Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Dark-field hyperspectral microscopy for label-free microplastics and nanoplastics detection and identification in vivo: A Caenorhabditis elegans study

Researchers demonstrated that dark-field hyperspectral microscopy can visualize and chemically identify nano- and microplastics (down to 100 nm) in live C. elegans nematodes without labeling, differentiating multiple polymer types simultaneously within intestinal tissue.

2020 Environmental Pollution 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Daphnia magna uptake and excretion of luminescence‐labelled polystyrene nanoparticle as visualized by high sensitivity real-time optical imaging

Researchers used lanthanide-labeled polystyrene nanoparticles and time-gated imaging to track nanoplastic uptake and excretion in live Daphnia magna in real time, finding that the water flea accumulated roughly 12 nanograms of nanoplastics per individual after 24 hours and that a portion migrated into the circulatory system before being slowly excreted over 48 hours.

2023 Chemosphere 15 citations
Article Tier 2

The toxic differentiation of micro- and nanoplastics verified by gene-edited fluorescent Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers used gene-edited fluorescent C. elegans to demonstrate that nanoplastic toxicity is size- and charge-dependent, with 100 nm positively charged polystyrene particles causing the greatest harm through intestinal accumulation and oxidative stress.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Challenges in assessing ecological and health risks of microplastics and nanoplastics: tracking their dynamics in living organisms

Researchers proposed a new method for tracking micro- and nanoplastics in living organisms using fluorescent monomers built directly into the plastic particles during synthesis. Current detection methods require destructive sampling and only provide static snapshots, missing the real-time movement of particles through biological systems. This fluorescent monomer approach is designed to enable continuous, stable imaging of plastic particles as they move through complex biological environments.

2026 New Contaminants
Article Tier 2

Luminous polystyrene upconverted nanoparticles to visualize the traces of nanoplastics in a vegetable plant

Luminous polystyrene upconverted nanoparticles were used to track the uptake and accumulation of nanoplastics in edible plants, providing a novel visualization method that revealed specific tissues and pathways through which nanoplastics travel from soil through roots into above-ground plant structures.

2025 Environmental Science Nano 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantitative assessment and monitoring of microplastics and nanoplastics distributions and lipid metabolism in live zebrafish using hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

Researchers developed a new imaging technique to watch microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in live zebrafish in real time, without needing dyes or labels. They found that these tiny plastic particles built up in the fish's digestive system and disrupted fat metabolism, providing direct visual evidence of how micro- and nanoplastics can interfere with basic biological processes.

2024 Environment International 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Label-free detection of polystyrene nanoparticles in Daphnia magna using Raman confocal mapping

Researchers demonstrated that Raman confocal mapping can detect polystyrene nanoparticles inside Daphnia magna without labels or dyes, revealing particle accumulation in the gut and providing a non-invasive method for studying nanoplastic uptake in organisms.

2023 Nanoscale Advances 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Fluorescent Polypropylene Nanoplastics for Studying Uptake, Biodistribution, and Excretion in Zebrafish Embryos

Researchers developed a method to produce fluorescent polypropylene nanoplastics and tracked their movement in zebrafish embryos. The study found that the nanoplastics were ingested, distributed in the intestine, and eventually excreted, providing a new tool for assessing the biological risks of environmentally relevant plastic particles at the nanoscale.

2022 ACS Omega 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Fluorescent plastic nanoparticles to track their interaction and fate in physiological environments

This study developed fluorescently labeled plastic nanoparticles made from PET, polypropylene, and polystyrene that can be tracked in biological environments to study how nanoplastics are taken up and processed by living organisms. Having trackable model nanoplastics is an important tool for understanding how these particles move through tissues and food chains.

2020 Environmental Science Nano 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Correlative spectroscopy and microscopy analysis of micro- and nanoplastics in complex biological matrices

Researchers combined fluorescence microscopy, second harmonic generation imaging, and coherent Raman scattering to detect and map micro- and nanoplastics in lung cells, zebrafish, and mouse tissues. Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in lipid-rich brain regions in animal models.

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

Confocal Surface-enhanced Raman Imaging of the Intestine Barrier Crossing Behavior of Dual-functional Plasmonic Nanoplastics in Daphnia magna

Using gold-coated polystyrene nanoplastics as dual-function probes, researchers tracked how nanoplastics move through the body of the water flea Daphnia magna after ingestion, observing that particles initially accumulate in the intestine and then translocate to other organs within four hours at environmentally concerning concentrations. This direct visualization of inter-organ translocation in a key aquatic model organism strengthens concerns that nanoplastic pollution can spread beyond the gut and affect multiple body systems.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Label-free detection of micro- and nanoplastics using dark-field hyperspectral and atomic force microscopies

Researchers demonstrated that dark-field hyperspectral microscopy could visualize and spectrally identify polystyrene, polymethacrylate, and melamine formaldehyde particles (100 nm to 2 µm) in living Caenorhabditis elegans in vivo, while atomic force microscopy in PeakForce Tapping mode resolved internalized versus surface-bound polystyrene particles (down to 500 nm) in human skin fibroblasts. Deep learning algorithms applied to enhanced dark-field images further enabled automated classification of pigmented microplastics, demonstrating a label-free toolkit for detecting and differentiating particles in biological systems.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Detection of unlabeled nanoplastics within Daphnia magna using enhanced darkfield hyperspectral microscopy

Researchers developed a method to detect unlabeled nanoplastics within Daphnia magna using enhanced darkfield hyperspectral microscopy combined with a post-exposure histological labeling process. The study presents a new approach for identifying nanoplastic particles in model organisms without requiring pre-labeled or fluorescent plastics.

