Prognosis of polymerase epsilon (POLE) mutation in high-grade endometrioid endometrial cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: POLE mutated endometrial carcinomas may represent a subspecific type of tumors harboring a more favorable prognosis. Grade 3 (G3 or high-grade) endometrioid endometrial carcinomas remain a clinical dilemma, with some tumors behaving as the low-grade counterparts and others presenting a more aggressive behavior. OBJECTIVES: To determine the association between POLE mutational status and the overall-survival (OS) and progression-free-survival (PFS) of patients with G3 endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC). We also aimed to determine the prevalence of POLE mutations in G3 endometrioid EC. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (PROSPERO No: CRD4202340008). We searched the following electronic databases: PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science. For time-to-event data, the effect of POLE mutation in G3 EC was described using hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Individual patient data for each study was investigated if available from the study authors. If individual patient data were not available, information regarding time-to-event outcomes was extracted using an appropriate methodology. OS and PFS were analyzed using both one-stage and two-stage approaches, the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox-proportional hazards models. RESULTS: This systematic review and meta-analysis included 19 studies with 3092 patients who had high-grade endometrioid EC. Patients with POLE mutations had lower risks of death (HR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.50, I2 = 0%, 10 trials) and disease progression (HR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.57, I2 = 33%, 10 trials). The pooled prevalence of POLE mutation was 11% (95% CI 9 to 13, I2 = 68%, 18 studies). CONCLUSION: POLE mutations in high-grade endometrioid EC are associated with a more favorable prognosis with increased OS and PFS.

Accelerated fragmentation of two thermoplastics (polylactic acid and polypropylene) into microplastics after UV radiation and seawater immersion.

To better understand the fate and assess the ingestible fraction of microplastics (by aquatic organisms), it is essential to quantify and characterize of their released from larger items under environmental realistic conditions. However, the current information on the fragmentation and size-based characteristics of released microplastics, for example from bio-based thermoplastics, is largely unknown. The goal of our work was to assess the fragmentation and release of microplastics, under ultraviolet (UV) radiation and in seawater, from polylactic acid (PLA) items, a bio-based polymer, and from polypropylene (PP) items, a petroleum-based polymer. To do so, we exposed pristine items of PLA and PP, immersed in filtered natural seawater, to accelerated UV radiation for 57 and 76 days, simulating 18 and 24 months of mean natural solar irradiance in Europe. Our results indicated that 76-day UV radiation induced the fragmentation of parent plastic items and the microplastics (50 - 5000 µm) formation from both PP and PLA items. The PP samples (48 ± 26 microplastics / cm2) released up to nine times more microplastics than PLA samples (5 ± 2 microplastics / cm2) after a 76-day UV exposure, implying that the PLA tested items had a lower fragmentation rate than PP. The particles' length of released microplastics was parameterized using a power law exponent (α), to assess their size distribution. The obtained α values were 3.04 ± 0.11 and 2.54 ± 0.06 (-) for 76-day UV weathered PP and PLA, respectively, meaning that PLA microplastics had a larger sized microplastics fraction than PP particles. With respect to their two-dimensional shape, PLA microplastics also had lower width-to-length ratio (0.51 ± 0.17) and greater fiber-shaped fractions (16%) than PP microplastics (0.57 ± 0.17% and 11%, respectively). Overall, the bio-based PLA items under study were more resistant to fragmentation and release of microplastics than the petroleum-based PP tested items, and the parameterized characteristics of released microplastics were polymer-dependent. Our work indicates that even though bio-based plastics may have a slower release of fragmented particles under UV radiation compared to conventional polymer types, they still have the potential to act as a source of microplastics in the marine environment, with particles being available to biota within ingestible size fractions, if not removed before major fragmentation processes.

