Papers

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Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics mediated the toxicity of silver nanoparticles in zebrafish embryos

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with silver nanoparticles and affect zebrafish embryo development. They found that nanoplastics can act as carriers for silver nanoparticles in water, and the combination altered patterns of oxidative stress, immune response, and metabolic function compared to either pollutant alone. The study highlights how nanoplastics may change the way other environmental contaminants affect aquatic organisms.

2023 Frontiers in Marine Science 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics modulate the toxic effects of bisphenol A in the early stages of zebrafish development

This study investigated whether polystyrene microplastics affect the toxicity of bisphenol A (BPA) during zebrafish embryo development by co-exposing fish to both contaminants. The PS microplastics modulated BPA toxicity in complex ways—in some developmental endpoints amplifying harm, in others providing partial protection—underscoring the unpredictability of combined plastic-chemical exposures.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology
Article Tier 2

The Role of Synthetic Polymers in the Aquatic Environment and Its Implications in Danio Rerio as a Model Organism

Exposing zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics combined with silver nanoparticles caused significantly more oxidative damage, tissue injury in gills and intestines, and higher mortality than either contaminant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics can act as carriers that enhance the toxicity of co-pollutants like silver nanoparticles, a combination effect that is highly relevant to understanding real-world aquatic contamination where multiple pollutants co-occur.

2023 Apple Academic Press eBooks
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics enhance the toxicological effects of DDE in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics enhanced the toxicity of the pesticide metabolite DDE in zebrafish larvae, with co-exposure causing greater developmental abnormalities and oxidative stress than either pollutant alone.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Decrease the Toxicity of a Complex PAH Mixture but Impair Mitochondrial Energy Production in Developing Zebrafish

Researchers studied the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and a real-world mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on developing zebrafish. While the nanoplastics alone did not cause visible developmental defects, they impaired mitochondrial energy production and unexpectedly reduced the toxicity of the PAH mixture. The findings suggest that nanoplastics can interact with co-occurring pollutants in complex ways, sometimes moderating their effects while causing their own subtle cellular damage.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 291 citations
Article Tier 2

Bisphenol A decreases the developmental toxicity and histopathological alterations caused by polystyrene nanoplastics in developing marine medaka Oryzias melastigma

Researchers found that bisphenol A unexpectedly decreased the developmental toxicity and histopathological damage caused by polystyrene nanoplastics in marine medaka embryos, suggesting complex antagonistic interactions between co-existing pollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations.

2023 Chemosphere 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics and 3,6-dibromocarbazole on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene microplastics along with a brominated pollutant (3,6-dibromocarbazole) and found that the combination produced unexpected results. While each pollutant individually caused oxidative stress and cell death, together they actually reduced these effects -- an antagonistic interaction. However, the microplastics acted as carriers that increased the accumulation of the toxic chemical in the fish, potentially amplifying its longer-term dioxin-like toxicity.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics inhibit the neurodevelopmental toxicity of mercury in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae with size-dependent effects

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics paradoxically reduced mercury neurotoxicity in zebrafish larvae, with nanoscale particles providing greater protection than microscale ones by decreasing mercury bioavailability and oxidative damage.

2022 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Complex combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and phenanthrene in aquatic models

Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and the pollutant phenanthrene in fish cells and zebrafish larvae. They found that the interaction between nanoplastics and phenanthrene was complex and tissue-dependent, with nanoplastics increasing phenanthrene uptake in some cell types while decreasing it in others. Interestingly, zebrafish larvae experienced lower overall toxicity during co-exposure compared to single-pollutant exposure, suggesting the interaction dynamics are more nuanced than previously assumed.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to triclosan and polystyrene nanoplastics on neurodevelopmental toxicity and gut microbiota dysbiosis in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers investigated the combined effects of triclosan and polystyrene nanoplastics on zebrafish development and found that co-exposure worsened neurodevelopmental toxicity beyond the effects of either pollutant alone. The combined exposure caused significant gut microbiota disruption and altered expression of genes involved in neural development, suggesting synergistic toxic effects between these two common environmental contaminants.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and polybrominated diphenyl ethers to zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers investigated the individual and combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the flame retardant BDE-47 on zebrafish embryos. They found that co-exposure worsened developmental deformities including pericardial and yolk sac edema, and disrupted gene expression related to detoxification and antioxidant defense. The study suggests that nanoplastics can act as carriers for persistent organic pollutants, amplifying their harmful effects on aquatic organisms.

2022 Fish & Shellfish Immunology 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Neurological Outcomes of Joint Exposure to Polystyrene Micro/Nanospheres and Silver Nanoparticles in Zebrafish

This zebrafish study found that tiny nanoplastics made the brain-damaging effects of silver nanoparticles worse, while larger microplastics had less of an impact. The findings suggest that when nanoplastics combine with other common pollutants, they may create greater risks to the nervous system than either pollutant alone.

2025 Environmental Health Perspectives 12 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics and different forms of arsenic on the zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio)

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics interact with different forms of arsenic and their combined effects on zebrafish embryos. The microplastics absorbed arsenic from the water and altered how the toxic metal accumulated in zebrafish tissues, changing its toxicity profile. The findings suggest that microplastics in the environment can modify how other pollutants affect living organisms, potentially making combined exposures more harmful than expected.

