Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on cell growth, intracellular products and oxidative stress of Scenedesmus sp.

Researchers exposed freshwater microalgae to PET microplastics, a common plastic found in beverage bottles and textiles. Higher concentrations of PET particles significantly reduced algal growth and disrupted the cells' internal production of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins. The study suggests that PET microplastic pollution in wastewater could harm the tiny organisms that form the foundation of aquatic food webs.

2023 Chemosphere 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nano-plastics and microalgae in aquatic environment: Influence factor, interaction, and molecular mechanisms.

This review examined the interactions between micro/nanoplastics and microalgae in aquatic environments, summarizing how plastic particle size, surface chemistry, and co-pollutants influence algal toxicity through oxidative stress, photosynthesis inhibition, and gene expression changes.

2024 The Science of the total environment
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Effect and mechanism of microplastics exposure against microalgae: Photosynthesis and oxidative stress

Meta-analysis of 55 studies (835 endpoints) found that microplastics reduce chlorophyll-a content and hinder electron transfer in microalgae photosynthetic systems, causing oxidative stress damage. Effects were concentration- and size-dependent, with freshwater microalgae more susceptible than marine species.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics disrupt microalgal carbon fixation: Efficiency and underlying mechanisms

Researchers exposed the microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa to polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics and found up to 39% inhibition of carbon fixation, driven by reduced chlorophyll content, increased oxidative stress, and downregulation of genes in the Calvin cycle and chlorophyll metabolism, with implications for aquatic carbon cycling.

2026 Journal of Environmental Management
Article Tier 2

An improved method to generate secondary nanoplastics and oligomers: application in ecotoxicology

Researchers developed an improved laboratory method to generate secondary nanoplastics and oligomers under environmentally representative conditions, and found that the produced materials caused measurable physiological changes in the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii at environmentally relevant concentrations. The method advances ecotoxicological research by enabling more realistic testing of nanoplastic breakdown products.

2024 Environmental Science Nano 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of weathered and virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) micro- and nanoplastics on growth dynamics and the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of microalgae

Researchers compared how fresh and sun-weathered PET micro and nanoplastics affect microalgae growth and the sticky substances (EPS) algae produce in response to stress. Weathered plastics triggered more EPS production and had greater effects on algae than fresh plastics did. Since algae form the base of aquatic food chains and most ocean microplastics have been weathered by sunlight, these findings suggest real-world impacts on marine ecosystems may be worse than laboratory studies with fresh plastics indicate.

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

Microplastics as emerging stressors in plants: biochemical and metabolic responses

This review examines how microplastics act as environmental stressors in plants, disrupting biochemical and metabolic processes including photosynthesis, antioxidant defenses, and nutrient uptake, with effects varying by polymer type, particle size, and concentration.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health
Article Tier 2

Functional expression of polyethylene terephthalate-degrading enzyme (PETase) in green microalgae

The PET-degrading enzyme PETase was successfully expressed and shown to be catalytically active in the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, representing the first reported expression of PETase in a photosynthetic eukaryote. This proof-of-concept suggests the possibility of developing algae-based bioremediation strategies for PET plastic waste.

2020 Microbial Cell Factories 211 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on the toxicity of chlorpyrifos and mercury on the marine microalgae Rhodomonas lens

Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics influence the toxicity of chlorpyrifos and mercury to the marine microalga Rhodomonas lens, finding that microplastics can modify pollutant bioavailability and alter toxic effects depending on particle surface oxidation state.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 32 citations
Article Tier 2

The organism fate of inland freshwater system under micro-/nano-plastic pollution: A review of past decade.

This review synthesized a decade of research on how micro- and nano-plastics affect freshwater organisms including microalgae, macrophytes, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, and fish, finding that impacts range from impaired photosynthesis and oxidative stress to reproductive disruption and behavioral changes across multiple biological levels.

2023 Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Review Tier 2

Toxicological consequences of microplastics pollution on aquatic Li Ving organisms: a review

This review examines the toxicological consequences of microplastic pollution on aquatic organisms, summarizing effects on growth, reproduction, oxidative stress, and endocrine function across fish, invertebrate, and algae model species.

2024 Dutse Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Regulation of Oxidative Stress-Related Signaling Pathways in Tetrahymena pyriformis Exposed to Micro- and Nanoplastics

Researchers exposed the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics and found uptake of both particle types along with activation of multiple oxidative stress signaling pathways, demonstrating cellular stress responses in this model organism.