The Role of Cell Cycle Arrest Biomarkers for Predicting Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Multicenter, Observational Study.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with COVID-19-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have a high risk for developing acute kidney injury (AKI) which is associated with an increased risk of death and persistent renal failure. Early prediction of AKI is crucial in order to implement preventive strategies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive performance of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 and insulin like growth factor binding protein 7 (TIMP-2) × (IGFBP7) in critically ill patients with COVID-19-associated ARDS. DESIGN: Multicenter, prospective, observational study. SETTING: Twelve centers across Europe and United Kingdom. PATIENTS: Patients with moderate or severe COVID-19-associated ARDS were included and serial measurements of (TIMP-2) × (IGFBP7) were performed. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary endpoint was the development of moderate or severe AKI according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes definition. Three hundred patients were available for the primary analysis, and 39 met the primary endpoint. At enrollment, urinary (TIMP-2) × (IGFBP7) had high predictive value for the primary endpoint with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.84-0.93). (TIMP-2) × (IGFBP7) was significantly higher in endpoint-positive patients at enrollment and at 12 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary (TIMP-2) × (IGFBP7) predicts the occurrence of AKI in critically ill patients with COVID-19-associated ARDS.

Refining our understanding of depressive states and state transitions in response to cognitive behavioural therapy using latent Markov modelling.

BACKGROUND: It is increasingly recognized that existing diagnostic approaches do not capture the underlying heterogeneity and complexity of psychiatric disorders such as depression. This study uses a data-driven approach to define fluid depressive states and explore how patients transition between these states in response to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). METHODS: Item-level Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) data were collected from 9891 patients with a diagnosis of depression, at each CBT treatment session. Latent Markov modelling was used on these data to define depressive states and explore transition probabilities between states. Clinical outcomes and patient demographics were compared between patients starting at different depressive states. RESULTS: A model with seven depressive states emerged as the best compromise between optimal fit and interpretability. States loading preferentially on cognitive/affective v. somatic symptoms of depression were identified. Analysis of transition probabilities revealed that patients in cognitive/affective states do not typically transition towards somatic states and vice-versa. Post-hoc analyses also showed that patients who start in a somatic depressive state are less likely to engage with or improve with therapy. These patients are also more likely to be female, suffer from a comorbid long-term physical condition and be taking psychotropic medication. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a novel approach for depression sub-typing, defining fluid depressive states and exploring transitions between states in response to CBT. Understanding how different symptom profiles respond to therapy will inform the development and delivery of stratified treatment protocols, improving clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of psychological therapies for patients with depression.

Depression subtypes and their response to cognitive behavioral therapy: A latent transition analysis.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a heterogeneous condition, with multiple possible symptom-profiles leading to the same diagnosis. Descriptive depression subtypes based on observation and theory have so far proven to have limited clinical utility. AIM: To identify depression subtypes and to examine their time-course and prognosis using data-driven methods. METHODS: Latent transition analysis was applied to a large (N = 8380) multi-service sample of depressed patients treated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in outpatient clinics. Patients were classed into initial latent states based on their responses to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 of depression symptoms, and transition probabilities to other states during treatment were quantified. Qualitatively similar states were clustered into overarching depression subtypes and we statistically compared indices of treatment engagement and outcomes between subtypes using post hoc analyses. RESULTS: Fourteen latent states were clustered into five depression subtypes: mild (2.7%), severe (9.8%), cognitive-affective (23.7%), somatic (21.4%), and typical (42.4%). These subtypes had high temporal stability, and the most common transitions during treatment were from severe toward milder states within the same subtype. Differential response to treatment was evident, with the highest improvement rate (63.6%) observed in the cognitive-affective subtype. CONCLUSION: Replicated evidence indicates that depression subtypes are temporally stable and associated with differential response to CBT.

Failing to forget: inhibitory-control deficits compromise memory suppression in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Most people have experienced distressing events that they would rather forget. Although memories of such events become less intrusive with time for the majority of people, those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are afflicted by vivid, recurrent memories of their trauma. Often triggered by reminders in the daily environment, these memories can cause severe distress and impairment. We propose that difficulties with intrusive memories in PTSD arise in part from a deficit in engaging inhibitory control to suppress episodic retrieval. We tested this hypothesis by adapting the think/no-think paradigm to investigate voluntary memory suppression of aversive scenes cued by naturalistic reminders. Retrieval suppression was compromised significantly in PTSD patients, compared with trauma-exposed control participants. Furthermore, patients with the largest deficits in suppression-induced forgetting were also those with the most severe PTSD symptoms. These results raise the possibility that prefrontal mechanisms supporting inhibitory control over memory are impaired in PTSD.

