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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Physiological and molecular responses to different sizes of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics in the model unicellular eukaryote Paramecium tetraurelia
ClearEnrichment effects of Paramecium on polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes and concentrations and the mechanism of reverse toxicity
Researchers exposed Paramecium to polystyrene nanoplastics of three sizes (30, 100, and 500 nm) and found that the single-celled organisms efficiently accumulate particles via adsorption and phagocytosis, with smaller and higher-concentration nanoplastics causing greater oxidative stress and shifting cell death from apoptosis toward necrosis in a size- and dose-dependent manner.
Polystyrene (nano)microplastics cause size-dependent neurotoxicity, oxidative damage and other adverse effects inCaenorhabditis elegans
Researchers found that polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics cause neurotoxicity and oxidative damage in the model organism C. elegans, with effects varying by particle size. Smaller nanoscale particles tended to cause more severe toxic responses than larger microplastic particles. The study highlights that the size of plastic particles is an important factor in determining how harmful they are to living organisms.
Size-Dependent Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics to Tetrahymena thermophila: A Toxicokinetic–Toxicodynamic Assessment
Researchers tested three sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics on single-celled organisms and found that smaller particles were significantly more toxic, with the smallest (30 nm) causing genetic damage at concentrations already found in some waterways. This size-dependent toxicity pattern is concerning because as plastics break down in the environment, they produce ever-smaller particles that may be increasingly harmful to living organisms.
Nanoparticle-Biological Interactions in a Marine Benthic Foraminifer
Researchers exposed single-celled marine organisms called foraminifera to three types of engineered nanoparticles — including polystyrene nanoplastics — and found that all three accumulated inside the cells and triggered oxidative stress (a form of cellular damage). This study shows that even microscopic seafloor organisms are vulnerable to nanoplastic pollution, expanding the known range of species harmed by plastic contamination.
Size-Dependent Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Freshwater Microalgae After Long-Term Exposure
Researchers exposed a common freshwater algae species to polystyrene nanoplastics of three different sizes over an extended period. They found that the smallest particles caused the most damage to algae cells, while the largest particles had relatively mild effects, revealing a clear size-dependent toxicity pattern. The study suggests that the tiniest nanoplastic particles in freshwater environments may pose the greatest risk to the base of aquatic food webs.
Microcystis aeruginosa copes with toxic effects of micro/nano-plastics with varying particle sizes through different self-regulatory mechanisms
Researchers exposed the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to polystyrene particles of three different sizes ranging from nanoscale to microscale. All particle sizes harmed the algae, but they triggered different cellular defense mechanisms depending on their size, with nanoparticles causing the most severe damage. The findings reveal that particle size is a key factor in determining how microplastics affect aquatic microorganisms.
The potential effects of microplastic pollution on human digestive tract cells
Researchers tested polystyrene particles of four different sizes on human colon and small intestine cells to assess the potential effects of microplastic ingestion. They found that the smallest nanoscale particles were more readily taken up by cells and caused greater reductions in cell viability and increased oxidative stress. The study suggests that smaller plastic particles may pose a greater risk to the human digestive tract than larger ones.
Regulation of Oxidative Stress-Related Signaling Pathways in Tetrahymena pyriformis Exposed to Micro- and Nanoplastics
Researchers exposed the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics and found uptake of both particle types along with activation of multiple oxidative stress signaling pathways, demonstrating cellular stress responses in this model organism.
Physiological responses of the microalga Isochrysis galbana exposed to polystyrene microplastics with different particle sizes
Researchers exposed the marine microalga Isochrysis galbana to polystyrene microplastics of three different sizes and found that smaller particles caused more severe damage. The smallest microplastics inhibited growth, reduced photosynthetic efficiency, and increased oxidative stress more than larger particles. The study highlights that particle size is a critical factor in determining how harmful microplastics are to the base of the marine food chain.
Size-Dependent Toxicityof Polystyrene Nanoplasticsto Tetrahymena thermophila: A Toxicokinetic–ToxicodynamicAssessment
Researchers synthesized polystyrene nanoplastics of four different sizes (50–500 nm) and exposed the ciliated protist Tetrahymena thermophila to each, finding that smaller particles were more toxic and caused greater bioaccumulation, confirming a size-dependent relationship between nanoplastic properties and ecotoxicological risk.
Adverse effects of microplastics and oxidative stress-induced MAPK/Nrf2 pathway-mediated defense mechanisms in the marine copepod Paracyclopina nana
Researchers studied how nano- and micro-sized polystyrene particles affect a tiny marine crustacean called a copepod at the molecular level. They found that the smallest particles caused the most severe oxidative stress and triggered cellular defense pathways, with effects worsening at higher concentrations. The study suggests that microplastics can disrupt the internal chemistry of marine organisms even at sizes too small to see with the naked eye.
Evaluation of microplastic toxicity in accordance with different sizes and exposure times in the marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus
Researchers exposed marine copepods to polystyrene microbeads of two different sizes to understand how particle size and exposure duration affect toxicity. They found that both nano-sized and micro-sized particles increased reactive oxygen species levels inside cells and altered antioxidant gene expression and enzyme activity. The study provides important molecular-level evidence that microplastic toxicity in marine organisms depends on both the size of the particles and how long organisms are exposed.
