Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The physiological response of the clam Ruditapes philippinarum and scallop Chlamys farreri to varied concentrations of microplastics exposure

Researchers exposed two types of shellfish (clams and scallops) to polyethylene and PET microplastics and found that both species accumulated the particles in their digestive glands and gills. The exposure caused oxidative stress, disrupted energy and fat metabolism, and damaged tissue, with PET generally being more toxic than polyethylene. Since these are commonly eaten shellfish, the findings raise concerns about microplastic contamination affecting the safety of seafood for human consumers.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological and cellular responses of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum exposed to different shapes and sizes of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics

This study exposed Manila clams to PET microplastics of different shapes (fragments and fibers) and sizes for 28 days, finding that fibrous microplastics caused greater oxidative stress and lysosomal membrane destabilization than fragments and that smaller particles produced stronger physiological responses.

2025 Ecotoxicology
Article Tier 2

The combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and benzoanthracene on Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum

Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and a toxic organic pollutant (benzo[a]anthracene) on Manila clams. The study found that when the pollutant was present alongside microplastics, the clams showed more severe stress responses than from either contaminant alone. Evidence indicates that microplastics can act as carriers for harmful chemicals, potentially amplifying their toxic effects on marine shellfish.

2023 Chemosphere 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nanoplastics on clam Ruditapes philippinarum at environmentally realistic concentrations: Toxicokinetics, toxicity, and gut microbiota

Researchers exposed clams to nanoplastics at concentrations found in real marine environments and tracked how the particles accumulated in their tissues over 14 days. The nanoplastics caused physical damage and significantly altered the clams' gut bacteria. This is concerning because clams are widely consumed seafood, meaning nanoplastic contamination could affect both marine ecosystems and human food sources.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and mercury on manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum: Feeding rate, immunomodulation, histopathology and oxidative stress

Researchers exposed Manila clams to polyethylene microplastics and mercury, both individually and in combination, to study their effects on feeding, immune response, and tissue health. The study found that while microplastics were ingested and spread to various tissues, they played a negligible role in transporting mercury into the clams. Both pollutants independently reduced filtration rates, impaired immune function, and caused tissue damage in the gills and digestive glands.

2020 Environmental Pollution 148 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the effect of microparticles on bivalves: Exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes philippinarum to both microplastics and silt

Researchers exposed mussels and clams to polyethylene microplastics, natural silt particles, and a combination of both, finding that the mixture caused significantly worse mortality and oxidative stress than either substance alone. Clams were more sensitive to microplastic exposure than mussels, while mussels retained more microplastics in their tissues. The study reveals that the combined presence of natural sediment particles and microplastics in coastal waters creates synergistic harmful effects on filter-feeding shellfish that are greater than the sum of individual exposures.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics influence physiological processes, growth and reproduction in the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum

Researchers found that Manila clams ingesting polystyrene microplastics accumulated particles in their gills, digestive glands, and intestines, leading to increased respiration and excretion rates while reducing feeding efficiency. Modeling predicted that long-term exposure would significantly reduce shell and flesh growth rates as well as reproductive potential. The study provides evidence that microplastics can fundamentally alter energy allocation and physiological processes in filter-feeding bivalves.

2021 Environmental Pollution 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Do polyethylene terephthalate microparticles (PET-µPs) affect the oxidative status of the clam Ruditapes philippinarum?

Researchers exposed the clam Ruditapes philippinarum to polyethylene terephthalate microparticles (PET-MPs) to evaluate effects on oxidative status, investigating whether PET plastic degradation products from water bottles and packaging alter antioxidant defenses in this bivalve species.

2022 Global NEST International Conference on Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

Effects of virgin and BaP-adsorbed microplastics ingestion by Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum)

Researchers exposed Manila clams to various microplastic polymer types, shapes, and concentrations, finding that clams preferentially ingested sphere-shaped particles due to their resemblance to microalgae, and that feeding rates declined as microplastic concentrations increased. The addition of benzo[a]pyrene as a co-stressor showed that microplastics can act as vectors for transporting hydrophobic contaminants into bivalve tissues.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polyethylene microplastics on the clam Ruditapes decussatus (Mollusca: Bivalvia): examination of filtration rate, growth, and immunomodulation

Researchers exposed clams to polyethylene microplastics at three different concentrations for 14 days and measured the effects on feeding, growth, and immune function. They found that higher microplastic concentrations reduced the clams' ability to filter water and caused weight loss, while also disrupting immune cell integrity. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can impair both the feeding efficiency and immune defenses of shellfish.

2023 Ecotoxicology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Are mixtures of micro/nanoplastics more toxic than individual micro or nanoplastic contamination in the clam Ruditapes decussatus?

Researchers exposed clams to polystyrene nanoplastics and polyethylene microplastics, both separately and in combination, to test whether mixtures are more harmful. They found that nanoplastics accumulated more readily in clam tissues and that the mixture caused greater oxidative stress and cellular damage than either type of plastic alone. The study suggests that real-world exposure to multiple plastic particle sizes may be more harmful than exposure to a single type.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Study on the toxic effect of seawater-aged microplastics on Philippine curtain clams

Researchers studied how seawater aging changes the properties of five common microplastic types and tested their toxic effects on Philippine curtain clams. Aging significantly increased the surface area of all microplastics and caused visible surface cracking in polyethylene and PVC particles. Higher microplastic concentrations accelerated clam mortality, with prolonged exposure suggesting cumulative toxic effects.

