Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Plastic nanoparticles cause mild inflammation, disrupt metabolic pathways, change the gut microbiota and affect reproduction in zebrafish: A full generation multi-omics study.

Exposure of zebrafish to polystyrene nanoparticles throughout their entire first generation caused mild inflammation, disrupted metabolic pathways, altered gut microbiota, and impaired reproduction — even at environmentally relevant concentrations. This comprehensive multigenerational study demonstrates that nanoplastic exposure can have lasting biological effects across multiple body systems in fish.

2022 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of parental co-exposure of microplastic and bisphenol compounds on adult zebrafish: Multi-omics investigations on offspring

When adult zebrafish were exposed to combinations of microplastics with bisphenol A (BPA) or bisphenol S (BPS), the reproductive damage was worse than from any single pollutant alone, and the effects carried over to their offspring. The BPA-microplastic combination primarily affected brain function, while BPS-microplastic exposure mainly disrupted visual development in the next generation. This study highlights that microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of common plastic chemicals, with consequences that extend to future generations.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxicity of nanoplastics and sodium fluoride to zebrafish liver: Impact on gut-liver axis homeostasis and lipid metabolism

Researchers used zebrafish to evaluate the combined toxicity of nanoplastics and sodium fluoride on the gut-liver axis, finding that combined exposure at environmental concentrations disrupted lipid metabolism and gut microbiome homeostasis more than either pollutant alone. The results raise concerns about the co-exposure risks of these two widespread contaminants.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology
Article Tier 2

The toxic effect of bisphenol AF and nanoplastic coexposure in parental and offspring generation zebrafish

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to bisphenol AF and nanoplastics for 45 days and examined effects across multiple generations of offspring. The study found that both single BPAF exposure and combined BPAF-nanoplastic exposure decreased egg production and locomotor behavior in parents, and negatively affected hatching rates, mortality, body length, and behavior in offspring, indicating transgenerational toxic effects.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Maternal Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure during Gestation and Lactation Altered Metabolic Homeostasis in the Dams and Their F1 and F2 Offspring

Researchers exposed pregnant mice to polystyrene microplastics during pregnancy and nursing and found significant metabolic disruptions in both the mothers and their offspring across two generations. The microplastics altered lipid metabolism, gut microbiota composition, and key metabolic signaling pathways. The study suggests that microplastic exposure during critical developmental windows may have lasting health consequences that pass to future generations.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 359 citations
Article Tier 2

From mothers to offspring: Polystyrene nanoplastics create a hidden toxic legacy via mitochondrial dysfunction

Researchers exposed female zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics before mating with unexposed males and found that maternal exposure at 100 μg/L reduced offspring hatching success and caused developmental defects in the F1 generation raised in clean water, demonstrating transgenerational toxicity via mitochondrial dysfunction.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and perfluorooctanoic acid can exacerbate lipid metabolism disorders and liver damage in adult zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics and the persistent pollutant PFOA separately and together for 28 days, finding that combined exposure caused greater intestinal barrier breakdown, liver damage, lipid metabolism disruption, and gut microbiome dysbiosis than either contaminant alone — raising concerns about nonalcoholic fatty liver disease risk from co-occurring plastic and chemical pollution.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Multigenerational effects of combined exposure of triphenyltin and micro/nanoplastics on marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma): From molecular levels to behavioral response

This study exposed marine medaka fish to a combination of micro/nanoplastics and triphenyltin, a toxic chemical used in paints and plastics. The pollutants caused oxidative stress, hormone imbalances, and behavioral changes that carried over to the next generation of fish. The findings show that microplastics combined with other environmental pollutants can cause harm that gets passed down to offspring, raising concerns about long-term effects on marine food webs.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse multigeneration combined impacts of micro(nano)plastics and emerging pollutants in the aquatic environment

This review examines how micro and nanoplastics combined with other pollutants can cause harm not just to exposed organisms but also to their offspring across multiple generations. The transgenerational effects include changes in growth, reproduction, and gene expression that persist even without continued exposure. This suggests that microplastic pollution could have long-lasting impacts on wildlife populations beyond what single-generation studies reveal.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in the Liver and Intestine of Normal and High-Fat-Diet Juvenile Zebrafish

Researchers exposed juvenile zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with a high-fat diet and found that the combination caused gastrointestinal injury and disrupted lipid metabolism. The nanoplastics alone perturbed gut microbiota stability, and the effects were amplified when paired with a high-fat diet. The study suggests that dietary factors may influence the severity of nanoplastic toxicity, highlighting the importance of considering real-world exposure scenarios.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative impact of pristine and aged microplastics with triclosan on lipid metabolism in larval zebrafish: Unveiling the regulatory role of miR-217

Scientists found that when microplastics and the antimicrobial chemical triclosan coexist in water, microplastics increase the amount of triclosan that accumulates in zebrafish larvae, disrupting fat metabolism through a specific genetic pathway. Aged microplastics, which have weathered surfaces, actually carried less triclosan and caused less harm than fresh microplastics. This research shows how microplastics can amplify the toxic effects of common household chemicals in aquatic organisms that are part of the food chain.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Exacerbated interfacial impacts of nanoplastics and 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate by natural organic matter in adult zebrafish: Evidence through histopathology, gut microbiota, and transcriptomic analysis

