Plain polystyrene microplastics reduce the toxic effects of ZnO particles on marine microalgae Dunaliella salina

Nanoplastic exposure inhibits growth, photosynthetic pigment synthesis and oxidative enzymes in microalgae: A new threat to primary producers in aquatic environment

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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) can seriously harm microalgae, the tiny plants that form the base of the ocean's food chain, by slowing their growth by up to 42%, reducing their ability to photosynthesize, and triggering stress damage inside their cells. Since these algae are eaten by small creatures that are eaten by bigger fish (eventually including the seafood we eat), this damage could ripple up the food chain and disrupt entire aquatic ecosystems. While this study looked at algae rather than humans directly, it adds to growing evidence that nanoplastic pollution, now found

Effects of Microplastic on the Growth and Nutrient Absorption of Microalgae

A brief overview of the interaction between micro/nanoplastics and algae

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This review synthesizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics harm algae — disrupting growth, pigmentation, photosynthesis, and oxidative balance — while also exploring algae as a promising eco-friendly method to remove plastic particles from water. Because algae anchor aquatic food webs as primary producers, MNP-driven algal stress cascades upward through trophic levels, ultimately threatening ecosystem health and human seafood safety.

Physiological, morphological, and growth effects of microplastics on freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris

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Researchers showed that microplastics inhibit growth, reduce chlorophyll and photosynthetic efficiency, and trigger oxidative stress in the freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting the species could serve as a bioindicator for aquatic microplastic contamination.

The Effects of Microplastics on Growth and Photosynthetic Activity of Chlorella pyrenoidosa: The Role of Types and Sizes

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Researchers exposed the freshwater alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa to polystyrene and PVC microplastics across three size ranges for 14 days, finding that smaller particles caused greater growth inhibition — up to 43% — and that algae responded by secreting extracellular polymers and forming aggregates to resist the particles.