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

Microplastics aggravate the adverse effects of methylmercury than inorganic mercury on zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene microplastics combined with two forms of mercury and found that the microplastics significantly increased the accumulation of methylmercury in the fish. The combination of microplastics and methylmercury caused worse developmental abnormalities, delayed hatching, and greater oxidative stress than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that microplastics can act as carriers for toxic metals, amplifying their harmful effects on aquatic organisms.

2024 Environmental Pollution 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Low level of polystyrene microplastics decreases early developmental toxicity of phenanthrene on marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

Researchers exposed marine medaka fish eggs to low levels of polystyrene microplastics combined with the pollutant phenanthrene. Surprisingly, they found that a very low concentration of microplastics actually reduced the developmental toxicity of phenanthrene, improving hatch rates and decreasing malformations. The study suggests this protective effect occurs because the microplastics reduce the bioavailability of the chemical pollutant, challenging the assumption that microplastics always worsen the toxicity of co-occurring contaminants.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 144 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics and Sulfamethoxazole on Early Neurodevelopment in Embryo–Larval Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed embryo-larval zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole to assess their individual and combined effects on early neurodevelopment. The study found that both contaminants individually caused neurodevelopmental toxicity, and their combination produced a significant synergistic effect, suggesting that co-exposure to microplastics and antibiotics may pose greater risks than either pollutant alone.

2026 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene modulation of perfluorooctanoic acid toxicity in zebrafish: Transcriptomic and toxicological insights

Researchers exposed zebrafish to the industrial chemical PFOA both alone and in combination with polystyrene microplastics of different sizes to understand how the particles influence chemical toxicity. They found that PFOA disrupted neurotransmitter pathways, and the addition of microplastics modified this toxicity in a size-dependent manner, with smaller particles generally increasing harmful effects. The study provides evidence that microplastics can alter how other environmental pollutants affect living organisms.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics and their effect on the toxicity of Au ions in zebrafish embryos

Researchers studied the bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics in zebrafish embryos and their interaction with gold ions. They found that smaller nanoplastics readily penetrated the embryo's protective membrane and accumulated in lipid-rich regions, particularly the yolk. While nanoplastics alone caused only marginal toxic effects, their presence synergistically amplified the toxicity of gold ions through increased oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, suggesting that nanoplastics may worsen the harmful effects of co-occurring environmental contaminants.

2018 Nanoscale 329 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects of microplastics and phenanthrene to zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics, the pollutant phenanthrene, and a combination of both to assess their toxicity over 24 days. They found that co-exposure amplified oxidative stress, suppressed immune gene expression, and significantly disrupted the gut microbiome compared to either contaminant alone. The study suggests that microplastics can worsen the toxic effects of organic pollutants in aquatic organisms by altering how chemicals accumulate and interact in the body.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 190 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Nanoplastics and Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane on Early Zebrafish Embryos Identified by Single-Cell RNA Sequencing

Researchers used single-cell RNA sequencing to study how polystyrene nanoplastics and the sunscreen chemical BMDBM affect early zebrafish embryo development. The study found that both pollutants targeted neural cells and disrupted brain development pathways, though combined exposure appeared to reduce some adverse effects compared to individual exposures, highlighting the complexity of nanoplastic interactions with co-occurring contaminants.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 92 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) harness copper presence and promote impairments in early zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae: Developmental, biochemical, transcriptomic approaches and nontargeted metabolomics approaches

This zebrafish study found that polystyrene microplastics combined with copper produced worse toxic effects than either pollutant alone, causing developmental problems, oxidative stress, immune disruption, and nerve damage in larvae. The combination also disrupted the fish's metabolism in ways that neither pollutant caused independently. This is concerning because microplastics readily absorb heavy metals like copper in the environment, meaning organisms are often exposed to both together.

2025 Environmental Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive neurotoxicity of environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics and butyl methoxydibenzoyl methane on early zebrafish embryos

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics and the UV sunscreen chemical BM-DBM interact synergistically to cause neurotoxicity in zebrafish at environmentally relevant concentrations, disrupting nervous system development and gene expression more severely in combination than either pollutant alone.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Interference with Fipronil Toxicity to Zebrafish Embryonic Development

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect the toxicity of the insecticide fipronil on developing zebrafish embryos. They found that while microplastics reduced the lethal effects of fipronil, likely by adsorbing some of the chemical, they did not change the rate of developmental abnormalities. The study highlights the complex ways different pollutants can interact in aquatic environments.

2024 Microplastics 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics synergistically exacerbate diclofenac toxicity in embryonic development and the health of adult zebrafish

When zebrafish embryos and adults were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with the common pain medication diclofenac, the mixture was significantly more harmful than either substance alone. The combination reduced hatching rates, increased mortality, caused developmental abnormalities, and triggered intestinal inflammation in adult fish. This finding is concerning because nanoplastics and pharmaceutical residues frequently coexist in waterways, and their combined effects on aquatic life could be worse than what studies of individual pollutants suggest.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 12 citations