First report of Thelazia callipaeda in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Portugal.

The first cases of infection with the eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae) in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from Portugal are described. Worms were collected from 1 fox (7 worms) in the north and from 2 foxes (10 worms) in the central region of the country. Partial molecular amplification of mitochondrial cythocrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene and sequencing revealed a 100% homology with T. callipaeda haplotype 1, which is the sequence type circulating in Europe. Data suggest that wildlife participate in maintaining this endemic infection in dog and cat populations from the studied areas. Furthermore, due to the zoonotic potential of T. callipaeda, there is a risk of infection in humans residing in areas where thelaziosis is present in wild and domestic animals.

A deep learning quantification of patient specificity as a predictor of session attendance and treatment response to internet-enabled cognitive behavioural therapy for common mental health disorders.

BACKGROUND: Increasing an individual's ability to focus on concrete, specific detail, thus reducing the tendency toward overly broad, decontextualised generalisations about the self and world, is a target within cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). However, empirical investigation of the impact of within-treatment specificity on treatment outcomes is scarce. We evaluated whether the specificity of patient dialogue predicted a) end-of-treatment symptoms and b) session completion for CBT for common mental health issues. METHODS: This preregistered (https://osf.io/agr4t) study trained a deep learning model to score the specificity of patient dialogue in transcripts from 353,614 internet-enabled CBT sessions for common mental health disorders, delivered on behalf of UK NHS services. Data were from obtained from 65,030 participants (n = 47,308 female, n = 241 unstated) aged 18-94 years (M = 34.69, SD = 12.35). Depressive disorders were the most common (39.1 %) primary diagnosis. Primary outcome was end-of-treatment score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Secondary outcome was number of sessions attended. RESULTS: Linear mixed-effects models demonstrated that increased patient specificity significantly predicted lower post-treatment symptoms on the PHQ-9, although the size and direction of the effect varied depending on the type of therapeutic activity being completed. Effect sizes were consistently small. Higher patient specificity was associated with completing a greater number of sessions. LIMITATIONS: We are unable to infer causation from our data. CONCLUSIONS: Although effect sizes were small, an effect of specificity was observed across common mental health disorders. Further studies are needed to explore whether encouraging patient specificity during CBT may provide an enhancement of treatment attendance and treatment effects.

A Case of Amyloid Goitre in Heavy Chain Amyloidosis: Diagnostic Challenges and Clinical Implications.

Immunoglobulin heavy chain amyloidosis (AH amyloidosis) is an extremely rare subtype of immunoglobulin-derived amyloidosis and there is limited literature on how to diagnose and manage this disorder. We describe a rare case of AH amyloidosis with amyloid goitre and the importance of mass spectrometry in the identification of the different types of amyloids. While additional studies are needed, several observations suggest important practical implications, including differences in clinical picture, prognosis, and pathologic diagnosis. LEARNING POINTS: Immunoglobulin heavy chain amyloidosis is an extremely rare subtype of immunoglobulin-derived amyloidosis and amyloid goitre is even rarer.There is limited literature on how to diagnose and manage this disorder.This case portrays one of these cases - one of the few existing in the literature - and reinforces the diagnostic complexity of this entity.

Application of three-dimensional imaging software to map carcinomatosis in recurrent ovarian cancer.

The treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer has been based on systemic therapy. The role of secondary cytoreductive surgery has been addressed recently in several trials. Imaging plays a key role in helping the surgical team to decide which patients will have resectable disease and benefit from surgery. The role of staging laparoscopy and several imaging and clinical scores has been extensively debated in the field. In other surgical fields there have been reports of using 3D imaging software and 3D printed models to help surgeons better plan the surgical approach. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of a patient with recurrent ovarian cancer undergoing 3D modeling before secondary cytoreductive surgery. The 3D modeling was of most value to evaluate the extension of the disease in our patient who underwent a successful secondary cytoreductive surgery and is currently free of the disease.

Aerosolization of micro- and nanoplastics via sea spray: Investigating the role of polymer type, size, and concentration, and potential implications for human exposure.