Energy metabolism response induced by microplastic for marine dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi
Researchers examined how different sizes and types of plastic particles affect the energy metabolism of the marine dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi. The study found that smaller polystyrene particles caused greater damage to cell membrane potential, increased polysaccharide content, and weakened ATPase activity, indicating that nano-scale plastics have a more pronounced impact on cellular energy metabolism than larger microplastics.
Microplastic size-dependent biochemical and molecular effects in alga Heterosigma akashiwo
Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on the harmful algal species Heterosigma akashiwo, finding that 80-nanometer particles were more toxic than 1-micrometer particles. The study showed that smaller nanoplastics at higher concentrations inhibited algal growth and photosynthesis, disrupted antioxidant enzyme activity, and altered gene expression, suggesting size-dependent toxicity mechanisms.
Polystyrene nanoplastics as an ecotoxicological hazard: cellular and transcriptomic evidences on marine and freshwater in vitro teleost models
Researchers tested the effects of two sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics on fish cell lines from both freshwater and marine species. They found that smaller 20-nanometer particles were significantly more toxic than larger 80-nanometer ones, causing cell death through apoptosis and disrupting multiple biological pathways. The study provides evidence that nanoplastic size is a key factor in determining toxicity to aquatic organisms.
Adverse physiological and molecular level effects of polystyrene microplastics on freshwater microalgae
Researchers investigated the toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on the freshwater microalgae Euglena gracilis. The study found that microplastic exposure at 1 mg/L induced vacuole formation within 24 hours and significantly disrupted photosynthesis, with smaller particles (0.1 micrometers) causing more severe cellular damage than larger ones (5 micrometers), suggesting size-dependent toxicity mechanisms.
On measuring nanoparticle toxicity and clearance with Paramecium caudatum
Researchers used the single-celled organism Paramecium caudatum to test how nanoparticles affect aquatic life and how quickly they are cleared from cells. The study provides a simple model system for evaluating nanoparticle (and potentially nanoplastic) toxicity in aquatic environments.
Different effecting mechanisms of two sized polystyrene microplastics on microalgal oxidative stress and photosynthetic responses
Researchers found that 1 micrometer polystyrene microplastics caused more oxidative stress and cell death in marine diatoms, while 0.1 micrometer particles caused greater light shading and pigment decline, revealing distinct size-dependent toxicity mechanisms.
The toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on freshwater algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa depends on the different size of polystyrene microplastics
Researchers tested how two sizes of polystyrene microplastics affect the freshwater alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa, an important organism at the base of aquatic food webs. They found that smaller microplastics caused more severe damage to algal growth, photosynthesis, and cellular health than larger ones, with effects worsening over time and at higher concentrations. The study demonstrates that microplastic size is a critical factor determining toxicity to aquatic phytoplankton.
Do microbial decomposers find micro- and nanoplastics to be harmful stressors in the aquatic environment? A systematic review of in vitro toxicological research
Researchers systematically reviewed in vitro studies on how bacteria and fungi respond to micro- and nanoplastics, finding that polystyrene particles and E. coli dominate the literature and that nanoplastic toxicity commonly disrupts antioxidative systems, gene expression, and cell membrane integrity in microbial decomposers.
Polystyrene Microplastics of Varying Sizes and Shapes Induce Distinct Redox and Mitochondrial Stress Responses in a Caco-2 Monolayer
Researchers tested three sizes and shapes of polystyrene microplastics on human intestinal cells and found that all were taken up by the cells, with the smallest particles (200 nm) causing the most pronounced effects on cellular stress responses. The microplastics triggered changes in antioxidant gene expression and mitochondrial activity. The study suggests that the number of particles a cell absorbs, driven largely by particle size, determines the severity of the stress response.
Potential for high toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics to the European Daphnia longispina
Researchers exposed water fleas (Daphnia) to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that 50 nm particles were thousands of times more toxic per unit mass than 100 nm particles, with effects comparable to highly regulated toxic chemicals. The results highlight how particle size dramatically changes nanoplastic hazard and challenge the assumption that microplastics pose low ecological risk.
Toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on microalgae Chlorella vulgaris: Changes in biomass, photosynthetic pigments and morphology
This study tested how polystyrene nanoplastics of three different sizes affect green algae and found a clear pattern: smaller particles were more toxic than larger ones. The smallest nanoplastics (90 nm) caused the greatest reductions in algal growth and photosynthetic pigments, along with visible changes in cell shape and increased clumping. The findings suggest that as plastics break down into ever-smaller particles in the environment, their potential for biological harm may increase.
Microplastic Size-Dependent Toxicity, Oxidative Stress Induction, and p-JNK and p-p38 Activation in the Monogonont Rotifer (Brachionus koreanus)
Researchers tested the effects of different sizes of polystyrene microbeads on a type of microscopic aquatic animal called a rotifer. They found that the smallest particles caused the most harm, reducing growth rate and reproduction while triggering oxidative stress and activating cellular defense pathways. The study demonstrates that microplastic toxicity increases as particle size decreases, suggesting nanoplastics may pose greater biological risks than larger fragments.