Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics alleviate the toxicity of CuO nanoparticles to the marine algae Platymonas helgolandica var. tsingtaoensis

Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to alleviate the toxicity of copper oxide nanoparticles to the marine microalga Chlorella vulgaris, likely by adsorbing copper ions onto their surface and reducing bioavailability. The antagonistic interaction highlights how co-occurring nanomaterials can unexpectedly modify each other's environmental toxicity.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics at predicted environmental concentrations enhance the toxicity of copper on Caenorhabditis elegans

Even at low concentrations found in the environment, polystyrene nanoplastics significantly increased copper toxicity in roundworms by boosting oxidative stress and triggering stress-response genes. The nanoplastics alone did not cause obvious harm, but when combined with copper, the damage was much worse than copper alone. This is concerning because in real-world soil and water, nanoplastics and heavy metals often occur together, potentially creating greater health risks than either pollutant individually.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and copper on Platymonas helgolandica var. tsingtaoensis: Perspectives from growth inhibition, chlorophyll content and oxidative stress

Researchers investigated the single and combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and copper on the marine microalga Platymonas helgolandica. The study found that copper alone inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner, while nanoplastics modified copper's bioavailability and altered the combined toxic response. The results suggest that the interaction between nanoplastics and heavy metals can produce complex toxicity patterns that differ from individual exposures.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polystyrene microplastic and nanoplastic on copper toxicity in two freshwater microalgae

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics affect the toxicity of copper to two freshwater microalgae species over extended exposure periods. They found that microplastics generally reduced copper toxicity by adsorbing copper ions, while nanoplastics had more variable effects depending on concentration and algal species. The study highlights that the size of plastic particles plays an important role in how they modify the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals in aquatic environments.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental efficacy of polyethylene microplastics: Enhancing the solidification of CuO nanoparticles and reducing the physiological toxicity to peanuts

Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics interact with copper oxide nanoparticles in soil and their combined effects on peanut plant growth. They found that while polyethylene alone had minimal impact, it reduced the dissolution and absorption of toxic copper oxide nanoparticles, effectively lessening their harmful effects on peanut biomass. The study suggests that microplastics may sometimes act as a moderating influence on the toxicity of co-occurring metal nanoparticle pollutants in agricultural settings.

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

Polystyrene microplastics protect lettuce (Lactuca sativa) from the hazardous effects of Cu(OH)2 nanopesticides

Polystyrene microplastics were found to partially protect lettuce from the phytotoxic effects of copper hydroxide nanowire nanopesticides, likely by adsorbing copper ions and reducing their bioavailability in the rhizosphere. The interaction illustrates how microplastics in agricultural soils can modify the fate and toxicity of co-applied agrochemicals.

2022 Frontiers in Plant Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of nanoplastics and heavy metal on antioxidant parameters of juvenile tri-spine horseshoe crabs

Researchers found that combined exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and copper ions caused greater oxidative stress in juvenile tri-spine horseshoe crabs than either stressor alone, with antioxidant enzyme levels remaining disrupted even after a seven-day recovery period.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastic and copper oxide nanoparticle in Artemia salina: Single and combined effects on stress responses

Researchers tested polystyrene nanoplastics and copper oxide nanoparticles individually and in combination in brine shrimp (Artemia salina) and found synergistic toxicity — the combined exposure caused greater growth inhibition, oxidative stress, and cholinesterase disruption than either contaminant alone.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics sunlight-induce oxidative dissolution, chemical transformation and toxicity enhancement of silver nanoparticles

Researchers discovered that polystyrene microplastics can induce sunlight-driven oxidative dissolution and chemical transformation of silver nanoparticles, enhancing their toxicity and revealing important implications for how co-occurring pollutants interact in the environment.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure of polystyrene nanoplastics and copper induces development toxicity and intestinal mitochondrial dysfunction in vivo and in vitro

When nanoplastics and copper were combined, they caused significantly worse intestinal damage in zebrafish and human gut cells than either pollutant alone. The nanoplastics carried extra copper into the digestive tract, triggering inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and harmful shifts in gut bacteria -- showing how microplastics can act as vehicles that amplify heavy metal toxicity in the gut.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Mitigating potential of polystyrene microplastics on bioavailability, uptake, and toxicity of copper in maize (Zea mays L.)

