Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Impacts of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Fisheries Biology and Prospective Remediation Approaches in Aquatic Ecosystems

This review examines how polystyrene nanoplastics affect fish biology, including physiology, behavior, and reproductive health. The study highlights that nanoplastics cause oxidative stress, inflammation, endocrine disruption, and bioaccumulation in fish species, and that these effects can be amplified when nanoplastics interact with other environmental stressors such as pesticides and heavy metals.

2025 Indus journal of bioscience research. 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Short-term polystyrene nanoplastic exposure alters zebrafish male and female germline and reproductive outcomes, unveiling pollutant-impacted molecular pathways

A short 96-hour exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics harmed both male and female reproductive cells in zebrafish. In males, nanoplastics crossed the testicular barrier, entered reproductive cells directly, and caused abnormal sperm with reduced movement. In females, the exposure disrupted egg development, suggesting that even brief nanoplastic contact could impair fertility in aquatic species and raising questions about similar risks for human reproductive health.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 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

Polystyrene microplastics cause tissue damages, sex-specific reproductive disruption and transgenerational effects in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

Researchers exposed marine medaka fish to environmentally realistic concentrations of polystyrene microplastics and found tissue damage, oxidative stress, and sex-specific reproductive disruption. The effects carried over to the next generation even without direct microplastic exposure. The study provides evidence that microplastics at levels found in the ocean can cause lasting biological harm across generations in fish.

2019 Environmental Pollution 507 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Environmental Concentrations of Nanoplastics on Zebrafish Neurobehavior and Reproductive Toxicity

Researchers exposed zebrafish to environmentally realistic levels of polystyrene nanoplastics and found they caused both brain and reproductive damage. The nanoplastics disrupted neurotransmitter signaling and impaired the hormonal pathway connecting the brain to reproductive organs, with different effects in males and females. These findings suggest that even low-level nanoplastic exposure could affect both brain function and fertility in aquatic life that humans may consume.

2024 Toxics 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of microplastic and nanoplastic on the reproduction of teleost fish in aquatic environments

This review summarizes research on how microplastics and nanoplastics harm the reproductive systems of fish, covering effects on fertility, sperm quality, egg development, and offspring abnormalities. The tiny plastic particles enter fish through their digestive tract, gills, and skin, causing oxidative damage that disrupts reproduction at the molecular and cellular level. Since fish are a major protein source for humans, reproductive damage to fish populations could affect both food security and the transfer of microplastics through the food chain.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Female zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces reproductive toxicity in mother and their offspring

Researchers exposed female zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics for six weeks and found the particles disrupted sex hormone levels and oocyte development, reducing egg production in the exposed generation and carrying endocrine disruption effects into unexposed offspring through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Perilous effects of polystyrene fragments on male reproductive system and tenable directives of remediation

This review examines the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on the male reproductive system, focusing on signaling mechanisms and potential remediation strategies. Researchers found that these small plastic particles can cross biological barriers and disrupt normal reproductive physiology, contributing to fertility issues. The study highlights significant gaps in the research compared to studies on female reproductive effects and points to bioremediation using microorganisms as a potential mitigation approach.

2025 Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics decrease nutrient accumulation, disturb sex hormones, and inhibit reproductive development in juvenile Macrobrachium nipponense

Researchers exposed juvenile oriental river prawns to polystyrene nanoplastics at various concentrations for 28 days and observed significant disruptions to their reproductive development. The nanoplastics reduced nutrient accumulation, altered sex hormone levels, and interfered with genes involved in gonad development. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in waterways could impair the reproductive health of crustacean species.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 22 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Cytokine Levels and Reproductive System of Male Tilapia

Researchers fed male tilapia fish different doses of polystyrene nanoplastics for 25 days and examined the effects on their reproductive systems. While inflammatory markers in the blood were not significantly affected, the nanoplastics caused a notable reduction in the number of sperm-producing cells in testicular tissue. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure may pose risks to reproductive health in fish even without triggering obvious immune responses.

2024 Tropical Journal of Natural Product Research 5 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Can Mammalian Reproductive Health Withstand Massive Exposure to Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastic Derivatives? A Systematic Review

This systematic review examined how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affect reproductive health in mammals. The evidence from animal studies shows these particles can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and hormonal imbalances in reproductive organs, raising concerns about potential effects on human fertility.

2024 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Threats of nano/microplastics to reproduction and offspring: Potential mechanisms and perspectives

This review summarized the evidence on how nano- and microplastics threaten reproduction and offspring health across multiple species, including fish, invertebrates, and mammals. The authors outlined potential mechanisms by which these plastic particles disrupt endocrine function, gonadal development, and embryonic development.

2024 Journal of Toxicological Studies 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The invisible Threat: Assessing the reproductive and transgenerational impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on fish

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics can cross biological barriers in fish, accumulate in reproductive organs, and cause damage that passes down to offspring who were never directly exposed. The findings raise concerns about the long-term effects of plastic pollution on aquatic food chains, since fish that humans consume may have accumulated microplastics that affected their development and reproductive health.

2024 Environment International 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Shedding light on the impacts of gestational exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics on the reproductive performance of Poecilia reticulata female and on the biochemical response of embryos

Researchers examined how gestational exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics affects the viviparous fish Poecilia reticulata, finding impacts on female reproductive performance and biochemical alterations in embryos including oxidative stress and cholinesterase disruption.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insights into microplastic-induced reproductive toxicity in aquatic organisms: A comprehensive review

This review summarizes how microplastics cause reproductive harm in aquatic organisms by disrupting hormones, triggering oxidative stress, and interfering with cell death pathways. These effects lead to reduced fertility, abnormal egg and sperm development, and changes that can pass to future generations. Since microplastics accumulate through the food chain, these reproductive effects in aquatic life could have broader implications for ecosystem health and the seafood that humans consume.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 8 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

The emerging risk of microplastics and nanoplastics on the microstructure and function of reproductive organs in mammals: A systematic review of preclinical evidence

Preclinical evidence from 12 studies shows micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in mammalian gonads, causing dose-dependent damage including seminiferous degeneration, sperm malformation, reduced follicular growth, and impaired hormone levels through pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory mechanisms.

2022 Life Sciences 94 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics cause reproductive toxicity in zebrafish: PPAR mediated lipid metabolism disorder

Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics at environmentally realistic levels experienced delayed sperm development, abnormal egg growth, and impaired reproduction, with larger 500-nanometer particles causing the worst effects. The reproductive damage was linked to disrupted fat metabolism in the ovaries through a specific signaling pathway, and the effects resembled polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) -- raising concerns about potential impacts on human fertility.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Impair GnRH Neuron Migration and Neuroendocrine Function: Emerging Players in the Pathogenesis of Reproductive Disorders

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics can enter reproductive hormone-producing neurons and disrupt their function, impairing both hormone secretion and cell migration in laboratory models. The study also identified genetic variants in nanoplastic-affected genes in patients with reproductive hormone deficiency, suggesting that nanoplastics may act as endocrine disruptors contributing to reproductive disorders.

2026 Small
Article Tier 2

The emerging risk of exposure to nano(micro)plastics on endocrine disturbance and reproductive toxicity: From a hypothetical scenario to a global public health challenge

Researchers administered polystyrene nanoplastics orally to male rats for five weeks and found significant reductions in testosterone, LH, and FSH levels, sperm DNA damage, altered testicular gene expression, and dose-dependent histological lesions, indicating that nanoplastic exposure disrupts the hormonal axis governing male reproductive function.

2020 Environmental Pollution 297 citations
Article Tier 2

The Pressing Issue of Micro- and Nanoplastic Contamination: Profiling the Reproductive Alterations Mediated by Oxidative Stress

This review examined how micro- and nanoplastics affect reproductive health across aquatic and land-based organisms, focusing on oxidative stress as the primary damage mechanism. Researchers found that these plastic particles can reach the gonads through the bloodstream and even accumulate in human and mouse placenta, with harmful effects on sperm and egg development, embryo growth, and offspring survival. The severity of reproductive harm appears to increase with smaller particle sizes and longer exposure times.

2022 Antioxidants 82 citations