2025 Scientific Reports 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological effects of plastic particles on mussels are mediated by food presence

Thick shell mussels exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics (70 nm) and microplastics (10 µm) with and without microalgae food found that food presence mediated the physiological effects — microplastics reduced energy budget and increased oxidative stress markers most strongly when food was mixed with particles.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Ocean acidification enhances microplastic uptake and alters physiological responses in Manila clams

Researchers found that ocean acidification (pH 7.6) impaired particle selection in Manila clams, leading to greater microplastic retention in the digestive tract, while filtration and respiration rates were maintained at higher levels under acidified conditions, suggesting suppressed stress responses and a synergistic interaction between ocean acidification and microplastic pollution.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion reduces energy intake in the clam Atactodea striata

Researchers found that microplastic ingestion by the clam Atactodea striata reduced clearance rate — and therefore energy intake — particularly at high concentrations, while respiration rate and absorption efficiency remained unchanged, with pseudofaeces and depuration limiting the amount of plastic retained in body tissue.

2016 Marine Pollution Bulletin 185 citations
Article Tier 2

Habitual feeding patterns impact polystyrene microplastic abundance and potential toxicity in edible benthic mollusks

This study examined how different feeding strategies in edible mollusks affect how many microplastics they accumulate and how toxic the effects are. Researchers found that deposit-feeding snails and filter-feeding clams accumulated microplastics differently, with distinct impacts on digestive enzymes, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity markers. The findings suggest that a shellfish species' feeding behavior directly influences the microplastic contamination risk for both the animal and human consumers.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and low tide warming: Metabolic disorders in intertidal Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas)

Researchers exposed Pacific oysters to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics during a simulated tidal cycle and then subjected them to warming during low tide. They found that microplastic exposure disrupted the oysters' metabolism and made them more vulnerable to heat stress, with effects worsening over time even at very low particle concentrations. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may reduce the ability of intertidal shellfish to cope with rising temperatures.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparisons between ingestion, rejection, and egestion of microbeads by burrowing clams, Meretrix meretrix and Paphia undulata: Implications for health risk of shellfish consumption.

Researchers compared microplastic ingestion, pseudofaeces rejection, and egestion in two burrowing clam species and found that the clams ingested more microbeads than they rejected. Larger microbeads were more likely to be rejected before ingestion, while smaller ones were more readily taken up, with implications for predicting plastic accumulation in bivalve-based foods.

2024 Marine pollution bulletin
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of exposure to microplastics with environmentally relevant shapes and concentrations: Accumulation, energy metabolism and tissue damage in oyster Crassostrea gigas

Researchers exposed oysters to irregularly shaped polyethylene and PET microplastics at two concentrations for 21 days and measured accumulation, energy metabolism, and tissue damage. They found that the microplastics accumulated in oyster tissues, disrupted energy metabolism, and caused histological damage, with effects varying by polymer type and concentration. The study suggests that environmentally realistic microplastic shapes and concentrations can cause measurable harm to commercially important shellfish species.

2020 Environmental Pollution 213 citations
Article Tier 2

Short-Term Exposure to MPs and DEHP Disrupted Gill Functions in Marine Bivalves

Researchers found that short-term exposure to polypropylene microplastics and the plasticizer DEHP disrupted gill functions in two marine clam species, with combined exposure producing synergistic toxic effects on filtration rates and antioxidant enzyme activity.

2022 Nanomaterials 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioturbation effects and behavioral changes in buried bivalves after exposure to microplastics

Researchers studied how Manila clams interact with microplastics in marine sediments and found that clam burrowing, movement, and feeding behaviors rapidly transported microplastics to depths of 6 to 8 centimeters below the surface. While the clams showed a slightly longer adjustment period when microplastics were present, their overall health and behavior were not significantly affected. The study reveals that burrowing shellfish play an important role in redistributing microplastics deeper into ocean sediments.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of food presence on microplastic ingestion and egestion in Mytilus galloprovincialis

The presence of the microalga Dunaliella salina as food significantly reduced egestion of polyethylene microplastics in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, with a single feeding episode preventing over 40% of MPs from being expelled over 24 hours. The finding suggests food presence causes microplastics to persist longer in mussel tissues, increasing exposure duration.

2019 Chemosphere 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Feeding and Vital Function of Bivalves Mercenaria Mercenaria in Coastal Zone of Tokyo Bay

Researchers investigated microplastic abundance in coastal sediments of Tokyo Bay and examined the relationship between microplastic ingestion and the physiology of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria at Yatsu Tidal Flat. Feeding experiments found that clams expelled microplastics in pseudofeces rather than retaining them in tissue, but microplastic exposure increased filtration volume, suggesting effects on vital physiological functions.

2024 Japanese Journal of JSCE
Article Tier 2

Environmentally relevant microplastic exposure affects sediment-dwelling bivalves

Researchers exposed two species of sediment-dwelling bivalves to polyethylene microplastics at three concentrations and three size classes for four weeks. The study found species-specific responses including reduced body condition and altered burrowing behavior, suggesting that even at environmentally relevant concentrations, microplastics can affect the physiology and behavior of benthic bivalves.

2018 Environmental Pollution 195 citations