Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as new technique to remove polystyrene from aqueous medium: modeling, optimization, and performance

Researchers tested whether common baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) could remove polystyrene microplastics from water, achieving up to 95% removal under optimized conditions. The yeast works as a natural clumping agent that binds to microplastic particles and helps them settle out of the water. This low-cost, non-toxic approach could offer a practical biological method for cleaning microplastics from contaminated water.

2023 Applied Water Science 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics on liver cells based on particle size, surface functionalization, concentration and exposure period

Researchers systematically studied the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on human liver cells, varying particle size, surface chemistry, concentration, and exposure duration. They found that smaller particles were internalized more readily and that surface functionalization significantly influenced toxicity, with aminated particles causing the most cell damage. The study suggests that particle characteristics beyond just size play an important role in determining how micro- and nanoplastics affect human cells.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Individual and combined cytotoxicity effects of positively charged polystyrene nanoplastics and ionic surfactants on budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

This study examined the combined cytotoxicity of positively charged polystyrene nanoplastics and ionic surfactants on yeast cells, finding that anionic surfactants reduced nanoplastic toxicity while cationic surfactants increased it, and that smaller 115-nm particles were more toxic than 204-nm particles.

2023 Advanced Powder Technology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Residual Monomers in the Manifestation of (Cyto)toxicity by Polystyrene Microplastic Model Particles

Researchers investigated whether the toxicity observed in laboratory studies using polystyrene microplastic particles might actually come from leftover styrene monomer trapped in the particles rather than the plastic itself. They found that standard commercial polystyrene particles containing residual monomers showed mild toxicity to mammalian cells, while thoroughly purified particles did not. The study suggests that some reported toxic effects of microplastics in lab settings may be partly attributed to chemical residues rather than the plastic particles alone.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Growth and membrane stress responses in E. coli and Acinetobacter sp. upon exposure to functionalized polystyrene microplastics

Researchers exposed E. coli and Acinetobacter bacteria to polystyrene microplastics with different surface chemistries, finding that surface functionalization strongly influenced MP toxicity, with some functionalized particles disrupting bacterial membrane integrity and biofilm formation more than non-functionalized particles.

2025 Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Comparative evaluation of molecular mechanisms triggered by differently functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics in human colon cell lines

Researchers compared molecular mechanisms triggered by differently functionalized micro- and nanoplastics in human cells, assessing how surface chemistry affects cellular responses. Surface functionalization significantly altered the toxicity profile of particles, with some coatings increasing and others decreasing inflammatory and oxidative responses.

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

Assessment of the Influence of Size and Concentration on the Ecotoxicity of Microplastics to Microalgae Scenedesmus sp., Bacterium Pseudomonas putida and Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Researchers assessed the ecotoxicity of five common microplastic types on microalgae, bacteria, and yeast, finding that polyvinyl chloride caused the most growth inhibition and that smaller particle sizes generally increased harmful effects.

2022 Polymers 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative evaluation of molecular mechanisms triggered by differently functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics in human colon cell lines

Researchers compared the molecular mechanisms triggered by polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface functionalization in human colon cell lines. The study examined how surface chemistry of nanoplastic particles influences their biological interactions with intestinal cells, contributing to understanding of how nanoplastics may affect the human gastrointestinal system.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Comparative evaluation of molecular mechanisms triggered by differently functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics in human colon cell lines

Researchers compared molecular and cellular mechanisms triggered by differently surface-functionalized micro- and nanoplastics in human intestinal and liver cells, finding that surface chemistry strongly determines biological effects. Functionalized particles elicited distinct patterns of oxidative stress, inflammation, and membrane damage compared to unfunctionalized particles.

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

Influences of different functional groups on the toxicity of pyrene derivatives to Skeletonema costatum: Interactive effects with polystyrene microplastics

Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics modify the toxicity of pyrene and four pyrene derivatives to the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum, finding that functional groups on the pyrene molecule determined whether microplastics enhanced or reduced algal toxicity.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Insights into the synergistic toxicity mechanisms caused by nano- and microplastics with triclosan using a dose-dependent functional genomics approach in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Researchers used yeast functional genomics to investigate the combined toxicity of polystyrene nano- and microplastics with the antimicrobial compound triclosan. They found that the combined exposure produced synergistic toxic effects that were more harmful than either contaminant alone, disrupting cellular processes related to membrane integrity and protein function. The study provides molecular-level evidence that microplastics may amplify the toxicity of co-occurring chemical pollutants.