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) can enter the atmosphere via sea spray aerosols (SSAs), but the effects of plastic characteristics on the aerosolization process are unclear. Furthermore, the importance of the transport of MNPs via these SSAs as a possible new exposure route for human health remains unknown. The aim of this study was two-fold: (1) to examine if a selection of factors affects aerosolization processes of MNPs, and (2) to estimate human exposure to MNPs via aerosols inhalation. A laboratory-based bubble bursting mechanism, simulating the aerosolization process at sea, was used to investigate the influence of MNP as well as seawater characteristics. To determine the potential human exposure to microplastics via inhalation of SSAs, the results of the laboratory experiments were extrapolated to the field based on sea surface microplastic concentrations and the volume of inhaled aerosols. Enrichment seemed to be influenced by MNP size, concentration and polymer type. With higher enrichment for smaller particles and denser polymers. Experiments with different concentrations showed a larger range of variability but nonetheless lower concentrations seemed to result in higher enrichment, presumably due to lower aggregation. In addition to the MNP characteristics, the type of seawater used seemed to influence the aerosolization process. Our human exposure estimate to microplastic via inhalation of sea spray aerosols shows that in comparison with reported inhaled concentrations in urban and indoor environments, this exposure route seems negligible for microplastics. Following the business-as-usual scenario on plastic production, the daily plastic inhalation in coastal areas in 2100 is estimated to increase but remain far below 1 particle per day. This study shows that aerosolization of MNPs is a new plastic transport pathway to be considered, but in terms of human exposure it seems negligible compared to other more important sources of MNPs, based on current reported environmental concentrations.

Buffer capacity of the coelomic fluid in echinoderms.

The increase in atmospheric CO2 due to anthropogenic activity results in an acidification of the surface waters of the oceans. The impact of these chemical changes depends on the considered organisms. In particular, it depends on the ability of the organism to control the pH of its inner fluids. Among echinoderms, this ability seems to differ significantly according to species or taxa. In the present paper, we investigated the buffer capacity of the coelomic fluid in different echinoderm taxa as well as factors modifying this capacity. Euechinoidea (sea urchins except Cidaroidea) present a very high buffer capacity of the coelomic fluid (from 0.8 to 1.8mmolkg(-1) SW above that of seawater), while Cidaroidea (other sea urchins), starfish and holothurians have a significantly lower one (from -0.1 to 0.4mmolkg(-1) SW compared to seawater). We hypothesize that this is linked to the more efficient gas exchange structures present in the three last taxa, whereas Euechinoidea evolved specific buffer systems to compensate lower gas exchange abilities. The constituents of the buffer capacity and the factors influencing it were investigated in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and the starfish Asterias rubens. Buffer capacity is primarily due to the bicarbonate buffer system of seawater (representing about 63% for sea urchins and 92% for starfish). It is also partly due to coelomocytes present in the coelomic fluid (around 8% for both) and, in P. lividus only, a compound of an apparent size larger than 3kDa is involved (about 15%). Feeding increased the buffer capacity in P. lividus (to a difference with seawater of about 2.3mmolkg(-1) SW compared to unfed ones who showed a difference of about 0.5mmolkg(-1) SW) but not in A. rubens (difference with seawater of about 0.2 for both conditions). In P. lividus, decreased seawater pH induced an increase of the buffer capacity of individuals maintained at pH7.7 to about twice that of the control individuals and, for those at pH7.4, about three times. This allowed a partial compensation of the coelomic fluid pH for individuals maintained at pH7.7 but not for those at pH7.4.

Lethal and sub lethal effects of the biocide chlorhexidine on aquatic organisms.

Chlorhexidine is among the most used biocides in Europe, however its toxicity to aquatic organisms is scarcely known. The main objective of this study was to assess the lethal and sub lethal effects of chlorhexidine digluconate (ChD) on four aquatic model organisms: the bacteria Vibrio fischeri, the algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, the crustacean Daphnia magna and the embryos of the fish Danio rerio. ChD was very toxic to algae and crustaceans, with a 72 h-EC50 of 62.2 µg/l and a 48 h-EC50 of 45.0 µg/l, respectively. Toxicity to fish embryos and the bacteria was lower, with a 96 h-EC50 of 804.0 µg/l and a 15 min-EC50 of 1,694.0 µg/l, respectively. Concerning sub lethal effects on D. magna (feeding inhibition) a 6 h-EC50 of 503.7 µg/l was obtained. In fish, ChD caused developmental abnormalities, namely alterations in the amniotic fluid (48 h-EC20 of 753.6 µg/l) and early hatching. Moreover, enzymatic biomarkers on fish embryos showed an induction of cholinesterase activity in all ChD tested concentrations (80-900 µg/l). The catalase activity was also induced at the highest concentration tested (900 µg/l) whereas no changes were observed for glutathione-S-transferase and lactate dehydrogenase activities. The toxicity of ChD to the algae and crustacean raises concerns about its potential effects in aquatic food webs, since these organisms are in the base of trophic chains, and highlights the need for further studies on ChD toxicity to aquatic organisms.