In a zebrafish study, nanoplastics combined with a fluorinated chemical pollutant and natural organic matter caused more severe liver and intestinal damage than any single pollutant alone. The mixture triggered greater oxidative stress, gut inflammation, and harmful changes to gut bacteria. This research shows that in the real world, where nanoplastics mix with other pollutants, the combined health effects may be worse than studies of individual chemicals suggest.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse adult-onset and multigenerational effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio) developmentally exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers raised zebrafish exposed to nanoplastics during early development through to adulthood and found lasting reproductive impairment, heritable hyperactivity in offspring, and molecular changes in male reproductive and brain tissue linked to neurodegenerative disease pathways and endocrine disruption, demonstrating that brief developmental nanoplastic exposure can cause multigenerational harm.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Maternal polystyrene nanoplastics suppress zebrafish offspring development and locomotion through mitochondrial dysfunction

Researchers found that zebrafish mothers exposed to nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations passed developmental harm to offspring, with transcriptomic analysis pointing to suppressed oxidative phosphorylation genes as the mechanism — showing nanoplastics can impair embryo energy metabolism across generations even when offspring are not directly exposed.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Parental transfer of nanopolystyrene-enhanced tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate induces transgenerational thyroid disruption in zebrafish

Researchers investigated the transgenerational effects of nanoplastics combined with the flame retardant TDCIPP on zebrafish thyroid function. The study found that nanopolystyrene enhanced the bioavailability and toxicity of TDCIPP, and that parental exposure induced thyroid disruption that was passed to offspring, suggesting that nanoplastics may amplify the harmful effects of co-occurring pollutants across generations.

2021 Aquatic Toxicology 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Trophic transfer of nanoplastics and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in a freshwater food chain (Chlorella Pyrenoidosa-Daphnia magna-Micropterus salmoides) induced disturbance of lipid metabolism in fish

This study traced how nanoplastics and the common plasticizer chemical DEHP move through a freshwater food chain from algae to water fleas to fish. The nanoplastics accumulated at higher levels as they moved up the food chain, and the combined exposure caused liver damage and disrupted fat metabolism in the fish. Since humans eat fish at the top of food chains, this research shows how nanoplastics and their associated chemicals could build up through the food web and reach our plates.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic Exposure of Adult Zebrafish to Polyethylene and Polyester-based Microplastics: Metabolomic and Gut Microbiome Alterations Reflecting Dysbiosis and Resilience

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene and polyester microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations and found significant disruptions to metabolic pathways and gut microbiome composition. Polyethylene primarily affected cell membrane compounds and inflammation-related metabolites, while polyester altered lipid metabolism and gut bacterial interactions. The study reveals that chronic microplastic exposure can cause subtle but meaningful shifts in fish metabolism and gut health, even at low concentrations.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanomaterials' Multigenerational Effects by Single and Joint Exposure in Non‐mammalian Models

This review examines multigenerational effects of nanomaterials, including nanoplastics, studied in non-mammalian models such as nematodes, water fleas, and zebrafish. Researchers found common effects across generations including altered life-history traits, oxidative stress, and transfer of nanomaterials to offspring. The study highlights that co-exposure to nanoplastics alongside other pollutants can produce either synergistic toxicity or alleviating effects depending on the combination.

2026 Environmental Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Parental exposure to sulfamethazine and nanoplastics alters the gut microbial communities in the offspring of marine madaka (Oryzias melastigma)

Researchers found that parental exposure to the antibiotic sulfamethazine and polystyrene nanoplastics altered gut microbial communities in offspring of marine medaka, demonstrating intergenerational effects of combined contaminant exposure on fish health.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive transgenerational effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and ethylhexyl salicylate on zebrafish

The combined transgenerational effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the UV filter ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS) were studied in zebrafish across multiple generations. Nanoplastics affected the bioaccumulation and multigenerational toxicity of EHS, indicating that nanoplastics can modify chemical exposure outcomes across zebrafish generations.

2020 Environmental Science Nano 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of microplastics and chemical contaminants on the organ toxicity of zebrafish ( Danio rerio )

Researchers studied the combined effects of microplastics and chemical contaminants like PCBs and methylmercury on zebrafish organs over three weeks of exposure. They found that microplastics carrying adsorbed contaminants produced the most significant effects, particularly on the liver, compared to either microplastics or contaminants alone. The results indicate that microplastics may act as carriers that increase the delivery of harmful chemicals to organisms' tissues.

2018 Environmental Research 406 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure with microplastics increases the toxic effects of PFOS and its alternative F-53B in adult zebrafish

Researchers found that when zebrafish were exposed to microplastics along with PFOS or its replacement chemical F-53B (both are "forever chemicals"), the combined toxic effects were worse than either pollutant alone. The microplastics worsened liver inflammation, disrupted energy metabolism, and altered gut bacteria. This is relevant to human health because people are simultaneously exposed to both microplastics and PFAS chemicals through food and water.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effect of chronic exposure to polyethylene nano/microplastics on oxidative stress, neurotoxicity and gut microbiota of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene microplastics and nanoplastics for 21 days and found both caused oxidative damage to organs, disrupted brain function, and altered gut bacteria. Surprisingly, the toxic effects of microplastics and nanoplastics were similar in terms of brain and gut impacts, though organ-level oxidative damage varied by tissue type. These findings are concerning because they show that the plastic particles commonly found in food and water can simultaneously harm the brain, gut, and vital organs.

2023 Chemosphere 76 citations
Article Tier 2

First insight of the intergenerational effects of tri-n-butyl phosphate and polystyrene microplastics to Daphnia magna

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and the flame retardant tributyl phosphate on water fleas across multiple generations. They found that co-exposure caused more severe impacts on survival, growth, and reproduction than either contaminant alone, with effects persisting into subsequent generations. The study suggests that microplastics carrying adsorbed chemicals may pose compounding risks to aquatic organisms over time.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations