Environmental Science and Pollution Research最新文献

{"title":"Short-term effects of ambient air pollution exposure on respiratory hospitalizations among children in the State of Mexico","authors":"Sindy San Juan-Reyes,&nbsp;María Dolores Hernández-Navarro,&nbsp;Leobardo Manuel Gómez-Oliván,&nbsp;Nely San Juan-Reyes,&nbsp;José Manuel Orozco-Hernández,&nbsp;Sayuri Bedolla-Lara","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38237-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38237-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Exposure to air pollutants is a global concern that threatens pediatric respiratory health. Children are particularly susceptible to respiratory diseases because of their developing respiratory and immune systems. This study aimed to evaluate the association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and hospitalization for respiratory diseases among children in the Metropolitan Zone of the Toluca Valley, Mexico. Daily concentrations of PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, CO, NO₂, and O₃ were collected from fixed atmospheric monitoring stations, and hospital admission records were obtained from a regional general hospital of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Children younger than 5 years of age hospitalized for respiratory diseases between January and December 2023 were included. Associations were estimated using adjusted conditional logistic regression within a matched case-crossover design. The primary exposure window was Lag 1–7. Models were adjusted for mean ambient temperature and relative humidity, and sensitivity analyses evaluated alternative cumulative exposure windows and single-day lags. A total of 266 children were hospitalized with respiratory diseases. PM₂.₅ exposure was associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for viral pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, and asthma, whereas CO exposure was associated with bronchiolitis. Municipality-specific analyses suggested heterogeneous associations across the study area, with several pollutant-related associations observed in San Mateo Atenco, Metepec, and Calimaya. These findings suggest that short-term exposure to ambient air pollution, particularly PM₂.₅, may contribute to respiratory morbidity among young children. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and better characterize the role of air pollution in pediatric respiratory health.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15714 - 15727"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heavy metal stress in native plant species: investigating phytoremediation potential through physiological and ISSR/SCoT molecular assessments","authors":"Dalia Youssef El-Berawey,&nbsp;Azhar El Nouby,&nbsp;Samah M. Megahed,&nbsp;Esraa E. Fawzy","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38207-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38207-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In emerging countries, increased industrial activity has a significant impact on economic growth and urban development. However, the acceleration of industrial processes is accompanied by the release of contaminants such as heavy metals. According to the World Health Organization, one-fourth of all human diseases are caused by environmental contaminants, including heavy metals, which can impair numerous organs such as the neurological system, liver, and reproductive systems. This increased efforts to find effective and sustainable methods to remove heavy metals. Phytoremediation is an environmentally benign method of removing heavy metals using specific plants. Thus, from industrially contaminated locations, common native plant species of <i>Lactuca serriola</i>, <i>Sisymbrium irio</i>, <i>Chenopodium murale</i>, and <i>Cynanchum acutum</i> were selected for this study to assess the mechanisms of their molecular and physiological tolerance. Soil and plants were tested for heavy metals (Cd, Pb, and Cu), and contaminated locations were classified as low and highly polluted. Measurements were made of soluble sugar, protein, secondary metabolites, malondialdehyde, and H₂O₂. Additionally, inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR), start codon targeted (SCoT), and genomic template stability GTS were used. In heavily polluted areas, all plant species exhibit elevated amounts of sugar, proteins, H₂O₂, MDA, and secondary metabolites, while total phenolics showed a unique significant interaction (plant–location), where <i>Cynanchum</i> exhibited a hyper-stress phenolic accumulation to cope with toxicity, whereas <i>Chenopodium</i> maintained genomic stability with balanced phenolic level. Based on these findings, both <i>Cynanchum acutum</i> and <i>Chenopodium murale</i> demonstrate superior potential for phytoremediation and warrant further investigation for ecological restoration.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15728 - 15742"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148987599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Green synthesis and characterization of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide from sugarcane bagasse","authors":"Anand Swaroop,&nbsp;Mohammad Ikbal,&nbsp;Manju Srivastava,&nbsp;Ankit Sahai,&nbsp;Rahul Swarup Sharma","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38220-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38220-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Environmental pollution and agricultural waste accumulation represent major global challenges requiring sustainable technological solutions. In this work, an environmentally friendly strategy was developed to convert agricultural biomass waste, specifically sugarcane bagasse, into graphene-based nanomaterials. The synthesis involved controlled pyrolysis of biomass to obtain carbonaceous