2025 Microplastics
Article Tier 2

Evidence that microplastics at environmentally relevant concentration and size interfere with energy metabolism of microalgal community

In a community of three algae species, environmentally realistic concentrations of micron-sized microplastics reduced sugar production and increased energy consumption in the cells. The microplastics interfered with algal movement, nutrient absorption, and caused lasting oxidative stress and DNA damage. Since algae are the foundation of aquatic food chains, this disruption at realistic pollution levels could ripple through ecosystems that ultimately affect human food sources.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Do microplastics induce oxidative stress in marine invertebrates?

This review examined whether marine invertebrates exposed to microplastics show evidence of oxidative stress — a common cellular response to toxic injury — finding support for this effect across multiple species and polymer types. Oxidative stress is a key mechanism by which microplastics may harm marine organisms.

2018 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic Effects of Microplastics on Culture Scenedesmus quadricauda: Interactions between Microplastics and Algae

Researchers found that microplastics from multiple polymer types inhibit growth of the freshwater alga Scenedesmus quadricauda and induce oxidative stress, with toxicity varying by polymer type, particle size, and concentration.

2021 Moscow University Biological Sciences Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Efficient secretion of a plastic degrading enzyme from the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was engineered to secrete the PHL7 plastic-degrading enzyme and selected on polyurethane-containing agar plates, with robust strains demonstrating efficient PET plastic breakdown, offering a photosynthetic platform for biological plastic degradation.

2024 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nanoplastic-induced stress in microalgae: Latest laboratory evidence and knowledge gaps

This review compiled laboratory evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics stress microalgae — the base of aquatic food webs — covering effects on photosynthesis, growth, oxidative stress, and toxin production. The authors identify key knowledge gaps including environmentally realistic concentrations and combined contaminant effects.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Concentration dependent toxicity of microplastics to marine microalgae

Researchers exposed the marine microalga Chlorella sp. to polystyrene microplastics at concentrations of 10 and 50 mg/L, finding that even low concentrations inhibited growth and disrupted photosynthesis, while higher concentrations caused more pronounced oxidative stress.

2025 E3S Web of Conferences
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

Influence of polystyrene microplastics on the growth, photosynthetic efficiency and aggregation of freshwater microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Polystyrene microplastics at concentrations of 5–100 mg/L inhibited the growth and photosynthetic efficiency of the freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and promoted cell aggregation at higher concentrations, with effects scaling with dose.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 381 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidative stress and energy metabolic response of Isochrysis galbana induced by different types of pristine and aging microplastics and their leachates

Researchers compared how different types of pristine and aged microplastics affect a marine microalga used in aquaculture. Aged microplastics were more toxic than fresh ones, and the chemical compounds they released into the water caused greater oxidative stress and energy disruption in algal cells. The study suggests that as microplastics weather in the environment, they may become more harmful to the base of the marine food chain.

2023 Chemosphere 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity Induced by Micro-and Nanoplastics through Oxidative Stress: The Role of Co-Exposure to Other Chemical Pollutants

This review examined how micro- and nanoplastics cause oxidative stress — a form of cellular damage — in living organisms, particularly when combined with other chemical pollutants in the environment. Co-exposure to microplastics and chemicals like pesticides or heavy metals tends to be more damaging than either pollutant alone.

2021 International Journal of Zoology and Animal Biology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Realistic environmental exposure to secondary PET microplastics induces biochemical responses in freshwater amphipod Hyalella azteca

Freshwater benthic invertebrates were exposed to secondary PET microplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations, resulting in oxidative stress, enzyme disruption, and altered reproductive output. The study provides evidence that secondary microplastics from common plastic waste pose measurable biochemical risks to freshwater fauna.

2022 Chemistry and Ecology 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the toxic mechanisms of microplastics in aquatic ecosystem: A case study on Vallisneria natans and Myriophyllum verticillatum

Researchers exposed two submerged aquatic plant species (Vallisneria natans and Myriophyllum verticillatum) to PVC, polystyrene, and polyethylene microplastics at three concentrations, finding that all three types significantly inhibited photosynthesis and growth and triggered oxidative stress, with effects varying by plastic type and plant species.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations