We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Aging process potentially aggravates microplastic toxicity in aquatic organisms: Evidence from a comprehensive synthesis
ClearThe aging of microplastics exacerbates the damage to photosynthetic performance and bioenergy production in microalgae (Chlorella pyrenoidosa)
Researchers found that aged microplastics are significantly more toxic to freshwater algae than new microplastics, inhibiting growth by up to 45% and causing greater damage to photosynthesis and energy production. Since algae form the base of aquatic food chains, this heightened toxicity from weathered microplastics could cascade through ecosystems and ultimately affect the safety of freshwater resources that humans depend on.
Nanoplastics in aquatic environments: The hidden impact of aging on fate and toxicity
This review highlights that most toxicity studies on nanoplastics use brand-new pristine particles, but real-world nanoplastics are aged by sunlight and chemical exposure, which fundamentally changes their surface properties and toxicity. Aged nanoplastics may be more harmful than pristine ones because they interact differently with biological systems, meaning current safety assessments likely underestimate the true risks.
Mechanistic insights into non-negligible toxicity evolution of microplastics under different aging processes
This review examines how different environmental aging processes, such as UV exposure, mechanical wear, and chemical weathering, change the physical and chemical properties of microplastics and alter their toxicity. Researchers found that aged microplastics and the chemicals they leach tend to be more harmful to organisms than fresh particles, causing growth inhibition and genetic damage. The findings suggest that the environmental risks of microplastics may increase significantly as they degrade over time.
How aging microplastics influence heavy metal environmental fate and bioavailability: A systematic review
This systematic review found that environmental aging (UV, weathering) degrades microplastics into smaller particles with higher surface reactivity, increasing their capacity to adsorb heavy metals. These aged microplastic-heavy metal complexes bioaccumulate through the food chain, posing greater ecological and human health risks than either pollutant alone.
Innovative overview of the occurrence, aging characteristics, and ecological toxicity of microplastics in environmental media
This review summarizes existing research on where microplastics are found in the environment, how they age and break down, and their toxic effects on living organisms. The paper highlights that as microplastics weather in the environment through sunlight and chemical exposure, they become smaller and can carry other pollutants, potentially increasing their health risks. It also covers emerging strategies for detecting and removing microplastics.
Migration, transformation, and ecological effects of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems
Researchers reviewed how microplastics migrate, transform, and affect aquatic ecosystems, summarizing evidence that physical aging, photochemical weathering, and biofouling reshape particle surfaces and enhance co-contaminant uptake, while ecological effects span oxidative stress and genotoxicity at the organism level to disrupted biogeochemical cycling at the ecosystem level.
Effects of microplastics on the toxicity of co-existing pollutants to fish: A meta-analysis
Meta-analysis of 1,380 biological endpoints from 55 studies found that microplastics in co-existing pollutant solutions significantly increased toxicity to fish beyond what the pollutants caused alone, particularly elevating immune system damage, metabolic disruption, and oxidative stress. The effect depended on fish life stage and microplastic size, but not on pollutant or polymer type.
A review on enriched microplastics in environment: From the perspective of their aging impact and associate risk
This review explores what happens to microplastics as they age in the environment over long periods. Researchers found that natural weathering changes the physical and chemical properties of microplastics in ways that may increase their ability to harbor harmful microorganisms and interact with other pollutants, suggesting that aging may actually make microplastic pollution more hazardous over time rather than less.
Exploring Different Toxic Effects of UV-Aged and Bio-Aged Microplastics on Growth and Oxidative Stress of Escherichia coli
This study compared the toxic effects of UV-aged and bio-aged microplastics on aquatic microorganisms, finding that different aging processes alter MP surface properties in distinct ways that produce different patterns of toxicity to bacteria and algae in aquatic environments.
Impact of Degradation of Polyethylene Particles on Their Cytotoxicity
Researchers found that degradation of polyethylene particles altered their cytotoxicity, with weathered and fragmented PE showing different toxic effects on cells compared to pristine particles, suggesting environmental aging changes microplastic health risks.
Environmental behaviors of microplastics in aquatic systems: A systematic review on degradation, adsorption, toxicity and biofilm under aging conditions
Aging processes like UV irradiation and physical abrasion alter microplastic surface properties, increasing their capacity to adsorb environmental pollutants while also enhancing leaching of toxic additives like phthalates, collectively amplifying the environmental toxicity of weathered microplastics.
Meta-analysis for systematic review of global micro/nano-plastics contamination versus various freshwater microalgae: Toxicological effect patterns, taxon-specific response, and potential eco-risks
A meta-analysis of 1,071 observations found that nanoplastics cause more severe cell membrane damage than microplastics, while microplastics more strongly inhibit photosynthesis in freshwater microalgae. Among polymer types, polyamide caused the highest growth inhibition, polystyrene induced the most toxin release, and diatoms were the most sensitive algal group while cyanobacteria showed exceptional resilience.