[Abdominal angina due to fibromuscular dysplasia of the celiac axis. Surgical management]. / Angina abdominal por displasia fibromuscular do tronco celíaco. Tratamento cirúrgico.

The clinical case of a 27-year old man with the diagnosis of chronic mesenteric ischemia ("abdominal angina") is reported, whose chief complaints were severe postprandial pain and remarkable weight loss, for the last 4 months. Following na inconclusive observation in gastroenterology, he underwent an angiographic-CT examination, that disclosed a critical stenosis at the origin of the celiac axis. The remaining digestive vessels, superior and inferior mesenteric arteries, were found free of lesions. The patient was submitted to a revascularization procedure, consisting in the celiac axis resection and its replacement by a prosthetic graft, arising from the supraceliac aorta. The post-operative course was uneventfull, followed by a complete remission of the pain and a progressive weight gain. The histopathological study of the removed artery revealed the diagnosis of arterial fibrodysplasia, a very rare entity in clinical practice, of unknown etiology, affecting predominantely young people and in a decreasing order of frequency the renals, the internal carotids and the external iliac arteries. The localization of the fibrodysplastic disease to the celiac áxis seems to be a unique case, never reported before in the literature, thus justifying its publication and dissemination.

A comprehensive assessment of plastic remediation technologies.

The global presence of plastic litter and its accumulation in the environment has become an issue of concern to the public and policymakers. This concern has triggered innovators in past decades to design and develop a multitude of remediation technologies to prevent plastic from entering the environment, or to clean up legacy litter. This study aims to (i) systematically review the current scientific literature on plastic remediation technologies, (ii) create a 'plastic clean-up and prevention overview' illustrating 124 remediation technologies and 29 characteristics, (iii) qualitatively analyse their key characteristics (e.g., fields of application, targeted plastic), and (iv) investigate challenges and opportunities of clean-up technologies for inland waterways (e.g., canals, rivers) and ports. We identified 61 scientific publications on plastic remediation technologies, until June 2022. Thirty-four of these studies were published within the last three years, demonstrating a growing interest. The presented overview indicates that inland waterways are, so far, the preferred field of application, with 22 technologies specifically designed for cleaning up plastics from inland waterways, and 52 additional ones with the potential to be installed in these locations. Given the importance of clean-up technologies in inland waterways, we highlighted their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). Our results indicate that, despite the challenges, these technologies provide essential prospects, from improving the environmental quality to raising awareness. Our study is instrumental as it illustrates an up-to-date overview and provides a comprehensive analysis of current in design phase, testing, and in use plastic remediation technologies.

Trajectories of depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and functional impairment during internet-enabled cognitive-behavioural therapy.

Underlying classes capture differences between patient symptom trajectories during psychological therapy. This has not been explored for one-to-one internet-delivered therapy or functional impairment trajectories. Patients experiencing depression or anxiety received cognitive-behavioural therapy with a therapist using an online chat platform (N = 52,029). Trajectory classes of depression symptoms (PHQ9), anxiety symptoms (GAD7) and functional impairment (WSAS) were investigated using growth mixture modelling. Multinomial regressions tested associations between baseline variables and trajectory class. A four-class trajectory model was selected for each outcome, and these were highly similar. Each outcome showed three classes with initially moderate-severe symptoms or impairment: one demonstrated no change, one gradual improvement and one fast improvement. A fourth class had mild baseline scores and minimal improvement. In the moderate-severe classes, patients in the two with improvement were more likely to be employed and not to have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Fast improvement was likelier than gradual improvement or no change for patients with older age, no disability (e.g., physical, learning), or lower comorbid symptom or impairment scores. Associations with functional impairment classes were more similar to associations with depression classes than anxiety classes. Results were largely consistent with findings from face-to-face therapy. This study is an important step towards personalising therapy in terms of suitability and continuation.