This study found that polystyrene microplastics in soil actually reduced copper toxicity in maize plants by binding to the copper and making it less available for plant uptake. While this might seem beneficial, it means microplastics are changing how nutrients and metals move through agricultural soil in unpredictable ways. The findings highlight that microplastic contamination in farmland can alter the chemistry of soil in complex ways that affect crop nutrition and food safety.

2024 Environmental Pollution 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the Role of Low-Dose Polystyrene Microplastic in Copper Toxicity to Rice Seed (Oryza sativa L.)

This study explored how polystyrene microplastics interact with copper toxicity in rice seeds. Researchers found that microplastics actually reduced copper's harmful effects by physically accumulating on seed coats and blocking copper absorption, lowering the amount of copper taken up by seedlings by about 34%. The findings highlight how microplastics can alter the way other environmental contaminants affect plants.

2024 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent sensitization of copper toxicity by polystyrene nanoplastics revealed by toxicokinetic–toxicodynamic modeling

Researchers used toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic modeling in zebrafish to show that smaller polystyrene nanoplastics (50 nm vs. 300 nm) not only carry more copper into the body but also sensitize fish to lower internal copper concentrations, amplifying metal toxicity through oxidative stress and intestinal barrier damage beyond what particle uptake alone would predict.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Humic acid alleviates the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in combination with their copper nanoparticle co-pollutants in Artemia salina

Researchers examined how humic acid, a natural organic substance found in soil and water, affects the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics combined with copper nanoparticles in brine shrimp. They found that humic acid reduced the harmful effects of these co-pollutants, likely by coating the particles and limiting their biological interactions. The study suggests that natural organic matter in the environment may help buffer some of the toxic effects of nanoplastic pollution.

2024 Environmental Science Nano 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact and Molecular Mechanism of Microplastics on Zebrafish in the Presence and Absence of Copper Nanoparticles

Polystyrene microplastics of three sizes combined with copper nanoparticles caused additive or synergistic toxicity in zebrafish, disrupting oxidative stress responses, gene expression, and early development, with 0.07-micrometer particles producing the most severe effects.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and copper on antioxidant capacity, immune response and intestinal microbiota of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Researchers examined the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and copper on Nile tilapia and found that co-exposure increased copper accumulation in the liver and caused tissue damage in multiple organs. High concentrations of both contaminants together triggered oxidative stress, inflammation, and shifts in intestinal microbial communities. The study suggests that microplastics can worsen the toxic effects of heavy metals on freshwater fish.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoplastics as Carriers of Metals. Interactions of Polystyrene Nanoparticles with Silver Nanoparticles and Silver Nitrate, and Their Effects on Human Intestinal Caco-2 Cells

Researchers investigated whether polystyrene nanoplastics can act as carriers of silver contaminants, testing their interactions with silver nanoparticles and silver nitrate and their combined effects on human intestinal Caco-2 cells. The study found that nanoplastics can adsorb silver compounds and that the combined exposure increased toxicity compared to either contaminant alone, suggesting nanoplastics may enhance metal uptake in the human gut.

2021 Biomolecules 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics exposure induces cognitive impairment in mice via induction of oxidative stress and ERK/MAPK-mediated neuronal cuproptosis

This mouse study found that polystyrene nanoplastics caused cognitive impairment by triggering oxidative stress and activating a cell-death process called cuproptosis in brain neurons. The findings suggest that copper buildup and specific signaling pathways may be therapeutic targets for reducing brain damage from nanoplastic exposure, though these results still need to be confirmed in human-relevant models.

2025 Particle and Fibre Toxicology 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics modulate the transformation of silver ions in the dark: Key role of environmentally persistent free radicals

Researchers discovered that polystyrene nanoplastics generate chemically reactive "free radicals" on their surfaces even in darkness, which then interact with silver ions commonly found in water to form silver nanoparticles. This transformation actually reduced silver's toxicity to zebrafish larvae, demonstrating that nanoplastics can chemically alter other pollutants in ways that change their environmental risk — even without sunlight.

2026 Water Research X
Article Tier 2

Mechanism of low concentrations of polystyrene microplastics influence the cytotoxicity of Ag ions to Escherichia coli

Low concentrations of polystyrene microplastics had minimal direct toxicity to E. coli but dynamically modulated the toxicity of silver ions, initially protecting bacteria by shielding cell membranes and later intensifying toxicity by promoting reactive oxygen species generation depending on the plastic's surface charge. The study highlights the complexity of predicting combined microplastic and metal toxicity in aquatic ecosystems.

2020 Chemosphere 47 citations