Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of environmentally relevant levels of polyethylene microplastic on Mytilus galloprovincialis (Mollusca: Bivalvia): filtration rate and oxidative stress

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations and found significant reductions in filtration rate and signs of oxidative damage in the digestive gland. The study suggests that microplastics as small as 40-48 micrometers can disrupt antioxidant defenses in bivalves even at low concentrations, raising concerns about their impact on marine filter-feeders.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent effects of plastic particles on antioxidant and immune responses of the thick-shelled mussel Mytilus coruscus

Mussels exposed to plastic particles ranging from 70 nanometers to 100 micrometers showed that smaller particles caused more severe damage, including higher oxidative stress and greater immune system suppression. After 30 days of exposure, the mussels' immune cells had reduced ability to fight off threats through phagocytosis (the process of engulfing invaders). A seven-day recovery period reversed some effects, but the study highlights how chronic nanoplastic exposure may weaken marine organisms' defenses.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene micro and nanoplastics: A comparative study of the cytotoxic effects exerted on Mytilus galloprovincialis gills

Researchers compared the toxic effects of micro-sized and nano-sized polystyrene particles on the gills of Mediterranean mussels. Both sizes caused oxidative damage, tissue alterations, and immune responses, but nanoplastics consistently produced more severe effects. The findings suggest that smaller plastic particles pose a greater threat to the gill function of filter-feeding shellfish, potentially impairing their ability to collect food and breathe.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of size continuum from nanoplastics to microplastics on marine mussel Mytilus edulis: Comparison in vitro/in vivo exposure scenarios

Researchers compared the effects of nanoplastics versus microplastics on marine mussels using both in vivo and in vitro approaches, finding that smaller plastic particles caused greater cellular and physiological impacts across the size continuum.

2022 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Does microplastic induce oxidative stress in marine invertebrates

This review examined whether microplastic ingestion induces oxidative stress in marine invertebrates, finding evidence that microplastics can elevate reactive oxygen species and disrupt antioxidant defenses in species including mussels, sea urchins, and copepods. Oxidative stress is a key mechanism through which microplastics may cause cellular damage in marine animals.

2017 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

This study investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics affect Mediterranean mussels, an important marine species and human food source. Researchers found that these tiny plastic particles can cross cell membranes, accumulate in tissues, and trigger oxidative stress and immune responses. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution in the ocean could affect both marine ecosystem health and the safety of seafood consumed by people.

2023 Environmental Pollution 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Tissue-Specific Biomarker Responses in the Blue Mussel Mytilus spp. Exposed to a Mixture of Microplastics at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations

Researchers exposed blue mussels to an environmentally relevant mixture of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics at three concentrations and examined tissue-specific responses over 10 days of exposure and 10 days of depuration. They found that microplastics triggered different antioxidant responses in the digestive gland versus the gills, with some evidence of DNA damage and immune system changes. The study highlights that even low, environmentally realistic concentrations of microplastics can induce measurable biochemical stress in marine bivalves.

2019 Frontiers in Environmental Science 164 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellular and tissue-level responses of mussels (Mytilus edulis) to aged polyethylene terephthalate (PET) micro- and nanoplastic particles

This study exposed mussels to environmentally realistic concentrations of aged PET micro- and nanoplastics and found measurable cellular damage even at the lowest doses tested. The plastic particles caused inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue changes in the mussels' digestive systems. Since mussels are a common seafood and are often eaten whole, these findings are relevant to understanding human microplastic exposure through shellfish consumption.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 8 citations
Review Tier 2

Immunological responses, oxidative stress, and histopathological effects of nanoplastics on commercially relevant mussel species: A review

This review examines how nanoplastics affect commercially important mussel species, finding that these tiny particles can cross biological barriers and accumulate in tissues. Evidence indicates that nanoplastic exposure alters metabolic rates, triggers immune responses, causes oxidative stress and DNA damage, and changes the structure of gills, gonads, and gut tissue. The findings raise concerns about both mussel health and potential implications for seafood safety.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics, microfibres and nanoplastics cause variable sub-lethal responses in mussels (Mytilus spp.)

Researchers compared the toxic effects of microplastics, microfibres, and nanoplastics on mussels over 24-hour and 7-day exposures. They found that nanoplastics triggered a heightened immune response, while all plastic types caused initial oxidative stress that returned to normal levels after a week. The study highlights that particle size is a key factor in determining the type and severity of biological responses to plastic pollution in marine organisms.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 223 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion in mussels from the East Mediterranean Sea: Exploring its impacts in nature and controlled conditions

Mussels from fish farms in the eastern Mediterranean had the highest microplastic contamination, likely from plastic aquaculture equipment, while mussels from a Marine Protected Area had the lowest. The study found that higher microplastic levels in mussels were linked to measurable signs of oxidative stress, DNA damage, and nerve toxicity, showing that these filter-feeding shellfish -- commonly eaten by people -- are actively harmed by the plastic particles they ingest.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and their impact on enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidative stress mechanisms

Researchers assessed the bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and measured enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant stress responses after 4 days of exposure to 1 mg/L of 54 nm particles. Nanoplastics accumulated in mussel tissues and triggered significant oxidative stress responses, including altered superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, indicating toxicological effects at environmentally relevant concentrations.