Micro- and nanoplastics transfer from seawater to the atmosphere through aerosolization under controlled laboratory conditions.

Sea spray has been suggested to enable the transfer of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) from the ocean to the atmosphere, but only a few studies support the role of sea spray aerosols (SSAs) as a source of airborne particles. We demonstrated that MNPs are aerosolized during wave action, via SSAs, under controlled laboratory conditions. We used a mini-Marine-Aerosol-Reference-Tank (miniMART), a device that mimics naturally occurring physical mechanisms producing SSAs, and assessed the aerosolization of fluorescent polystyrene beads (0.5-10 µm), in artificial seawater. The SSAs contained up to 18,809 particles/mL of aerosols for 0.5 µm beads, with an enrichment factor of 19-fold, and 1977 particles/mL of aerosols for 10 µm beads with a 2-fold enrichment factor. Our study demonstrates that the use of the miniMART is essential to assess MNPs aerosolization in a standardized way, supporting the hypothesis which states that MNPs in the surface of the ocean may be transferred to the atmosphere.

Impact of the citizen science project COLLECT on ocean literacy and well-being within a north/west African and south-east Asian context.

Plastic pollution is both a societal and environmental problem and citizen science has shown to be a useful tool to engage both the public and professionals in addressing it. However, knowledge on the educational and behavioral impacts of citizen science projects focusing on marine litter remains limited. Our preregistered study investigates the impact of the citizen science project Citizen Observation of Local Litter in coastal ECosysTems (COLLECT) on the participants' ocean literacy, pro-environmental intentions and attitudes, well-being, and nature connectedness, using a pretest-posttest design. A total of 410 secondary school students from seven countries, in Africa (Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria) and Asia (Malaysia) were trained to sample plastics on sandy beaches and to analyze their collection in the classroom. Non-parametric statistical tests (n = 239 matched participants) demonstrate that the COLLECT project positively impacted ocean literacy (i.e., awareness and knowledge of marine litter, self-reported litter-reducing behaviors, attitudes towards beach litter removal). The COLLECT project also led to higher pro-environmental behavioral intentions for students in Benin and Ghana (implying a positive spillover effect) and higher well-being and nature connectedness for students in Benin. Results are interpreted in consideration of a high baseline in awareness and attitudes towards marine litter, a low internal consistency of pro-environmental attitudes, the cultural context of the participating countries, and the unique settings of the project's implementation. Our study highlights the benefits and challenges of understanding how citizen science impacts the perceptions and behaviors towards marine litter in youth from the respective regions.

The ecotoxicological consequences of microplastics and co-contaminants in aquatic organisms: a mini-review.

Microplastics (MPs, <5 mm in size) are a grave environmental concern. They are a ubiquitous persistent pollutant group that has reached into all parts of the environment - from the highest mountain tops to the depths of the ocean. During their production, plastics have added to them numerous chemicals in the form of plasticizers, colorants, fillers and stabilizers, some of which have known toxicity to biota. When released into the environments, MPs are also likely to encounter chemical contaminants, including hydrophobic organic contaminants, trace metals and pharmaceuticals, which can sorb to plastic surfaces. Additionally, MPs have been shown to be ingested by a wide range of organisms and it is this combination of ingestion and chemical association that gives weight to the notion that MPs may impact the bioavailability and toxicity of both endogenous and exogenous co-contaminants. In this mini-review, we set the recent literature within what has been previously published about MPs as chemical carriers to biota, with particular focus on aquatic invertebrates and fish. We then present a critical viewpoint on the validity of laboratory-to-field extrapolations in this area. Lastly, we highlight the expanding 'microplastic universe' with the addition of anthropogenic particles that have gained recent attention, namely, tire wear particles, nanoplastics and, bio-based or biodegradable MPs, and highlight the need for future research in their potential roles as vehicles of co-contaminant transfer.