Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Combined Effects of Microplastics and Benzo[a]pyrene on the Marine Diatom Chaetoceros muelleri

Researchers investigated the combined effects of microplastics and benzo[a]pyrene on marine diatoms, finding that co-exposure altered toxicity outcomes compared to individual exposures, with effects varying depending on microplastic polymer type and size.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 33 citations
Article Tier 2

The interfacial interaction between Dechlorane Plus (DP) and polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs): An overlooked influence factor for the algal toxicity of PSNPs

Researchers investigated how a flame retardant chemical called Dechlorane Plus interacts with polystyrene nanoplastics and found that the two pollutants bind together and become more harmful to algae than either one alone. When exposed to both contaminants simultaneously, algae showed reduced photosynthesis, greater growth inhibition, and significantly increased oxidative damage. The study suggests that the combined effects of nanoplastics and their chemical additives pose greater environmental risks than previously recognized.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Do transparent exopolymeric particles (TEP) affect the toxicity of nanoplastics on Chaetoceros neogracile?

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics more severely impair the growth, photosynthesis, and metabolism of the marine diatom Chaetoceros neogracile during active cell division than during dormancy, with higher levels of transparent exopolymer particles (sticky gel-like substances) in dormant cultures likely aggregating nanoplastics and reducing their cellular impact.

2019 Environmental Pollution 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Heatwaves increase the polystyrene nanoplastic-induced toxicity to marine diatoms through interfacial interaction regulation

Researchers found that marine heatwaves significantly worsen the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on an important ocean diatom species. The higher temperatures weakened the algal cell walls and increased nanoplastic adhesion, leading to greater membrane damage and reduced photosynthesis and carbon absorption. The findings suggest that climate change and plastic pollution together may pose a compounding threat to ocean productivity.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics diminish the toxic effects of Nano-TiO2 in marine algae Chlorella sp.

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics reduced the toxic effects of nano-titanium dioxide on marine algae by forming larger aggregates that decreased the bioavailability of both particle types. The combined exposure led to lower oxidative stress and reduced cellular damage compared to nano-titanium dioxide alone. The study demonstrates that interactions between different types of nanoparticles in marine environments can produce antagonistic effects that alter their individual toxicity profiles.

2021 Environmental Research 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microplastics and salinity variation on a marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Researchers found that PMMA microplastics combined with salinity stress had interactive toxic effects on the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, with combined stressors causing greater growth inhibition and oxidative damage than either factor alone.

2021 Chemosphere 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene and triphenyl phosphate on growth, photosynthesis and oxidative stress of Chaetoceros meülleri

Researchers studied the single and combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and the flame retardant triphenyl phosphate on the marine diatom Chaetoceros muelleri. Both pollutants individually inhibited cell growth and increased oxidative stress, while their combined exposure produced interactive effects on photosynthesis and cell membrane integrity. The study suggests that microplastics and their associated chemical additives can jointly impact the health of marine microalgae at the base of the food web.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of coral reef dinoflagellates to nanoplastics under experimental conditions

Researchers exposed symbiotic dinoflagellates from coral reefs to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that cell growth and aggregation were significantly reduced after 10 days. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution could harm the tiny algae that are essential to coral reef health, with potential consequences for reef ecosystems.

2020 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effect of nanoplastic particles and phototoxicant on microalgae

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoparticles and methylene blue, a phototoxic compound, on two species of freshwater microalgae. Depending on concentrations and exposure duration, the combination produced synergistic, additive, or antagonistic toxic effects on algal growth. The study highlights that nanoplastics can modify the toxicity of other pollutants in complex and sometimes unpredictable ways.

2026 Advances in Natural Sciences Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects on ciliates under nano-/micro-plastics coexist with silver nanoparticles

Researchers tested the combined effects of different-sized plastic particles with silver nanoparticles on marine microorganisms and found that the mixture was more toxic than either pollutant alone. Smaller nanoplastics combined with silver nanoparticles caused the most severe damage, disrupting energy and fat metabolism and causing DNA and protein damage. This study shows how microplastics can amplify the toxicity of other environmental pollutants in marine food chains.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (chrysene and fluoranthene) on the growth and physiological characteristics of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Researchers tested how polystyrene nanoplastics combined with two common pollutants (chrysene and fluoranthene, found in vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions) affect green algae. The combination reduced algae growth, damaged cell membranes, and triggered oxidative stress more severely than either pollutant alone. Since algae are the foundation of aquatic food chains, this combined toxicity from nanoplastics and common environmental pollutants could have cascading effects on water ecosystems and the organisms that depend on them.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Are the primary characteristics of polystyrene nanoplastics responsible for toxicity and ad/absorption in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum?

Researchers exposed the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to 50 nm and 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics and found that smaller particles triggered faster oxidative stress and photosynthetic damage while larger ones were more stable and caused greater growth inhibition over 72 hours, illustrating how particle size shapes toxicity dynamics in marine algae.

