On January 5, Professor Wang Lei (汪磊) from Nankai University was invited to deliver an academic talk at SKLAET entitled ‘Initial Insights into Biological Exposure Behaviors of Environmental Microplastics’ (环境微塑料的生物暴露行为初探).The talk focused on recent advances in environmental microplastics research and systematically introduced analytical methods, major biological exposure pathways, as well as the associated environmental and health risks of microplastics.

During the talk, Professor Wang highlighted his team’s recent Nature publication, ‘Leaf absorption contributes to accumulation of microplastics in plants.’ This study elucidates the dominant pathways and underlying mechanisms of microplastic uptake by plants, providing new scientific evidence for understanding the transport and accumulation of microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, Professor Wang shared insights from his own research experience, including the conceptual framing of the study, research strategies, and reflections on the experience of manuscript preparation and publication.

The talk attracted broad participation from researchers and graduate students at SKLAET and stimulated lively discussions on the impacts of environmental microplastic exposure on physiological functions, as well as on approaches for characterizing and assessing health risks associated with microplastic exposure.

(Written by Jianchu)