2024 Juraj Dobrila University of Pula Digital Repository
Article Tier 2

Chronic toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polystyrene nanoplastics (50 nm, 10 µg/L) for 21 days and found genotoxicity in blood cells and overwhelmed antioxidant defenses in gills and digestive glands, with gills showing the most severe tissue-level oxidative damage over time.

2021 Chemosphere 70 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

Confounding factors affect hemocyte responses of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis upon foodborne exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics of three sizes

Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were fed polystyrene nanoplastics at three sizes (50, 200, 1000 nm) and two doses for 7 days, revealing size- and dose-dependent effects on hemocyte immune function, with smaller particles causing greater cellular disruption.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers compared the chronic effects of polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics on Mediterranean mussels over a 21-day exposure at very low concentrations. They found that nanoplastics generally produced stronger biological responses than microplastics, including greater impacts on immune function, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity markers. The study suggests that smaller plastic particles may pose greater risks to marine filter feeders even at trace environmental concentrations.

2021 Nanomaterials 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of size-fractionation on toxicity of marine microplastics: Enhanced integrated biomarker assessment in the tropical mussels, Perna viridis

Researchers studied how different sizes of polystyrene microplastics (0.5, 5, and 50 micrometers) affect toxicity in tropical green mussels. The study found that smaller microplastics caused greater bioaccumulation and more severe toxic effects, including oxidative stress and tissue damage, indicating that size is a critical factor in determining microplastic toxicity in marine organisms.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Virgin Polystyrene Microparticles Exposure Leads to Changes in Gills DNA and Physical Condition in the Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus Galloprovincialis

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) to virgin polystyrene microparticles and found significant DNA damage in gill tissue and reduced physical condition, suggesting that even virgin microplastics pose a genotoxic risk to marine filter feeders.

2021 Animals 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Short-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics hampers the cellular function of gills in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Even short-term exposure (72 hours) to polystyrene microplastics disrupted gill function in Mediterranean mussels, a species commonly eaten by humans. The microplastics accumulated in gill tissue and caused metabolic disorders including changes in energy production, nerve signaling, and salt balance, along with oxidative stress. Since mussels are filter feeders that concentrate microplastics from seawater, these findings raise questions about the quality of shellfish as human food.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to pet-made microplastics: Particle size and pH effects on biomolecular responses in mussels

Researchers exposed mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) to PET microplastic fibers of three size classes under two pH conditions, finding that all sizes induced oxidative stress with lipid peroxidation and glutathione peroxidase being the most sensitive biomarkers. Larger particles (0.5-3.0 mm) caused greater effects, and mussels in acidified seawater (pH 7.5) showed lower biomarker expression than those at standard pH (8.0).

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Genotoxic Properties of Polystyrene (PS) Microspheres in the Filter-Feeder Mollusk Mytilus trossulus (Gould, 1850)

Polystyrene microspheres were tested for genotoxic effects in the filter-feeding mussel Mytilus trossulus, finding that exposure caused DNA strand breaks and other genetic damage in gill and hemocyte cells. The study contributes evidence that microplastic particles can induce genotoxicity in marine bivalves used as pollution bioindicators.

2022 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics on the feeding behavior, oxidative stress, and accumulation of diarrhetic shellfish toxins in the mussel Mytilus unguiculatus

Polystyrene micro/nanoplastics altered feeding behavior and induced oxidative stress in mussels (Mytilus unguiculatus) and — critically — increased accumulation of diarrhetic shellfish toxins in mussel tissue, raising concerns about combined microplastic-algal toxin food safety risks.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Cellular effects of microplastics are influenced by their dimension: Mechanistic relationships and integrated criteria for particles definition.

Researchers exposed mussels to five different size classes of polyethylene microplastics and found that the smallest particles (20-50 micrometers) caused the most biological damage, including immune system changes and increased oxidative stress. The study provides experimental evidence that microplastic size matters significantly when assessing health risks. This is important for human health assessments because it suggests that the smallest microplastic particles, which are also the hardest to filter out of food and water, may be the most harmful.

2024 Environmental Pollution 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoparticle-Biological Interactions in a Marine Benthic Foraminifer

Researchers exposed single-celled marine organisms called foraminifera to three types of engineered nanoparticles — including polystyrene nanoplastics — and found that all three accumulated inside the cells and triggered oxidative stress (a form of cellular damage). This study shows that even microscopic seafloor organisms are vulnerable to nanoplastic pollution, expanding the known range of species harmed by plastic contamination.

2019 Scientific Reports 40 citations