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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Alterations Induced by Nano-Polystyrene Administration in Biological Parameters of Host-Endoparasitoids (Galleria mellonella and Pimpla turionellae) and Host Hemocyte Counts
ClearImmunological and Genotoxic Effects of Polystyrene Microparticles on the Model Insect Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
Researchers fed mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) larvae polystyrene microplastics at four dose levels and assessed immune function and DNA damage. Dietary exposure caused dose-dependent increases in larval mortality, immune cell changes, and genotoxic damage, indicating that even insect species used in waste degradation studies are harmed by microplastic ingestion.
Toxic effects of acute exposure to polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics on the model insect, silkworm Bombyx mori
Researchers tested the effects of polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics on silkworms and found that while the particles did not affect body weight or survival, they significantly altered immune gene activity and antioxidant responses. Interestingly, microplastics boosted immune defenses while nanoplastics suppressed them, meaning silkworms exposed to nanoplastics were more vulnerable to bacterial infection. The study suggests that plastic particle size is a critical factor in determining the nature and severity of toxic effects on organisms.
Ingestion and effects of polystyrene nanoparticles in the silkworm Bombyx mori
Scientists fed polystyrene nanoparticles to silkworm larvae (Bombyx mori) and found ingestion, tissue accumulation, and oxidative stress responses, demonstrating that terrestrial insects are vulnerable to nanoplastic exposure through their food.
Ingestion of polystyrene microparticles impairs survival and defecation in larvae of Polistes satan (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic ingestion significantly impaired survival and defecation in larvae of the paper wasp Polistes satan, with effects dependent on particle size and concentration. The findings demonstrate that terrestrial insects are vulnerable to microplastic contamination and that ingestion can disrupt basic physiological functions.
Ingestion of polystyrene microparticles impairs survival and defecation in larvae of Polistes satan (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
Researchers found that ingestion of polystyrene microparticles impaired survival and defecation in paper wasp larvae, with higher doses causing greater mortality, demonstrating that terrestrial insects are vulnerable to microplastic contamination.
Influence of nano-polystyrene on cyfluthrin toxicity in honeybee Apis cerana cerana Fabricius
Researchers found that nano-polystyrene plastics damaged the gut and gland development of Asian honeybees, while also changing how the bees process toxins at the genetic level. When combined with the pesticide cyfluthrin, the nanoplastics altered detoxification and immune gene activity in complex ways. Since honeybees are essential pollinators for food crops, the toxic effects of nanoplastics on bee health could have indirect consequences for human food security.
Nano- and micro-polystyrene plastics disturb gut microbiota and intestinal immune system in honeybee.
Honeybees orally exposed to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics showed disrupted gut microbiota and impaired intestinal immune function, with nanoplastics causing greater effects than microplastics. Since honeybees are critical pollinators for food production, microplastic contamination in their environment could affect both bee health and agricultural systems.
Enhanced bioaccumulation and toxicity of Fenpropathrin by polystyrene nano(micro)plastics in the model insect, silkworm (Bombyx mori)
Researchers found that polystyrene nano- and microplastics made the pesticide fenpropathrin more toxic to silkworms by acting as carriers that increased the insect's absorption of the chemical. The smaller the plastic particles were, the more they boosted pesticide accumulation in the silkworms' bodies, raising concerns about how microplastics may amplify the effects of other environmental toxins.
Hazard assessment of ingested polystyrene nanoplastics in Drosophila larvae
Researchers assessed the hazard of ingested polystyrene nanoplastics in Drosophila larvae, examining effects on gut morphology, oxidative stress, and development to characterize toxicological risks of nanoplastic exposure in a model invertebrate organism.
Interactions of insects with micro- and nanoplastics: A review
This comprehensive review of 114 studies found that micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in both terrestrial and aquatic insects, causing reduced growth, impaired reproduction, oxidative stress, and gut microbiome disruption. Since insects are foundational to food webs and pollination, plastic contamination in insect populations could cascade through ecosystems and ultimately affect human food systems.
Molecular mechanisms of nano-sized polystyrene plastics induced cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity in Eisenia fetida
Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics affect earthworm immune cells and found that exposure caused significant oxidative stress, DNA damage, and weakened immune function. The nanoplastics physically bound to and damaged lysozyme, a key immune protein, impairing the earthworms' ability to fight off infections. Since earthworms are essential soil organisms, this immune damage could have cascading effects on soil health and the agricultural systems that humans depend on.
Impact of Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastics on the Biological Traits of the Japanese Carpenter Ant, Camponotus japonicus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Researchers exposed Japanese carpenter ants to polystyrene micro and nanoplastics of different sizes and found that exposure changed their foraging behavior, reduced food intake, and affected survival rates. Smaller nanoplastics caused more severe effects than larger microplastics, consistent with findings in other organisms. While this study focused on insects, it adds to growing evidence that nanoplastics are more biologically harmful than larger particles across many species.
Amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics induced multiple response of Artemia hemocytes
Researchers exposed the zooplankton Artemia to amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics and observed multiple adverse responses in their blood cell system. The nanoplastics triggered changes across five hemocyte subpopulations, causing cell death, oxidative stress, and altered immune function at environmentally relevant concentrations. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution may compromise the innate immune defenses of small aquatic organisms at the base of the food chain.
Exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles at predicted environmental concentrations enhances toxic effects of Acinetobacter johnsonii AC15 infection on Caenorhabditis elegans
Researchers found that exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles at low, environmentally realistic concentrations made a bacterial infection significantly more harmful to the roundworm C. elegans. The nanoparticles increased bacterial accumulation in the worms' bodies and weakened their innate immune responses. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in the environment could amplify the toxicity of common microbial pathogens.
Toxicological impacts of microplastics on virulence, reproduction and physiological process of entomopathogenic nematodes
This study found that polystyrene microplastics are toxic to beneficial soil nematodes that naturally control insect pests in agriculture. The microplastics reduced the nematodes' survival, reproduction, and ability to kill pest insects, with smaller particles and higher concentrations causing the most damage. This matters because losing these natural pest controllers could lead to increased pesticide use, creating a cycle of more chemical contamination in the soil and food supply.
Polystyrene Nanoplastics Elicit Multiple Responses in Immune Cells of the Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826)
This study examined how nanoplastics from polystyrene affect the immune cells of earthworms, which play a critical role in soil ecosystems. Researchers found that the tiny plastic particles were taken up by the cells, triggered oxidative stress, weakened antioxidant defenses, destabilized cell membranes, and initiated early-stage cell death. The results provide cellular-level evidence that nanoplastic exposure poses ecological risks to soil-dwelling organisms.
A potential enzymatic pathway for polystyrene degradation using saliva of greater wax moth Galleria mellonella
Researchers investigated whether saliva from the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella larvae contains enzymes capable of degrading polystyrene, identifying a potential enzymatic pathway that could offer a biodegradation route for this highly persistent synthetic polymer.
Genotoxic and immunomodulatory effects in human white blood cells after ex vivo exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics
Human white blood cells were exposed ex vivo to polystyrene nanoplastics and showed DNA strand breaks, chromosomal damage, and changes in immune cell activation markers, suggesting that nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations could cause genotoxic and immunomodulatory effects in people.
Polystyrene nanoplastics differentially influence the outcome of infection by two microparasites of the host Daphnia magna
Researchers exposed the water flea Daphnia magna to two different parasites in the presence of polystyrene nanoplastics. The study found that nanoplastic exposure dramatically increased infection rates by a fungal parasite while having no significant effect on a gut microsporidium, suggesting that nanoplastics can differentially affect host-parasite relationships and potentially favor parasite coexistence in aquatic environments.
Polystyrene microplastics alter physiological parameters in the Drosophila model
Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and found dose- and size-dependent toxicity at both larval and adult stages. Exposure caused significant behavioral impairments, elevated markers of cellular stress, and activated key stress response genes, indicating that polystyrene microplastics induce oxidative stress and cellular damage.
Complete digestion/biodegradation of polystyrene microplastics by greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae: Direct in vivo evidence, gut microbiota independence, and potential metabolic pathways
Researchers provided direct in vivo evidence that greater wax moth larvae can completely digest polystyrene microplastics, demonstrating that biodegradation occurs independently of gut microbiota and identifying potential metabolic pathways involved in the breakdown process.
Cellular Uptake and Tissue Retention of Microplastics in Black Soldier Fly Larvae
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics injected into black soldier fly larvae persisted in tissues for up to seven days, with hemocytes actively phagocytosing particles and microplastics accumulating in metabolically active organs including the fat body and Malpighian tubules.
A global meta-analysis reveals the toxicity of plastics on insect health
This meta-analysis pools data from global studies to reveal that microplastics and nanoplastics are harmful to insect health, affecting survival, reproduction, and development. Since insects play critical roles in pollination and food chains, their decline from plastic pollution could have cascading effects on agriculture and the broader ecosystems humans depend on.
Multigenerational growth inhibition and oxidative stress of polystyrene micro(nano)plastics on earthworms (Eisenia fetida)
Researchers exposed earthworms to polystyrene nano- and microplastics across two generations, finding both particle types reduced offspring numbers by 23–39%, disrupted reproductive tissue structure, and caused oxidative stress, with nanoplastics producing more severe multigenerational effects.