2026 Environmental Science Nano
Article Tier 2

Top-down synthesis of luminescent microplastics and nanoplastics by incorporation of upconverting nanoparticles for environmental assessment

Researchers synthesized luminescent polyethylene microplastic and nanoplastic model particles using a top-down approach by incorporating upconverting nanoparticles, producing irregularly shaped particles similar to environmental samples that are trackable under 980 nm near-infrared irradiation for environmental assessment applications.

2022 Environmental Science Nano 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate, uptake and impact of fit-for-purpose nanoplastics on the digestive environment: an in vitro-in vivo continuum study

Researchers investigated the fate, uptake, and impact of fluorescent and gold-labeled polystyrene nanoplastics on the digestive environment, using fit-for-purpose labeled particles to track nanoplastic behavior in biological systems. The labeled nanoplastics enabled detailed mapping of how plastic nanoparticles are processed in the gut, providing mechanistic insight into absorption pathways.

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

Correlative spectroscopy and microscopy analysis of micro- and nanoplastics in complex biological matrices

Researchers combined fluorescence, second harmonic generation, and coherent Raman scattering microscopy in a single instrument to image micro- and nanoplastics in lung cells, zebrafish, and mouse tissues. Polystyrene nanoplastics crossed the blood-brain barrier and accumulated in lipid-rich brain regions in mouse models.

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

Optimization of ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ Nanoparticles Synthesis Exhibiting Persistent Luminescence for Nanoplastic Labelling and Imaging in Daphnia Magna

Researchers optimized the production of luminescent zinc gallate nanoparticles that glow persistently without external light, then used them to label and track nanoplastics inside the water flea Daphnia magna. The labeling technique enabled clear visualization of how plastic particles were distributed and absorbed in the organism's body without background interference. This new imaging method could help scientists better understand how micro- and nanoplastics move through and accumulate in living organisms.

2025 Advanced Optical Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Making fluorescent nylon, polypropylene, and polystyrene microplastics for in-vivo and in-vitro imaging

Researchers developed methods for making fluorescent nylon, polypropylene, and polystyrene microplastics by incorporating fluorescent dyes during fabrication, enabling reliable tracking in live-cell and in vivo imaging studies. The fluorescent MPs retained their physical properties while allowing visualization of cellular uptake, tissue distribution, and biological interactions.

2025 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

Different Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers compared the toxicity of 2-μm polystyrene microplastics and 0.1-μm nanoplastics in C. elegans, finding both impaired growth, locomotion, reproduction, and lifespan at 1 mg/L and above, with microplastics causing greater locomotion and reproductive toxicity and nanoplastics inducing stronger oxidative stress.

2025 Journal of Applied Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Confocal surface-enhanced Raman imaging of the intestine barrier crossing behavior of nanoplastics in Daphnia magna

Using a specially engineered nanoplastic particle visible under confocal Raman imaging, researchers tracked how nanoplastics move from the gut into other organs of the water flea Daphnia magna. The study revealed that nanoplastics can cross the intestinal barrier and translocate to other body parts, providing direct visual evidence of how these particles spread through a living organism and raising concerns about similar processes in other aquatic animals.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microbeads influence lipid storage distribution in C. elegans as revealed by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy

Researchers used coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy to show that polystyrene microbead exposure altered lipid storage distribution in C. elegans, linking microplastic-induced feeding impairment to changes in energy reserves important for reproduction and stress response.

2021 Environmental Pollution 30 citations
Article Tier 2

NIR-II Plastic Particles for Monitoring IntestinalMotility and Microplastic Deposition in Mice

This study created NIR-II fluorescent plastic particles to study intestinal motility and microplastic deposition in live mice, demonstrating their utility for real-time in vivo tracking of microplastic behavior in the digestive tract. (Duplicate record.)

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

NIR-II Plastic Particles for Monitoring IntestinalMotility and Microplastic Deposition in Mice

Researchers developed near-infrared II (NIR-II) fluorescent plastic particles to non-invasively track microplastic movement and deposition in living mice, finding that microplastics accumulated preferentially in the intestine with slow clearance.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Tracking Nano- and Microplastics Accumulation and Egestion in a Marine Copepod by Novel Fluorescent AIEgens: Kinetic Modeling of the Rhythm Behavior

Researchers used advanced fluorescent probes to precisely track how a marine copepod species takes in and expels nano- and microplastic particles of different sizes and surface types. They found that the copepods followed rhythmic feeding and excretion patterns, with smaller nanoplastics accumulating more readily and being expelled more slowly than larger particles. The study provides detailed data on how tiny marine organisms process plastic particles, which is important for understanding how plastics move through ocean food webs.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 22 citations