Publications

2021

Importance of conditioning films in plastic research

Importance of conditioning films in plastic research

Conditioning films (CFs) are surface coatings formed by the adsorption of biomolecules from the surrounding environment that can modify the material-specific surface properties and precedes the attachment of microorganisms. Marine conditioning of PET and PLA plastic for 24 h is studied in the article.

Biofilms increase contaminants on microplastics

Biofilms increase contaminants on microplastics

Microplastics (MPs) exposed to the natural environment provide an ideal surface for biofilm formation, which potentially acts as a reactive phase. The study confirms that biofilms increase the adsorption of PFOS and Lead on 4 types of naturally-aged microplastic fibers.

A decade old plastic, what's on it?

A decade old plastic, what's on it?

Chemical and microbial profiling of a decade old plastic infrastructure revealed that plastic-associated inorganic and organic matter (PIOM) hosts high concentrations of metal(loid)s, PAHs, PFAS and potentially pathogenic bacterial taxa.

Exploring microplastic microbiome using whole-genome sequencing

Exploring microplastic microbiome using whole-genome sequencing

Microplastics may select for unique microbiomes participating in environmentally significant functions. A whole-genome sequencing approach was used and it was found that microbial genera involved in xenobiotic compound degradation, carbon cycling, and genes associated with the type IV secretion system were significantly enriched on all substartes.

How much plastic do humans ingest in a week?

How much plastic do humans ingest in a week?

Plastics are prolific in environmental samples, food and drinking water, wild organisms, the air we breathe and more recently, reported in human specimens. Globally, on average, humans may ingest 0.1–5 g of microplastics per week through various exposure pathways, depending on an individual’s lifestyle factors.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global plastic waste footprint

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global plastic waste footprint

Microplastics can accumulate toxic substances on their surface and act as a vector of toxic pollutants, thereby threatening marine biodiversity and the food web. The current status, effects and solutions to the occurrence of microplastics in the marine environment are reviewed and discussed, and approaches to mitigate them are discussed.

2020

Benchmarking bioplastics

Benchmarking bioplastics

Bioplastics are being endorsed as a promising solution to the increasing problem of plastic waste. However, similar to conventional plastics, unregulated and mismanaged bioplastics could have flow-on effects in the environment. This review analyses existing international bioplastics standards and critically assess the potential shortcomings to reform bioplastics regulation.

Improved methodology to determine the fate and transport of microplastics in a secondary wastewater

Improved methodology to determine the fate and transport of microplastics in a secondary wastewater

WWTPs are a significant pathway of microplastics to aquatic environments, however quantification of microfibres presents a challenge in environmental samples. An improved methodology was applied to determine the size, shape, polymer type and partitioning behaviour of MPs in wastewater.

Baseline analysis of metals on microplastics from Australian shoreline

Baseline analysis of metals on microplastics from Australian shoreline

Information on the occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in Australian aquatic environments is limited and their interactions with chemical contaminants have seldom been addressed. Aged microplastics collected from Australian shorelines were primarily PE, PP, PS and PET fragments and pellets that were clear, blue, white and green in colour.

Interaction of chemical contaminants with microplastics: Principles and perspectives

Interaction of chemical contaminants with microplastics: Principles and perspectives

A review of the association of plastic additives with environmental microplastics, how the structure and composition of polymers influence sorption capacities and models that have been employed to interpret experimental data from recent sorption studies.

2019 and older