2024 Chemosphere 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging process does not necessarily enhance the toxicity of polystyrene microplastics to Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers compared the properties and toxicity of pristine versus aged polystyrene microplastics of different sizes on the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. The study found that the aging process does not necessarily increase microplastic toxicity, as aging induced changes in surface properties, functional groups, and zeta potential that could either enhance or reduce toxic effects depending on particle size.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 27 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2018 Environmental Science Nano 422 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the toxic effects of different polystyrene micro-and nanoplastics on microalgae Chlorella vulgaris by analysis of cell viability, pigment content, oxidative stress and ultrastructural changes

Researchers examined the toxic effects of different-sized polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on the microalga Chlorella vulgaris in long-term exposure tests. The study found that smaller particles (20 and 50 nm) caused greater reductions in cell viability and chlorophyll concentration than larger ones, with surface functionalization also influencing toxicity and ultrastructural damage.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 209 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Exposure to nanopolystyrene and its 4 chemically modified derivatives at predicted environmental concentrations causes differently regulatory mechanisms in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers found that nanopolystyrene and four chemically modified derivatives caused distinct toxicity patterns in C. elegans nematodes at environmentally predicted concentrations, with surface chemistry significantly influencing the regulatory mechanisms affected.

2022 Chemosphere 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Structure of soft and hard protein corona around polystyrene nanoplastics—Particle size and protein types

Researchers characterized the protein corona that forms around polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes, finding that particle size influences which proteins bind and how tightly, with implications for nanoplastic toxicity and biological uptake.

2020 Biointerphases 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellular interactions with polystyrene nanoplastics—The role of particle size and protein corona

Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with mammalian cells, finding that particle size and the protein corona that forms around particles in biological fluids strongly influence cellular uptake and toxicity. Smaller nanoplastics penetrated cell membranes more readily and caused greater disruption, suggesting that the tiniest plastic particles may pose the greatest biological risk.

2021 Biointerphases 61 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of polystyrene plastics on the toxicity of triphenyltin to the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum—influence of plastic particle size

The presence of polystyrene particles of different sizes was found to modify the toxicity of triphenyltin (a toxic organotin compound) to the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum, with effects depending on whether the plastic particles increased or decreased the bioavailability of the chemical. The study illustrates how microplastics can alter the toxicity of co-occurring chemical pollutants to sensitive marine microalgae.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Cytotoxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface functionalization on human HepG2 cells

Researchers exposed human liver (HepG2) cells to 50 nm polystyrene nanoparticles with three different surface chemistries and found that amino-functionalized particles caused the greatest cytotoxicity and oxidative stress, demonstrating that surface charge and chemistry — not just particle size — determine nanoplastic harm to human cells.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 211 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of weathering and simulated gastric fluid exposure on cellular responses to polystyrene particles

Researchers studied the effects of weathering and simulated gastric fluid exposure on cellular responses to polystyrene particles. The study suggests that environmental weathering can alter how micro- and nanoplastics interact with biological systems, with potential implications for understanding human health effects from ingested plastic particles.

2024 Environmental Science Nano 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Transfer of Polystyrene Microplastics with Different Functional Groups in the Aquatic Food Chain

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics with different surface functional groups accumulate and transfer through an aquatic food chain, finding that surface chemistry significantly influences microplastic uptake and trophic transfer between organisms.

2023 Journal of Physics Conference Series 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Are all nanoplastics equally neurotoxic? Influence of size and surface functionalization on the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in human neuronal cells

Researchers tested four types of polystyrene nanoplastics on human neuronal cells and found that toxicity varied dramatically depending on particle surface chemistry. Particles with amine surface groups were the most harmful, significantly reducing cell survival and causing visible damage to cell structures, while unmodified particles showed minimal toxicity, suggesting that surface properties matter as much as size when assessing nanoplastic risks.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinct responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 exposed to different levels of polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers examined the molecular mechanisms by which polystyrene nanoplastics affect Pseudomonas aeruginosa, finding dose-dependent responses in growth, metabolism, and virulence gene expression that reveal how nanoplastics interact with environmentally relevant bacteria.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 36 citations