Papers

61,005 results
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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

Evaluation of antioxidant capacity and digestive enzyme activities in Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to nanoplastics under different patterns of hypoxia

Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics under hypoxic conditions showed compounded antioxidant impairment and digestive enzyme disruption compared to nanoplastic exposure alone. The study highlights that hypoxia, an increasingly common marine stressor, can amplify the toxicity of nanoplastic contamination.

2022 Marine Environmental Research 16 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

Effects of medium-term exposure to a high concentration of polystyrene nanoplastics in Chilean mussels (Mytilus chilensis)

Researchers exposed Chilean mussels to high concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics for 28 days and observed an initial antioxidant and immune response in gills that declined over time, with histological changes including hemocytic infiltration and epithelial damage in gills, the primary site of nanoplastic accumulation.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Microplastic intake and enzymatic responses in Mytilus galloprovincialis reared at the vicinities of an aquaculture station

Researchers evaluated antioxidant defenses and oxidative stress markers in gills of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) reared near an aquaculture station, finding that microplastics derived from aquaculture activities induced significant enzymatic stress responses.

2021 Chemosphere 45 citations
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

Impact of nanoplastics on hemolymph immune parameters and microbiota composition in Mytilus galloprovincialis

Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels exposed to amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics for 96 hours showed disrupted hemolymph immune parameters and significant shifts in microbiota composition, suggesting nanoplastics alter both immune function and the microbial communities mussels rely on.

2020 Marine Environmental Research 93 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

Immunotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in different hemocyte subpopulations of Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers exposed hemocyte subpopulations of Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that different immune cell types responded differently, with some showing increased mortality and lysosomal damage at environmentally relevant concentrations.

2020 Scientific Reports 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidative Stress in Mussel Mytilus trossulus Induced by Different-Sized Plastics

Researchers exposed mussels to both tiny polystyrene microparticles and larger polyethylene plastic fragments and found that both sizes triggered oxidative stress in the animals. The plastic exposure caused DNA damage, weakened cellular membranes, and destabilized immune cell structures in the mussels' gills and digestive glands. The findings indicate that plastics of any size and polymer type can be harmful to marine filter-feeding organisms.

2024 Journal of Xenobiotics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of exposure to nanoplastics on the gill of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis: An integrated perspective from multiple biomarkers

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polystyrene nanoplastics for seven days and measured multiple gill biomarkers, finding that nanoplastics triggered oxidative stress, inhibited acetylcholinesterase, disrupted sodium-potassium ion transport, and impaired energy and lipid metabolism, pointing to broad physiological interference in marine invertebrates.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics: From tissue accumulation to cell translocation into Mytilus galloprovincialis hemocytes. resilience of immune cells exposed to nanoplastics and nanoplastics plus Vibrio splendidus combination

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes accumulate in and affect the immune cells of Mediterranean mussels. They found that the smallest nanoparticles quickly moved from the digestive system into the bloodstream and were taken up by immune cells, altering their function including motility and the ability to produce reactive oxygen species. However, the immune cells showed resilience by recovering their ability to fight bacterial infection after nanoplastic exposure.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 167 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

Environmental and Sublethal Concentrations of Polystyrene Nanoplastics Induced Antioxidant System, Transcriptomic Responses, and Disturbed Gut Microbiota in Oyster Magallana Hongkongensis

Researchers exposed Hong Kong oysters to polystyrene nanoplastics at both environmentally realistic and higher concentrations. Even at the lower, real-world concentrations, the nanoplastics significantly altered the oysters' gut bacteria and gene expression patterns, while higher doses also triggered immune and antioxidant stress responses, raising concerns about food safety and ecosystem health.

2024 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological and Biomarker Assessment of Freshwater Zebra Mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) Exposed to Nano-Polystyrene

Researchers exposed freshwater zebra mussels to nano-polystyrene particles at concentrations of 20 to 60 mg/L and measured mortality, feeding rates, and stress biomarker responses. They found that the nanoplastics caused measurable stress responses and affected the mussels' clearance rates at tested concentrations. The study adds to evidence that sub-micron plastic particles can have significant biological impacts on freshwater filter-feeding organisms.

2024 Toxics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure of bay scallop Argopecten irradians to micro-polystyrene: Bioaccumulation and toxicity

Bay scallops exposed to polystyrene microbeads showed accumulation in their digestive tissues and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes, indicating oxidative stress, with effects growing stronger with higher doses and longer exposure. The study confirms that microplastic ingestion can induce a stress response in commercially harvested bivalves.

2020 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of functionalized nanoplastics on oxidative stress in the mussel Mytilus coruscus

Researchers exposed mussels to three types of nanoplastics with different surface modifications and found that amino-modified particles were the most toxic, strongly inhibiting key antioxidant enzymes in gill and mantle tissues. Different surface chemistries triggered distinct patterns of oxidative stress across tissues, with gills being the most sensitive organ. The study highlights that how nanoplastics are modified by environmental weathering can significantly change their toxicity to marine organisms.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 9 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Is microplastic an oxidative stressor? Evidence from a meta-analysis on bivalves

Microplastics induce time-dependent oxidative stress in bivalves, with antioxidant enzymes (GPx, GST, SOD) increasing during short-term exposure but declining after long-term exposure, while glutathione levels and catalase activity remained elevated throughout and may serve as reliable biomarkers of sublethal microplastic effects.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 199 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

Toxicological Impacts of Microplastics: Effects on Levels of Cellular Thiols in Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects cellular thiol antioxidants in Mediterranean mussels, finding that short-term exposure altered glutathione and ovothiol levels, indicating oxidative stress as a key mechanism of microplastic toxicity in benthic species.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 8 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

Evidence for immunomodulation and apoptotic processes induced by cationic polystyrene nanoparticles in the hemocytes of the marine bivalve Mytilus

Researchers exposed mussel immune cells (hemocytes) to cationic polystyrene nanoparticles and found dose-dependent reductions in phagocytic ability, increases in reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide, and apoptotic cell death at high concentrations — indicating nanoplastics can compromise invertebrate immune defenses through mechanisms similar to those seen in mammalian cells.

2015 Marine Environmental Research 389 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological effects of plastic particles on mussels are mediated by food presence

Thick shell mussels exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics (70 nm) and microplastics (10 µm) with and without microalgae food found that food presence mediated the physiological effects — microplastics reduced energy budget and increased oxidative stress markers most strongly when food was mixed with particles.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics induced oxidative stress and antioxidant defence in the digestive tissues of a freshwater pulmonate snail, Indoplanorbis exustus

Researchers studied the oxidative stress response caused by polystyrene nanoplastics in the digestive tissues of the freshwater snail Indoplanorbis exustus. The study found that nanoplastic exposure elevated reactive oxygen species levels in a time-dependent manner, initially triggering protective antioxidant enzyme responses, but prolonged exposure depleted these defenses and exacerbated oxidative damage to digestive tissues.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials Plastics