Publications

Featured publications
Lifetime accumulation of microplastic in children and adults
Mohamed Nor, N.H., Kooi, M., Diepens, N.J. & Koelmans, A.A.
A probabilistic lifetime exposure model for children and adults, which accounts for intake via eight food types and inhalation, intestinal absorption, biliary excretion and plastic-associated chemical exposure via a physiologically based pharmacokinetic submodel.

Microplastics in freshwaters and drinking water: critical review and assessment of data quality
Koelmans, A. A., Nor, N. H. M., Hermsen, E., Kooi, M., Mintenig, S. M., & De France, J.
Fifty studies on microplastics were reviewed, including river and lake water, ground water, tap water and bottled drinking water. The quality of the studies was assessed quantitatively. Only four out of fifty studies scored positive on all quality criteria.

Quality criteria for microplastic effect studies in the context of risk assessment: a critical review
de Ruijter, V. N., Redondo-Hasselerharm, P. E., Gouin, T., & Koelmans, A. A.
We set 20 quality criteria, focusing on particle characteristics, experimental design and ecological relevance. 105 Studies were reviewed, with none of the studies scoring positive on all 20 criteria, stressing the need for better quality assurance.

Solving the nonalignment of methods and approaches used in microplastic research to consistently characterize risk
Koelmans, A. A., Redondo-Hasselerharm, P. E., Mohamed Nor, N. H., & Kooi, M.
The lack of standard approaches in microplastic research limits progress. We present and test rescaling methods to improve the alighment of methods used, focussing on size ranges, particle size, volume and mass, and finally on species sensitivity distributions.

Simplifying microplastic via continuous probability distributions for size, shape, and density
Kooi, M. & Koelmans, A.A.
Microplastics are diverse in size, shape and density. Any discrete classification fails to capture the continuous nature of the environmental mixtures. We present continuous distributions that describe microplastic properties. These distributions can be used for proabilistic risk modelling.

Nano-and microplastics affect the composition of freshwater benthic communities in the long term.
Redondo-Hasselerharm, P. E., Gerrit Gort, E. T. H. M. Peeters, and A. A. Koelmans.
Long-term effects of five concentrations of nano- and microplastics on the natural recolonization of sediments by a macroinvertebrate community have been studied. After 15 months, some species in the communities were affected.
Recent publications
Bäuerlein, P.S., Erich, M.W., van Loon, W., Mintenig, S.M., Koelmans, A.A. 2023. A monitoring and data analysis method for microplastics in marine sediments. Mar. Environ. Res. 183, 105804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2022.105804
Nizamali, J., Mintenig, S.M., Koelmans, A.A. 2023. Assessing microplastic characteristics in bottled drinking water and air deposition samples using laser direct infrared imaging J. Hazard. Mater. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129942
Redondo-Hasselerharm, P.E., Rico, A., Koelmans, A.A. 2023. Risk assessment of microplastics in freshwater benthic ecosystems guided by strict quality criteria and data alignment methods. J. Hazard. Mater. 441, 129814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129814
Alkema, L., van Lissa, C.J., Kooi, M., Koelmans, A.A. 2022. Maximizing realism: mapping marine plastics using mixtures of normal distributions, Environ. Sci. Technol. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c03559
O'Connor, J., Lally, H., Mahon, A.M., O'Connor, I. Nash, R., O'Sullivan, J., Bruen, M., Heerey, L., Koelmans, A.A., Marnell, F., Murphy, S. 2022. Microplastics in Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) spraints and their potential as a biomonitoring tool in freshwater systems. Ecosphere. http://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3955
Thornton Hampton, L.M., Brander, S., Coffin, S., Cole, M., Hermabessiere, L., Koelmans, A.A., Rochman, C.M. 2022. Characterizing microplastic hazards: Which concentration metrics and particle characteristics are most informative for understanding toxicity in aquatic organisms? Micropl.&Nanopl. 2, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-022-00040-4
Coffin, S., Weisberg, S.B., Rochman, C.M., Kooi, M., Koelmans, A.A. 2022. Risk Characterization of Microplastics in San Francisco Bay, California. Micropl.&Nanopl. 2,19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-022-00037-z
Mehinto, A.C., Coffin, S., Koelmans, A.A., Brander, S.M., Wagner, M., Thornton Hampton, L.M., Burton, G.A., Miller, E., Gouin, T., Weisberg, S.B., Rochman, C.M. 2022. Risk-Based Management Framework for Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems. Micropl.&Nanopl. 2, 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-022-00033-3
Thornton Hampton, L.M., Lowman, H., Coffin, S., Darin, E., De Frond, H., Hermabessiere, L., Miller, E., de Ruijter, V.N., Faltynkova, A., Kotar, S., Anglada, L.M., Siddiqui, S., Völker, J., Brander, S., Koelmans, A.A., Rochman, C., Wagner, M., Mehinto, A.C. 2022. A Living Tool for the Continued Exploration of Microplastic Toxicity, Micropl.&Nanopl. 2, 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-022-00032-4
Coffin, S., Bouwmeester, H., Brander, S., Damdimopoulou, P., Gouin, T., Hermabessiere, L., Khan, E., Koelmans, A.A., Lemieux, C.L., Teerds, K., Wagner, M., Weisberg, S.B., Wright, S. 2022. Development and application of a health-based framework for informing regulatory action in relation to exposure of microplastic particles in California drinking water, Microplastics & Nanoplastics. 2, 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-022-00030-6