A5010199912- Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
- Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
- biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
- Healthcare and Environmental Waste Management
- Air Quality and Health Impacts
- Nanoparticles: synthesis and applications
- Municipal Solid Waste Management
- Marine Biology and Environmental Chemistry
- Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technologies
- Infection Control and Ventilation
- Noise Effects and Management
- Sustainable Supply Chain Management
- Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications
- Climate Change and Health Impacts
- Material Properties and Processing
- Consumer Packaging Perceptions and Trends
- Inhalation and Respiratory Drug Delivery
- COVID-19 and healthcare impacts
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials
- Crustacean biology and ecology
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
Imperial College London
2021-2025
MRC Centre for Environment and Health
2022-2025
Medical Research Council
2022-2023
National Institute for Health Research
2022-2023
King's College London
2017-2020
University of Exeter
2013-2016
Newcastle University
2011
Microplastics are a global environmental issue contaminating aquatic and terrestrial environments. They have been reported in atmospheric deposition, indoor outdoor air, raising concern for public health due to the potential exposure. Moreover, atmosphere presents new vehicle microplastics enter wider environment, yet our knowledge of quantities, characteristics pathways airborne is sparse. Here we show deposition major population centre, central London. were found all samples, with rates...
Microplastic debris is ubiquitous and yet sampling, classifying enumerating this prolific pollutant in marine waters has proven challenging. Typically, waterborne microplastic sampling undertaken using nets with a 333 μm mesh, which cannot account for smaller debris. In study, we provide an estimate of the extent to concentrations are underestimated traditional sampling. Our efforts focus on coastal waters, where microplastics predicted have greatest influence life, both sides North Atlantic...
Microplastics have been observed in indoor and outdoor air. This raises concern for human exposure, especially should they occur small enough sizes, which if inhaled, reach the central airway distal lung. As yet, methods their detection not spectroscopically verified chemical composition of microplastics this size-range. One proposed method is an automated spectroscopic technique, Raman spectral imaging; however, generates large complex data sets. study aims to optimize imaging...
Abstract Marine debris is a global environmental issue. Smoked cigarette filters are the predominant coastal litter item; 4.5 trillion littered annually, presenting source of bioplastic microfibres (cellulose acetate) and harmful toxicants to marine environments. Despite human health risks associated with smoking, little known hazards present life. Here we studied impacts smoked filter on polychaete worm Hediste diversicolor (ragworm), widespread inhabitant sediments. Ragworms exposed in...
Microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants, with preliminary evidence indicating they a novel component of air pollution. This presents plausible inhalation exposure pathway, should microplastics occur in the inhalable size range; however, this remains an analytical challenge. Here, we develop filter-based sampling method compatible both quality monitoring and Raman spectral imaging (RSI) for detection inhalable-sized microplastics. Clean particulate matter (PM) contaminated filters range...
Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges and received commensurate widespread attention. Although it is a top priority for policymakers scientists alike, knowledge required to guide decisions, implement mitigation actions, assess their outcomes remains inadequate. We argue that an integrated, global monitoring system plastic needed provide comprehensive, harmonized data environmental, societal, economic assessments. The initial focus on marine ecosystems...
Abstract Over the last several years there has been an increase in studies reporting presence of microplastic particles (MPs) both indoor and outdoor air. Data reported reflect a variety different types air samples, which have helped to demonstrate ubiquity MPs atmosphere their potential contribution atmospheric particulate matter (PM). The relative quality data on not evaluated, but represents important step towards improving our overall understanding human health implications relation...
Abstract Microplastics have been documented in drinking water, but their effects on human health from ingestion, or the concentrations at which those begin to manifest, are not established. Here, we report outcome of a virtual expert workshop conducted between October 2020 and 2021 comprehensive review mammalian hazard studies was conducted. A key objective this assessment evaluate feasibility confidence deriving health-based threshold value inform development State California’s monitoring...
Abstract Concern regarding the human health implications that exposure to nano- and microplastic particles (NMPs) potentially represents is increasing. While there have been several years of research reporting on ecotoxicological effects NMPs, toxicology studies only recently emerged. The available hazard data are thus limited, with potential concern relevance reliability for understanding implications. In this study we develop apply a NMP toxicity screening assessment tool (NMP-TSAT)...
Insufficient data on nano- and microplastics (NMP) hinder robust evaluation of their potential health risks. Methodological disparities the absence established toxicity thresholds impede comparability practical application research findings. The diverse attributes NMP, such as variations in sizes, shapes, compositions, complicate human risk assessment. Although probability density functions (PDFs) show promise capturing this diversity, integration into assessment frameworks is limited....
Microscopic plastic (MP) particles are a ubiquitous contaminant in aquatic environments, which may bind hydrophobic chemicals, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), altering their environmental fate and interactions with biota. Using rainbow trout gill (RTgill-W1) intestinal (RTgutGC) epithelial cells we investigated the effects of polystyrene microbeads (PS-MBs; 220 nm) on cyto- genotoxicity pollutants benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) 3-nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA) over 48 h (0, 0.1, 1 10 μM)....
ABSTRACT Inhalation of biopersistent nanoplastics may have adverse effects on lung health. By varying the acetate content poly(vinyl acetate‐co‐alcohol) (PVAc), model with different surface hydrophobicity can be produced to study nanoplastic in lung. PVAc a high hydrophobicity, administered by oropharyngeal aspiration C57BL/6j mice (300 µg; ∼10 mg/kg), show transient pulmonary inflammation which peaks at 24 h post‐administration and resolves day 7. Hydrophilic induces no inflammatory same...