Among microplastics (MPs), fibers are one of the most abundant shapes encountered in the aquatic environment. Growing attention is being focused on this typology of particles since they are considered an important form of marine contamination. Information about microfibers distribution in the Mediterranean Sea is still limited and the increasing evidence of the high amount of fibers in the aquatic environment should lead to a different classification from MPs which, by definition, are composed only of synthetic materials and not natural. In the past, cellulosic fibers (natural and regenerated) have been likely included in the synthetic realm by hundreds of studies, inflating “micro-plastic” counts in both environmental matrices and organisms. Comparisons are often hampered because many of the available studies have explicitly excluded the micro-fibers (MFs) content due, for example, to methodological problems. Considering the abundance of micro-fibers in the environment, a chemical composition analysis is fundamental for toxicological assessments. Overall, the results of this review work provide the basis to monitor and mitigate the impacts of microfiber pollution on the sea ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea, which can be used to investigate other basins of the world for future risk assessment.

The contamination of microplastics in humans is of increasing concern. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop effective methods to determine the concentration and types of microplastics entering human digestive system. To study levels of MPs contamination in humans, an excellent indicator are stools. Indeed, stools, and thus the digestive system, can be an excellent indicator of the level of MPs contamination in humans. Hence, objective was to find effective methods to extract, quantify and characterize microplastics in stool and small intestine samples. The samples studied were human stools and pig jejunum (which has human-like characteristics). The methods were optimized by observing extraction efficiency, compatibility by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) characterization and non-deformation of the microplastics. The steps of the procedure were:

Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as a pervasive global threat, with wetlands often acting as major sinks for these persistent pollutants. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of MP contamination in the Sijoumi sebkha, a critical Tunisian Ramsar wetland under intense urban pressure. Surface water and sediment samples were collected from ten uniformly distributed stations, analyzed via stereomicroscopy, and chemically characterized using FTIR spectroscopy and imaging.Our findings confirm the ubiquitous presence of MPs across all stations, with average concentrations of $64.40 \pm 11.03\text{ items/L}$ in surface water and $94.40 \pm 7.06\text{ items/Kg}$ in sediments. The identified polymer profile was dominated by polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and cellulose. This diverse profile pinpoints domestic laundry and mismanaged urban waste—particularly from the Borj Chakir landfill and the Gueriana Wadi—as primary pollution sources. Furthermore, the high prevalence of small-sized fibers and fragments ($0.1-1\text{ mm}$) in sediments highlights a severe ecological risk to migratory avifauna, such as the Greater Flamingo, which are highly vulnerable to MP ingestion and subsequent toxicological transfer.By establishing essential baseline data, this study underscores the increasing vulnerability of Tunisia’s natural wetlands due to inadequate waste management in the Tunis metropolitan area. These findings reveal a critical gap between current urban planning and environmental goals. To safeguard these fragile Ramsar ecosystems, it is imperative to implement nationwide monitoring, integrate microplastic mitigation directly into the Tunisian Urban Planning Code, and reinforce environmental impact assessment (EIA) standards for surrounding developments.

To address the threat posed by chemicals to biodiversity and human health, the EU has introduced restrictions on certain substance groups over recent decades, notably polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Evidence of effectiveness of such restrictions in reducing exposure in terrestrial wildlife is limited. The common buzzard Buteo buteo has been identified as a suitable species for contaminant monitoring at pan-European scale. Here, we examine whether numbers and concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs show any sign of declining in the common buzzard in The Netherlands over the period 1994-2020. We used livers from 64 buzzards found dead in 10 Dutch provinces. Liver extracts were analysed by GC-MS for 31 PCBs and 23 PBDEs. We measured number of PCB and PBDE congeners, sum of PCB residues (ΣPCB) and of BDE residues (ΣBDE). Results for PCBs and PBDEs were separately analysed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and linear regression modelling supplemented by ANOVA. PCA indicated that ΣPCB and ΣBDE highly correlated with selected congeners. Linear regression revealed a declining trend over time in ΣPCB concentrations but not in number of PCB congeners, number of PBDE congeners, or ΣPBDEs. However, the decline in ΣPCB concentrations may be an artefact as year and province are not independent variables; the apparent time trend may be explained by spatial differences (between provinces). Indeed, province significantly influenced ΣPCB concentrations. Age and sex had no apparent influence on ΣPCB or ΣPBDEs. Our findings suggest that the effectiveness of regulatory restrictions on PCBs and PBDEs may vary with location.