Human - Microplastic - Algae: an interesting link

Authors

  • Luis Montero-Mendoza San Pablo University Campus, University of Cartagena, Colombia.
  • Rosenda Aguilar-Aguilar Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, México.

Keywords:

pollution, microscopic algae, aquatic enviroment

Abstract

The current environmental crisis caused by plastic pollution has prompted humanity to pursue various solutions. Among these, the use of algae (both unicellular and macroscopic) has emerged as a potential approach to reduce or partially eliminate microplastics in aquatic environments. This article highlights several such cases but emphasizes that algae-based technological optimism is not a panacea for a problem whose resolution fundamentally requires transformations in humanity’s economic, political, social, and cultural paradigms

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Anjum, F., Azam, A., Faseeh, H., Bano, R., Latif, M., y A. M. Fahid. (2023). Effects of Microplastics on Living Organisms and their Trophic Transfer: An Ecotoxicological Review. Futuristic Biotechnology, vol. 3, Issue 3, https://fbtjournal.com/index.php/fbt

Bollaín Pastor, C., y Agulló, V. (2019). Presencia de microplásticos en aguas y su potencial impacto en la salud pública. Revista Española de Salud Pública, 93, e201908064.

Gabrabad, M. E., Yari, M., y Bonyadi, Z. (2024). Using Spirulina platensis as a natural biocoagulant for polystyrene removal from aqueous medium: Performance, optimization, and modeling. Scientific Reports, 14, 2506. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53123-y

Geyer, R., Jambeck, J., y Lavander Law, K. (2017). Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances, 3, e1700782. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782

Godswill, A. y A. Godspel. (2019). Physiological Effects of Plastic Wastes on the Endocrine System (Bisphenol A, Phthalates, Bisphenol S, PBDEs, TBBPA). International Journal of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, 4(2): 11-29, http://www.aascit.org/journal/ijbcb

Hartmann, N., Huffer, T., Thompson, R., y Hassellov, M. (2019). Are we speaking the same language? Recommendations for a definition and categorization framework for plastic debris. Environmental Science & Technology, 53(3), 1039–1047. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b05297

Jiang, Y., Niu, S., y Wu, J. (2024). The role of algae in regulating the fate of microplastics: A review for processes, mechanisms, and influencing factors. Science of the Total Environment, 949, 175227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175227

Lotfigolsefidi, F., Davoudi, M., Sarkhosh, M., y Bonyadi, Z. (2025). Removal of microplastics by algal biomass from aqueous solutions: Performance, optimization, and modeling. Scientific Reports, 15, 501. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84114-8

Moog, D., Schmitt, J., Senger, J., Zarzycki, J., Rexer, K., Linne, U., Erb, T., y Maier, U. (2019). Using a marine microalga as a chassis for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) degradation. Microbial Cell Factories, 18, 171. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12934-019-1220-z

Our World in Data. (s. f.). Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org

Peller, J., Nevers, M., Byappanahalli, M., Nelson, C., Ganesh, B., Evans, M., Kostelnik, E., Keller, M., Johnston, J., y Shidler, S. (2021). Sequestration of microfibers and other microplastics by green algae, Cladophora, in the US Great Lakes. Environmental Pollution, 276, 116695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116695

Sanniyasi, E., Kanna Gopal, R., Gunasekar, D., y Raj, P. (2021). Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sheet by microalga, Uronema africanum Borge. Scientific Reports, 11, 17233. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-96315-6

Published

2026-03-04

How to Cite

Montero-Mendoza, L., & Aguilar-Aguilar, R. (2026). Human - Microplastic - Algae: an interesting link. Milenaria, Ciencia Y Arte, (27), 4–6. Retrieved from http://www.milenaria.umich.mx/ojs/index.php/milenaria/article/view/712

Issue

Section

Artículos