Papers

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Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics impair the function of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells and pericytes and increase vascular permeability in vitro

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics can damage the tiny blood vessels in human retinal tissue by causing cell death in both endothelial cells and pericytes, which are essential for maintaining the blood-retinal barrier. The microplastics also increased vascular leakage in lab models, though they did not promote new blood vessel growth. These findings suggest that microplastic exposure could potentially worsen eye conditions involving blood vessel damage.

2025 Frontiers in Medicine 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The toxic effects of polystyrene microplastic/nanoplastic particles on retinal pigment epithelial cells and retinal tissue

This study found that polystyrene micro and nanoparticles damaged retinal cells in both lab dishes and live mice, causing oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation in the eye. Nanoparticles were able to penetrate into cells and trigger more severe damage than microparticles. With growing use of contact lenses and eye treatments that may introduce plastic particles, these findings raise concerns about microplastic effects on eye health.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Polystyrene Microplastics on Tube Formation and Viability of Endothelial Cells

Lab experiments found that polystyrene microplastics impaired the ability of human endothelial cells (which line blood vessels) to form tube-like structures and reduced cell viability at higher concentrations. This is early evidence that microplastics entering the bloodstream may damage vascular cells, with potential implications for cardiovascular health.

2021 Current Developments in Nutrition 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of toxicity of polystyrene microplastics under realistic exposure levels in human vascular endothelial EA.hy926 cells

Researchers exposed human vascular endothelial cells to polystyrene microplastics at concentrations comparable to levels detected in human blood. They found that the microplastics caused oxidative stress, reduced antioxidant defenses, and triggered apoptosis in the vascular cells. The study suggests that microplastics circulating in the bloodstream at realistic concentrations may contribute to vascular damage by impairing cellular protective mechanisms.

2022 Chemosphere 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse effect of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on tube formation and viability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Researchers tested the effects of polystyrene microplastics on human blood vessel cells grown in the laboratory and found that the particles reduced cell survival and inhibited the formation of new blood vessel structures. Smaller microplastics accumulated inside the cells more readily and triggered cell death through autophagy and necrosis. The study suggests that microplastics entering the bloodstream could potentially interfere with normal vascular function.

2021 Food and Chemical Toxicology 131 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic particles: In vivo and in vitro ocular surface toxicity assessment

Researchers assessed the ocular surface toxicity of polystyrene microplastics in both in vivo and in vitro models. The study found that 50 nm and 2 micrometer microplastic particles caused damage to ocular surface tissues after 48 hours of exposure, affecting cell viability and inducing inflammatory responses. The findings suggest that microplastics present in cosmetics, tap water, and air may pose a risk to eye health.

2022 Environmental Pollution 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Internalization and cytotoxicity of polystyrene microplastics in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Researchers investigated the uptake and toxicity of 1-micrometer polystyrene microplastics in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The study found that interaction between the cells and microplastics was very low, with less than 4% of cells taking up particles even at high concentrations, and no significant inflammation, autophagy, or oxidative stress responses were observed at tested exposure levels.

2022 Journal of Applied Toxicology 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic particles induce endothelial activation

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic particles triggered inflammatory activation in endothelial cells lining blood vessels, increasing adhesion molecule expression and promoting leukocyte attachment. In mice, microplastic exposure led to elevated inflammatory cytokine and adhesion molecule expression in the aorta. The study identifies microplastics as a potential new environmental risk factor for vascular inflammation.

2021 PLoS ONE 82 citations
Article Tier 2

In vivo and In vitro assessment of the retinal toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers found that orally ingested polystyrene nanoplastics can reach the mouse retina within just two hours and, after prolonged exposure, damage the blood-retina barrier, cause oxidative stress, and trigger cell death in retinal tissue. Tests on human retinal cells confirmed similar toxic effects, suggesting that nanoplastic exposure through food and water could pose previously unrecognized risks to eye health.

2025 Environment International 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Human Kidney and Liver Cell Morphology, Cellular Proliferation, and Metabolism

Researchers exposed human kidney and liver cells to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations to assess their effects on cell health. They found that microplastics altered cell shape, reduced proliferation, and disrupted cellular metabolism, with smaller particles generally causing more damage. The findings suggest that microplastics reaching internal organs could have measurable effects at the cellular level.

2022 ACS Omega 183 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics exposure induces ocular surface inflammation by causing mitochondrial damage and lipid metabolic disruption

Researchers exposed human corneal epithelial cells to polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics and investigated the resulting inflammation pathways in vitro and in vivo. Both particle types were internalized, caused mitochondrial damage and lipid metabolic disruption, and triggered ocular surface inflammatory responses, pointing to a novel mechanism of microplastic-induced eye injury.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

The effects of polystyrene microplastics on human intestinal cells health and function

This study examined how polystyrene microplastics affect normal and cancer intestinal cells, addressing a gap left by previous research that used only cancer cell lines and pristine plastics. The work evaluated microplastic toxicity under more realistic conditions including digestive system biotransformation, assessing effects on nutrient uptake and cellular function.

