on the intestine, intestinal community composition, and metabolic levels in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus).

Despite growing interest in conventional microplastics (CMPs) and their toxicological effects on aquatic species, little is known about biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) and their corresponding implications for aquatic life. Here, tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) were semi-statically exposed for 14 days to the bio-based plastic polylactic acid (PLA, 100 μg/L, 2.52 ± 0.

Heterogeneous aggregation between microplastics and microalgae: May provide new insights for microplastics removal.

Existing studies have shown that microplastics (MPs) as artificial surfaces can be colonized by plankton microorganisms. However, systematic research on exploring the aggregation formation process of MPs and microalgae is still lacking and particularly the influencing factors of aggregation remain to be elucidated. Therefore, this study investigated the heterogeneous aggregation process between various microalgal species (i.

Microplastics leachate may play a more important role than microplastics in inhibiting microalga Chlorella vulgaris growth at cellular and molecular levels.

The leaching of microplastics (MPs) additives and their negative effects on aquatic organisms remain to be systematically elucidated. In this study, the toxicological effects of MPs leachate (micro-sized polyethylene (mPE) and micro-sized polyvinyl chloride (mPVC) acceleratedly leached by UVA for 15, 90, and 180 days in seawater) on microalga Chlorella vulgaris in terms of cell growth inhibition, oxidative stress, and transcriptomes were investigated. The leachate components of MPs aged for 90 days were further identified to elucidate the corresponding toxicity mechanisms of MPs on microalgal cells.

Go for Economic Transformation and Development in China: Financial Development, Higher Education, and Green Technology Evolution.

Technology innovation is the key driving force in achieving economic transformation and development. Financial development and the expansion of higher education can promote technological progress primarily by easing financing constraints and improving the level of human capital. This study examines the impact of financial development and higher education expansion on green technology innovation.

Impacts of microplastic-petroleum pollution on nutrient uptake, growth, and antioxidative activity of Chlorella vulgaris.

As one of the emerging pollutants, microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) can interact with co-contaminants such as petroleum in marine aquatic systems, and their combined toxicity has not been fully investigated. Therefore, this study focused on pollutants such as micro-sized polyethylene (mPE) and petroleum, aiming to explore their single and combined toxicities to microalga Chlorella vulgaris in terms of the cell growth, antioxidative enzymes, and nutrients utilization. The results showed that the MPs alone (particle sizes (i.

Recent developments in microplastic contaminated water treatment: Progress and prospects of carbon-based two-dimensional materials for membranes separation.

Micro (nano)plastics pollution is a noxious menace not only for mankind but also for marine life, as removing microplastics (MPs) is challenging due to their physiochemical properties, composition, and response toward salinity and pH. This review provides a detailed assessment of the MPs pollution in different water types, environmental implications, and corresponding treatment strategies. With the advancement in nanotechnology, mitigation strategies for aqueous pollution are seen, especially due to the fabrication of nanosheets/membranes mostly utilized as a filtration process.

Elucidating the negatively influential and potentially toxic mechanism of single and combined micro-sized polyethylene and petroleum to Chlorella vulgaris at the cellular and molecular levels.

Although microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) may interact with co-contaminants (e.g., petroleum) in marine aquatic systems, little is known about their combined toxicity.

Secondary microplastics formation and colonized microorganisms on the surface of conventional and degradable plastic granules during long-term UV aging in various environmental media.

Recently, biodegradable plastics (BPs) as an alternative of conventional plastics have been widely advocated and applied. However, there is still a large research gap between the formation of secondary microplastics (MPs) and colonized microorganisms on their surface under long-term aging in different environments. In this study, the generation of secondary MPs and the formation of surface biofilms on the micro-sized (3-5 mm) biodegradable plastic poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) (BP-PBAT) and conventional plastic polyvinyl chloride (CP-PVC) under long-term UV aging was investigated.

Aging of biodegradable blended plastic generates microplastics and attached bacterial communities in air and aqueous environments.

The use of biodegradable plastics (BPs) has been widely promoted in recent years, but before their complete degradation, the phase of microplastics (MPs) is inevitable. However, little information concerning the production of MPs from blended polymers is available. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of MPs produced from blended plastics and the development of biofilms on plastic surfaces under long-term aging.

Fate of microplastics in deep-sea sediments and its influencing factors: Evidence from the Eastern Indian Ocean.

Although microplastics (MPs) are known to be found in global oceans, their influencing factors and abundance in the deep sea remain largely unknown. Twenty-six surface sediment samples were collected in the deep basin of the Eastern Indian Ocean (EIO). This study showed that MPs abundance ranged from 30.

Polyethylene scaffold net and synthetic grass fragmentation: a source of microplastics in the atmosphere?

Microplastics (MPs) implications in the atmosphere are of current global concern. Currently, there is a growing interest regarding source appointment, fate, level of toxicity, and exposure intensity of ambient air MPs. Recent data suggest that polyethylene (PE) dominates ambient MPs in China's megacities.

Biodegradable and conventional microplastics posed similar toxicity to marine algae Chlorella vulgaris.

It has been demonstrated that some conventional microplastics (CMPs) have toxicities to organisms, however, whether biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) have similar potential risks to marine ecosystems remains to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate i) the effects of CMPs (i. e.

Sorption behaviors of petroleum on micro-sized polyethylene aging for different time in seawater.

Microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) and oil pollution have been receiving global attention. To date, the adsorption mechanism of petroleum by MPs is largely unknown. This study investigated the adsorption of petroleum on micro-sized polyethylene (mPE) undergoing aging (days 0, 15, 30, 90 and 180).

Addition of biodegradable microplastics alters the quantity and chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter in latosol.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) chemodiversity plays an important role in regulating nutrient cycles and contaminant behavior in soil. However, how biodegradable microplastic (MPs) affect the DOM chemodiversity is still unknown, although developing biodegradable plastics are regarded as a promising strategy to minimize the risks of MPs residues in soil. Here, with the common poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) as the model, the molecular effect of biodegradable MPs on soil DOM was explored by adding 0%, 5% and 10% (w/w) of PBAT to tropical latosol, respectively.

Microplastics aged in various environmental media exhibited strong sorption to heavy metals in seawater.

To date, the degradation of microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) in different environments, particularly their adsorption characteristics for coexisted metal pollutants remains to be elucidated. Thus, this study investigated the effects of aging MPs, including polyamide (mPA), polyethylene terephthalate (mPET), polystyrene (mPS), and polyvinyl chloride (mPVC) for 3 months under UVA irradiation in four environmental media (air, seawater, sand, and soil) and adsorption of heavy metals (Cu, Cd) onto seawater-aged mPS and mPVC. The results showed that surface morphological changes, including cracks, oxidized particles, and wrinkles, appeared on aged MPs.

Aged microplastics decrease the bioavailability of coexisting heavy metals to microalga Chlorella vulgaris.

Environmental aging of ubiquitous microplastics (MP) occurs through the action of biotic and abiotic factors, and aged MP exhibit different physicochemical properties and environmental behavior from virgin MP. This study aimed to investigate the aged micro-sized polystyrene (mPS) and polyvinyl chloride (mPVC), and the heavy metals copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd), and examine the effects of their combined toxicities on microalga Chlorella vulgaris. Results showed that the presence of MP inhibited cell growth as compared with the control, the inhibition rate (I) decreased as concentrations of MP rose and aged MP exhibited stronger inhibition of cells than did virgin MP.