{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,24]],"date-time":"2026-09-24T00:05:16Z","timestamp":1790208316495,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]],"date-time":"2026-06-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780531200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Glitter is a distinctive and largely overlooked form of primary microplastic. Unlike more commonly studied microplastics, glitter particles are typically flat, highly reflective, multi-layered, and are composed of polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride with metallic coatings and a wide range of additives. In response to regulatory restrictions on intentionally added microplastics and increasing consumer demand, \u201ceco-friendly\u201d alternatives based on modified regenerated cellulose, cellulose nanocrystals, or mica have been introduced, although their environmental safety remains insufficiently characterized. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the environmental occurrence and ecotoxicological effects of both conventional and biodegradable glitters. A systematic literature search in Scopus identified 15 peer-reviewed experimental studies meeting predefined inclusion criteria. Evidence spans a wide range of taxa, including bacteria (i.e., Aliivibrio fischeri), microalgae and cyanobacteria (i.e., Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Raphidocelis subcapitata, Microcystis aeruginosa), aquatic plants (i.e., Lemna minor, Egeria densa), marine and freshwater invertebrates as crustaceans (i.e., Daphnia magna), bivalves (i.e., Mytilus galloprovincialis), sea urchins (i.e., Paracentrotus lividus), brine shrimp (Artemia sp.) and terrestrial soil fauna (Eisenia fetida, Folsomia candida). Results indicate that glitter cannot be treated as a uniform stressor: biological responses vary markedly with particle size, shape, colour, polymer type, additive composition, and weathering time, and leachates often exert stronger effects than intact particles. Reported impacts include impaired photosynthesis and growth, oxidative stress, developmental abnormalities, altered energy metabolism, and reduced reproduction. Substantial gaps remain regarding environmental concentrations, ageing processes, mixture effects, and long-term ecological consequences, particularly for biodegradable glitters. Addressing these gaps will require realistic exposure scenarios, mesocosm and field studies, and integrated chemical\u2013biological approaches to support robust risk assessment and safer material design.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biology15110889","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]],"date-time":"2026-06-05T03:24:33Z","timestamp":1780629873000},"page":"889","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Ecotoxicological Effects of Conventional and Eco-Friendly Glitter: A Literature Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Sara","family":"Futia","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0585-1168","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paolo","family":"Pastorino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d\u2019Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9920-5051","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Montserrat","family":"Sol\u00e9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM), CSIC, Pg. Mar\u00edtim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Barbara","family":"Caldaroni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Gentile","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ambrosius Josef Martin","family":"D\u00f6rr","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marino","family":"Prearo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d\u2019Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154 Torino, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2452-1698","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Monia","family":"Renzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7750-6339","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonia Concetta","family":"Elia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Via Elce di Sotto 8, 06123 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118036","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecoenv.2025.118036","article-title":"Microplastics in Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems: Occurrence, Characterization, Sources, Distribution Dynamics, Fate, Transport Processes, Potential Mitigation Strategies, and Policy Interventions","volume":"294","author":"Jolaosho","year":"2025","journal-title":"Ecotoxicol. 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