2022 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term polystyrene nanoparticles exposure reduces electroretinal responses and exacerbates retinal degeneration induced by light exposure

Researchers found that three months of polystyrene nanoplastic exposure in mice caused particles to penetrate the blood-retinal barrier, accumulate in retinal tissue, generate oxidative stress, and reduce light-sensitivity responses — and that prior nanoplastic exposure significantly worsened light-induced photoreceptor degeneration, with a transcriptomic profile resembling age-related macular degeneration.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Amino-Functionalized Polystyrene Nano-Plastics Induce Mitochondria Damage in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Researchers found that amino-functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics can damage mitochondria in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, which line blood vessels. The study suggests that nanoplastics small enough to enter the body through the food chain may pose risks to the cardiovascular system by disrupting cellular energy production and triggering oxidative stress in vascular cells.

2022 Toxics 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastic Exposure Triggers an Activation and Stress Response in Human Astrocytes

Researchers exposed primary human astrocytes to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics and found that these particles triggered cellular stress responses, including increased production of reactive oxygen species and activation of inflammatory pathways. Nanoplastics were particularly effective at penetrating cells and disrupting normal astrocyte function. The findings suggest that plastic particle exposure may contribute to neuroinflammatory processes in the brain, warranting further investigation into potential neurotoxic effects.

2025 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induced retinal toxicity: Size-, dose-, and developmental stage-dependent effects on human neural retina organoids

Using lab-grown human retina organoids (miniature models of the developing eye), researchers showed that polystyrene nanoplastics can damage retinal cells in ways that depend on particle size, dose, and developmental stage. Smaller particles (100 nm) caused more severe harm than larger ones, reducing cell growth and disrupting the genes needed for normal eye development. When combined with cadmium, a heavy metal commonly found on microplastics, the damage was even worse, raising concerns about eye health effects from nanoplastic exposure.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure of microplastic at levels relevant for human health : cytotoxicity and cellular localization of polystyrene microparticles in four human cell lines

Researchers tested the cytotoxicity of polystyrene microplastics on four human cell lines at concentrations relevant to real-world human exposure from food, water, and packaging. At environmentally realistic doses, microplastics were taken up by cells but did not cause significant toxicity, though higher concentrations did produce cell damage, suggesting that current exposure levels may be near a threshold of concern.

2020 Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University)
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic particles: In vitro pulmonary toxicity assessment

Researchers tested the effects of polystyrene microplastics on human lung cells in the laboratory and found that the particles triggered inflammation and oxidative stress. The microplastics also weakened the protective barrier function of lung tissue by depleting key structural proteins. The study suggests that inhaling microplastics may increase the risk of respiratory problems by damaging the lung's natural defenses.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 654 citations
Article Tier 2

Neuromuscular, retinal, and reproductive impact of low-dose polystyrene microplastics on Drosophila

Researchers found that even low doses of polystyrene microplastics impaired neuromuscular signaling, altered retinal function, and reduced reproductive rates in fruit flies, with gene expression changes in key signaling pathways underlying these effects.

2021 Environmental Pollution 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary Study on the Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics in Human Colorectal Cells

Researchers evaluated the toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics in two sizes, 80 nanometers and 500 nanometers, on human colorectal cells in laboratory culture. They found that both sizes significantly reduced cell viability, induced cell death, and disrupted the normal cell cycle in a dose-dependent manner. The study provides preliminary evidence that microplastic particles at sizes relevant to human exposure may pose risks to intestinal cell health.

2026 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Biological effects of polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics on human intestinal organoid-derived epithelial tissue models without and with M cells.

Researchers exposed human intestinal organoid-derived epithelial tissue models with and without M cells to polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics, finding that nano-plastics caused greater disruption of barrier integrity and uptake than micro-plastics, and that M cell-containing models showed enhanced particle translocation compared to standard epithelial models.

2023 Nanomedicine : nanotechnology, biology, and medicine
Article Tier 2

Detection and Characterization of Multiple Microplastics in the Human Retina

Scientists detected microplastics in all 12 post-mortem human retina samples tested, with concentrations averaging about 49 micrograms per gram of tissue. Common plastics like polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC were found, mostly as tiny fragments and fibers between 20 and 50 micrometers. This is the first study to confirm and measure microplastics in the human eye, raising new questions about whether these particles could affect vision or retinal health over time.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidative Properties of Polystyrene Nanoparticles with Different Diameters in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (In Vitro Study)

Researchers exposed human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to polystyrene nanoparticles of different sizes and measured oxidative stress and mitochondrial function, finding that smaller particles induced greater reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial disruption, with significant cell damage at concentrations relevant to human exposure estimates.

2021 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Alteration of zeta potential and cell viability in rat-derived L6 skeletal muscle cells and H9c2 cardiomyocytes: A study with submicron polystyrene particles

Researchers found that the size and surface modification of polystyrene particles significantly alter zeta potential and cell viability in rat-derived L6 skeletal muscle cells and H9c2 cardiomyocytes, demonstrating that submicron plastic particle characteristics determine their membrane-level effects.

2024 Polymers in Medicine