2019 Environmental Pollution 180 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of polystyrene plastics on the toxicity of triphenyltin to the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum—influence of plastic particle size

The presence of polystyrene particles of different sizes was found to modify the toxicity of triphenyltin (a toxic organotin compound) to the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum, with effects depending on whether the plastic particles increased or decreased the bioavailability of the chemical. The study illustrates how microplastics can alter the toxicity of co-occurring chemical pollutants to sensitive marine microalgae.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Individual and combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and clothianidin toward Daphnia magna, Lemna minor, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and Microcystis aeruginosa

Scientists tested polystyrene nanoplastics and a common insecticide (clothianidin) both alone and together on four different freshwater organisms. Surprisingly, the combined exposure was generally less toxic than predicted, showing antagonistic interactions where the two pollutants partially canceled out each other's effects. However, the nanoplastics alone still caused long-lasting harm to water flea reproduction that carried over to offspring born after exposure ended, suggesting nanoplastics can have multi-generational effects.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and Cd on submerged plants Ceratophyllum demersum L.

Researchers studied the combined effects of nanoplastics and cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, on the aquatic plant Ceratophyllum demersum. They found that nanoplastics worsened cadmium's harmful effects on plant growth, photosynthesis, and cellular health, reducing growth rates by over 35%. The study suggests that when nanoplastics and heavy metals co-occur in water, their combined impact on aquatic plants may be more severe than either pollutant alone.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 51 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of algal EPS in reducing the combined toxicity of BPA and polystyrene nanoparticles to the freshwater algae Scenedesmus obliquus

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and the industrial chemical BPA affect freshwater algae when combined, and whether the algae's own protective secretions could reduce the damage. Carboxylated nanoplastics were the most toxic form, and the algae's natural exopolymeric substances helped buffer the combined toxicity. The findings suggest that biological interactions in real waterways may partially mitigate some harmful effects of nanoplastic pollution.

2023 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Unravelling the toxicity mechanisms of polystyrene nanoplastics on physiological and transcriptomic responses of the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum

Researchers exposed the toxic marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum to polystyrene nanoplastics at concentrations from 0.1 to 50 mg/L and measured physiological responses and toxin production. NP exposure inhibited growth and photosynthesis, altered gene expression, and changed the profile of paralytic shellfish toxins produced by the alga.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicity of emerging pollutants: Interactive impact of polystyrene nanoplastics and Metanil yellow on Artemia salina

Researchers exposed a common marine test animal, brine shrimp, to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with a synthetic yellow dye and found the mixture was far more toxic than either substance alone, killing over 93% of shrimp. The dye coated the nanoplastic surfaces, increased particle size, and amplified oxidative stress, showing that nanoplastics can make co-existing pollutants more dangerous.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics and their combined effects with sulphamethoxazole on the free-floating aquatic plant Lemna major

Researchers examined the combined effects of nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulphamethoxazole on free-floating algae, assessing whether nanoplastics alter antibiotic toxicity. The co-exposure produced greater inhibitory effects on algal growth than either substance alone.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Behavior of tetracycline and polystyrene nanoparticles in estuaries and their joint toxicity on marine microalgae Skeletonema costatum

Researchers studied the sorption of tetracycline antibiotic onto polystyrene nanoparticles in simulated estuarine conditions and found that the combination was more toxic to the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum than either stressor alone, due to enhanced cellular uptake of antibiotic delivered by nanoplastics.

2020 Environmental Pollution 96 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity interaction of polystyrene nanoplastics with sulfamethoxazole on the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: A closer look at effect of light availability

Researchers studied how light availability influences the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole on the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The study found that the interaction between these two pollutants was largely antagonistic under low and normal light conditions, as nanoplastics could adsorb the antibiotic and reduce its bioavailability, highlighting the importance of environmental factors in determining combined pollutant toxicity.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effect of polystyrene microplastics and dibutyl phthalate on the microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers investigated the combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics and the plasticizer dibutyl phthalate on the microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa. They found that smaller microplastics were more toxic than larger ones, and the interaction between microplastics and the plasticizer ranged from additive to antagonistic depending on concentration. At higher microplastic levels, the particles actually reduced the bioavailability of the plasticizer, partially offsetting its toxic effects.

2019 Environmental Pollution 201 citations
Article Tier 2

Dual impacts of elevated pCO2 on the ecological effects induced by microplastics and nanoplastics: A study with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Researchers examined how freshwater acidification from elevated carbon dioxide interacts with polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics to affect a common green algae species. They found that smaller nanoplastics caused greater harm than larger microplastics, primarily through oxidative stress, while acidification alone actually promoted algal growth. The study reveals that climate change and plastic pollution can interact in unexpected ways, with acidification sometimes masking or modifying the toxic effects of plastic particles.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and PCB-52 to the aquatic duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics and PCB-52 act synergistically to impair the aquatic plant Spirodela polyrhiza, with combined exposure amplifying oxidative stress, chlorophyll loss, and osmotic imbalance in roots beyond what either pollutant caused alone — while low nanoplastic doses alone mildly stimulated growth.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 16 citations