Meta-analysis of the effects of microplastic on fish: Insights into growth, survival, reproduction, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota diversity
A meta-analysis of 3,757 biological endpoints from 85 studies found that microplastic exposure significantly inhibits fish growth, survival, and reproduction while increasing oxidative damage, but does not significantly alter gut microbiota diversity. The severity of toxic effects depends on microplastic type, size, concentration, exposure pathway, and the fish's life stage.
Microplastic exposure in aquatic invertebrates can cause significant negative effects compared to natural particles - A meta-analysis.
This meta-analysis pools data from 26 studies comparing the effects of microplastics versus natural particles on aquatic animals. The findings show that microplastics cause more harm to growth, reproduction, and survival than natural particles in some species, suggesting that the chemical composition of plastics, not just the physical presence of particles, contributes to their toxicity.
The wheel of time: The environmental dance of aged micro- and nanoplastics and their biological resonance
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics change as they age in the environment through exposure to sunlight, water, and biological activity. Aged plastics behave differently than fresh ones: they accumulate faster in ecosystems, are more easily taken up by organisms, and can release trapped chemicals as they break down. The findings suggest that the real-world health and environmental risks of microplastics may be greater than lab studies using new, unweathered plastics indicate.
An enigma: A meta-analysis reveals the effect of ubiquitous microplastics on different taxa in aquatic systems
This meta-analysis pooled data from multiple studies to assess how microplastics affect aquatic organisms including fish, invertebrates, and zooplankton. Results showed that microplastic exposure can reduce feeding, growth, and reproduction across different species, raising concerns about broader impacts on aquatic food webs.
The environmental effects of microplastics and microplastic derived dissolved organic matter in aquatic environments: A review
This review examines how microplastics interact with other pollutants in water and how aging from sunlight and weathering changes their behavior. As microplastics break down, they release dissolved organic matter and develop surface changes that increase their ability to carry harmful chemicals like pesticides and pharmaceuticals. The findings suggest that weathered microplastics in real-world environments may be more dangerous than fresh plastics used in most lab studies.
Microplastic aging processes: Environmental relevance and analytical implications
Researchers reviewed how microplastics change physically and chemically over time in the environment — a process called 'aging' — and found that standard lab methods for detecting microplastics were mostly developed using fresh, unaged plastics, making it harder to accurately measure real-world contamination. Improved analytical methods that account for aged microplastics are needed for reliable environmental assessment.
Ecotoxicological impact of virgin and environmental microplastics leachate on Chlorella vulgaris: Synergistic microbial-pollutant drivers cripple photosynthesis
Researchers compared the toxic effects of leachate from new versus environmentally weathered microplastics on a common green algae species. They found that weathered microplastics were up to 3.4 times more toxic, severely disrupting photosynthesis and introducing hundreds of bacterial species and pollutants that compounded the damage. The findings highlight that microplastics become significantly more dangerous as they age in the environment.
Nanoplastics toxicity in aquatic organisms: a review of effects on selected marine and freshwater species
This review analyzed 128 studies on the effects of nanoplastics on five representative freshwater and marine species, including microalgae, bivalves, crustaceans, and fish. Researchers found that even low concentrations of nanoplastics can cause oxidative stress, membrane damage, developmental disorders, and immune and nervous system dysfunction. The study highlights that particle size, concentration, aging status, and the presence of co-contaminants all influence toxicity, and calls for more research at environmentally realistic exposure levels.
Fragmentation of polypropylene into microplastics promoted by photo-aging; release of metals, toxicity and inhibition of biodegradability
This study showed that when polypropylene plastic ages in sunlight, it fragments into microplastics much faster and releases metal contaminants that were originally added during manufacturing. The resulting particles and chemical leachates were toxic to aquatic organisms and resistant to biodegradation, meaning aged plastics in the environment are more hazardous than fresh ones.
Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Ecotoxicological Effects, Exposure Pathways and Trophic Transfer Risks
This review synthesises evidence on the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in marine, freshwater, and estuarine environments, covering ingestion, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and physiological harms across aquatic fauna. It identifies chemical co-contamination and particle size as key modulators of toxicity.
PlasticLeachatesDisproportionately Impair AquaticAnimals: A Multifactor, Multieffect, and Multilevel Meta-analyticModel
A meta-analysis using a multifactor, multilevel model found that plastic leachates disproportionately impair aquatic animals compared to microplastic particles alone, with toxicity varying by leachate concentration, polymer type, and exposure duration across six biochemical endpoints.
PlasticLeachatesDisproportionately Impair AquaticAnimals: A Multifactor, Multieffect, and Multilevel Meta-analyticModel
A meta-analysis using a multifactor, multilevel model found that plastic leachates disproportionately impair aquatic animals compared to microplastic particles alone, with toxicity varying by leachate concentration, polymer type, and exposure duration across six biochemical endpoints.