biochar, followed by chemical activation and oxidation using a modified Hummers method to produce graphene oxide (GO). A green reduction process employing <span>l</span>-ascorbic acid was subsequently used to obtain reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Comprehensive physicochemical characterization was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier- transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, and Raman spectroscopy measurements. Structural analysis confirmed the transformation from turbostratic biomass-derived graphitic carbon to oxygen-functionalized graphene oxide and subsequently to partially restored graphitic domains in rGO. Morphological observations revealed the formation of thin, wrinkled graphene sheets after reduction. Elemental analysis indicated an increased C/O ratio following green reduction, confirming partial deoxygenation. Zeta potential measurements suggested moderate colloidal stability due to residual surface functionalities. The results demonstrate that sugarcane bagasse can serve as a low-cost and renewable precursor for graphene derivatives through a sustainable waste-to-wealth approach. The synthesized materials exhibit physicochemical characteristics that make them promising candidates for future environmental applications. The present work establishes a sustainable platform for the development of biomass-derived graphene materials, while evaluation of their environmental performance will be the subject of future investigations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15649 - 15660"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Algal bioactive compounds for next-generation biopesticides: a multi-target resource for sustainable pest management","authors":"Adegoke Isiaka Adetunji,&nbsp;Jeff David Ojwach,&nbsp;Rahul Kumar Goswami,&nbsp;Ismail Rawat,&nbsp;Faizal Bux","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38228-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38228-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The rapid growth in global population and the incessant demand for food warrant greater attention to sustainable agricultural practices. To ensure adequate food security, protection of crops from exposure to biotic agents (e.g., pathogens and insects) is imperative. Over the decades, synthetic pesticides have been used to control pests in agriculture. However, excessive and uncontrolled use of these chemical compounds causes serious environmental and health hazards. Therefore, algal biopesticides are used as biological agents to control soil-borne diseases and plant pests. The algae secrete a broad spectrum of metabolites, including phenolic compounds, terpenoids, alkaloids, peptides, and others. These bioactive compounds exhibit insecticidal, nematocidal, herbicidal, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities, thereby enhancing crop protection and productivity. Algal biopesticides are effective, eco-friendly, biocompatible, sustainable, and biodegradable, with low or no toxicity to the environment and beneficial off-target organisms. Thus, the present review focuses on the mechanisms of action and biological activities of various bioactive compounds produced from macroalgae and microalgae for exploitation as biopesticides. In addition, it presents the much-needed techno-economic analysis (TEA) and conceptual scenarios for cost-effective algal biopesticide production by integrating wastewater-based cultivation systems and designing multiple biorefinery approaches. The regulatory pathways for algal biopesticides, as well as some limitations hindering their commercial production, are also discussed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15179 - 15210"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11356-026-38228-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning for optimizing Reactive Red 120 biosorption onto cross-linked gelatin/alginate-TTAB-montmorillonite composite","authors":"Chatchai Kunyawut,&nbsp;Chakkrit Umpuch","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38211-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38211-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A biodegradable thin-film composite comprising cross-linked gelatin/alginate and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide–modified montmorillonite was developed for the adsorption of Reactive Red 120 (RR120). Compared with our previously reported bulk composite, the thin-film architecture shortened diffusion pathways, thereby reducing internal mass-transfer resistance and improving adsorption-site accessibility. Batch adsorption experiments showed that the equilibrium adsorption capacity (q_e) increased with contact time, initial dye concentration, and temperature, but decreased with increasing solution pH. Kinetic modeling using the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models indicated that adsorption was governed by surface adsorption and intraparticle diffusion, whereas equilibrium data were best described by the Langmuir model with a maximum adsorption capacity (q_m) of 46.79 mg/g. Regeneration using 0.5 M NaCl demonstrated moderate reusability. Among the evaluated machine-learning algorithms, the optimized gradient boosting model achieved the highest predictive performance (test R² = 0.9606, RMSE = 1.4265 mg/g) and predicted optimum operating conditions of 356 min, 277 mg/L, pH 2.8, and 41 °C. Experimental validation yielded an adsorption capacity of 45.23 ± 0.05 mg/g, with a relative prediction error of only 0.91%. These findings demonstrate that integrating biodegradable thin-film composites with established machine-learning techniques provides an effective strategy for adsorption-process optimization and textile wastewater treatment.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15675 - 15713"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148975385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mangrove sediments as carbon sinks: a global analysis of research patterns, trends and future directions","authors":"Matheus Cavalcante-Silva,&nbsp;Ana Carolina Santos-Lima,&nbsp;Ana Luisa Fonseca-Oliveira,&nbsp;Vinícius Latgé Meira,&nbsp;Christiane do Nascimento Monte,&nbsp;Wilson Machado","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38224-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38224-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mangrove sediments are widely recognized as an important component of long-term carbon storage in coastal ecosystems. However, the structure, evolution, and thematic organization of the scientific literature addressing mangrove sediment carbon have not yet been clearly characterized at the global scale. This study addresses this gap by providing a scientometric analysis of the literature on mangrove sediments as carbon sinks. Based on 4,798 articles retrieved from the Scopus database, the analysis characterizes publication patterns, major research contributors, and the thematic and collaborative structure of the field. The results indicate an exponential increase in publications across the observed period (R² = 0.9776). A third-order polynomial regression was used exclusively for exploratory projection purposes, indicating a possible 6.7-fold increase in research output over the next two decades (R² = 0.9998). The prominence of the United States and China reflects the consolidation of institutional research capacity and sustained growth in funding and policy support. Trend mapping reveals a historical progression of the field from process-level studies of early diagenesis, through the integration of environmental data, toward a holistic framework in which organic matter degradation is explicitly linked to blue carbon preservation, loss, and dynamics at the ecosystem scale. Overall, this study provides a quantitative synthesis of the evolution and structure of research on mangrove sediment carbon, providing a robust framework to guide future research and inform evidence-based environmental policy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15211 - 15228"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11356-026-38224-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relative contributions of dietary and drinking water pathways to PFAS exposure in the U.S. population: intake-based and biomonitoring analyses","authors":"Hongbing Sun","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38233-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38233-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants widely detected in food and human serum, raising concerns about major exposure pathways in the general population. This study evaluated the relative importance of dietary and drinking water exposure pathways for seven legacy PFAS compounds consistently measured in NHANES using complementary intake-based and regression-based approaches. An intake-based model combined representative PFAS concentrations from U.S. monitoring studies with dietary intake data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to estimate population-average PFAS intake. A regression-based model used survey-weighted standardized regression coefficients to evaluate the contributions of dietary intake and drinking water consumption to interindividual variability in serum PFAS concentrations. The intake-based model estimated a total PFAS intake of approximately 17.4 ng/day from 2015 to 2020. Seafood was the largest contributor, with shellfish and finfish accounting for 43.2% and 9.2% of estimated intake, respectively. Drinking water contributed 15.5% of estimated intake despite its relatively low PFAS concentration, whereas dairy products, meat, and plant foods contributed 14.4%, 10.4%, and 7.4%, respectively. Regression analyses likewise identified shellfish as the largest contributor to variability in serum PFAS concentrations across survey periods, whereas drinking water contributed relatively little at the national level from 2015 to 2020. These findings identify seafood, particularly shellfish, as the largest contributor among the evaluated dietary and drinking water pathways for legacy PFAS and support continued monitoring of both legacy and emerging replacement PFAS in foods and drinking water to improve assessment of population exposure.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3>\u0000<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15638 - 15648"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Foliar application of citrate-stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles modulates physiological responses of Spinacia oleracea L. under cadmium stress","authors":"Vanna Torrisi,&nbsp;Douaa Bekkai,&nbsp;Vincenzina Strano,&nbsp;Giuseppe Granata,&nbsp;Libera Vitiello,&nbsp;Sandro Dattilo,&nbsp;Sabrina Carola Carroccio,&nbsp;Patrizia Trifilò,&nbsp;Maria Miritello","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38222-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38222-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cadmium contamination in agricultural soils threatens plant growth, food safety and human health, highlighting the need for strategies that mitigate metal stress while maintaining crop productivity. In this study, we optimized and evaluated trisodium-citrate-stabilized maghemite iron oxide nanoparticles as a foliar nanofertilizer under agronomically relevant conditions. Nanoparticles were characterized in terms of size, colloidal stability, and Fe content, yielding a stable aqueous suspension with a hydrodynamic diameter of ~ 60 nm and 60 ppm Fe, compatible with typical field-scale foliar applications. Spinach plants were cultivated in uncontaminated soil or in soil contaminated with cadmium at the maximum concentration permitted by Italian legislation (5 mg kg⁻¹) or at twice this level (10 mg kg⁻¹). Foliar treatments included citrate-stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles, a citrate-only solution, distilled water and a non-sprayed control, allowing the effects of the nanoparticles formulation to be distinguished from those of the carrier and spraying procedure. Cadmium reduced total plant dry biomass by approximately 20% and 50% at the two contamination levels, respectively, while the root/shoot ratio declined by 64% and 88%. After 6 weeks of treatment, FeO@TCD markedly improved plant physiological performance under moderate Cd stress, increasing stomatal conductance to water vapor by up to 113% relative to non-sprayed plants and enhancing net photosynthetic rate by 61%, whereas biomass was not significantly affected. FeO@TCD also increased saturated water content and promoted a more negative turgor loss point under moderate Cd stress. Overall, these findings demonstrate that foliar application of citrate-stabilized iron oxide nanoparticles alleviated physiological impairment caused by cadmium, particularly under moderate stress, and provide a framework for evaluating nanofertilizer-based approaches under realistic agronomic conditions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15661 - 15674"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148975365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Declared versus actual presence of PFAS in cosmetic products: an INCI list analysis and critical appraisal of current regulatory frameworks","authors":"Margaux Vincent-Graindorge,&nbsp;Lionel Ripoll","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38214-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38214-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of over 10,000 synthetic fluorinated compounds whose persistence, bioaccumulation, and adverse health effects have placed them at the forefront of public health concerns. In cosmetics, PFAS serve multiple functional roles and are prevalent in long-wearing, water-resistant formulations, and regulatory frameworks have tightened worldwide, targeting intentionally added PFAS through defined substance lists. Yet their actual presence remains difficult to assess: declared INCI lists suggest limited use, while analytical studies detect fluorinated compounds far exceeding labeling data. We applied a keyword-based analysis to INCI ingredient lists of 1233 cosmetic and personal care products (500 makeup, 111 oral care, 622 other). We find that 19.0% of products declare at least one fluorine-containing ingredient, yet only 0.9% declare an ingredient meeting the OECD/UNEP definition of a PFAS. Ingredient-level classification shows that this gap is not evidence of concealed PFAS: almost all declared fluorine has no carbon-fluorine bond, being synthetic fluorphlogopite (134 products) or a dental fluoride salt (88). The declaration of fluorine is strongly structured by product type, from 73.0% in oral care and 28.2% in makeup to 1.9% across all other personal care products (<span>(varvec{chi }^{varvec{2}}varvec{(2)=355.7})</span>, <span>(varvec{p}varvec{&lt;}varvec{0.001})</span>). Analytical methods for total versus specific PFAS are also compared. Deliberate use of PFAS as functional ingredients thus appears uncommon in finished formulations, and the organofluorine reported by analytical surveys likely enters through process water, manufacturing equipment or treated raw materials, routes that frameworks keyed to intentional addition do not reach.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15883 - 15896"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148975348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Microplastic formation during degradation: bioplastics vs conventional plastics","authors":"Inés Oliver,&nbsp;Andrés Fullana,&nbsp;Juan Antonio Conesa","doi":"10.1007/s11356-026-38204-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11356-026-38204-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Biodegradable plastics are increasingly promoted as alternatives to conventional fossil-based plastics, but under non-ideal end-of-life conditions they may fragment into microplastic particles instead of fully biodegrading. In this work, the degradation of bioplastics and conventional plastics was compared under two pathways: accelerated UV ageing in saline water and mechanical abrasion with sand. PLA, PHB, LDPE, and PP were studied under UV ageing, while PLA, PHB, TPS, LDPE, and PP were evaluated under mechanical abrasion. Degradation was assessed through mass loss, surface changes, colour variation, mechanical properties, and microplastic generation. Under accelerated UV ageing, PLA and PHB showed the strongest degradation, with higher mass loss, more pronounced surface damage, larger colour changes, and greater mechanical deterioration than LDPE and PP. Under abrasion, PHB and TPS showed the highest mass loss, while LDPE and PP were more resistant. Microplastic generation increased with degradation time for all materials, although with clear differences depending on polymer type and degradation route. Overall, the results show that the biodegradable plastics evaluated in this study did not necessarily present a lower risk of microplastic release than the conventional plastics tested under the same conditions. Under the same degradation conditions and exposure time, some biodegradable polymers generated even larger amounts of particulate material, indicating higher potential for microplastic generation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":545,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","volume":"33 30","pages":"15618 - 15637"},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148965951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}