Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of microplastics and its in vivo interactions with trace metals in edible oysters

Scientists collected oysters from a Chinese coastal city and found microplastics in all samples, then investigated how microplastics interact with trace metals in vivo, finding that plastic particles and metals co-accumulated in tissues and that plastics may alter metal bioavailability.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 109 citations
Article Tier 2

Regulatory mechanism of microplastics on arsenic bioavailability in a subtropical estuary, China

Researchers investigated the regulatory mechanisms by which microplastics influence arsenic bioavailability in sediments of the Min River estuary, a subtropical estuary in China, finding that microplastic pollution alters the dynamics of bioavailable arsenic through interactions with sediment geochemistry and microbial communities.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Toxicity of the Combined Exposure of Microplastics and Arsenic (III) on Clams

This study examined the combined toxicity of microplastics and arsenic(III) on freshwater clams, finding that co-exposure caused greater oxidative stress and tissue damage than either contaminant alone, suggesting synergistic interactions between microplastics and heavy metals.

2024 Current Nanoscience 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts moléculaires des nanoplastiques combinés à l’arsenic, effets comparés entre des huîtres caribéennes (Isognomon alatus) et canadiennes (Crassostrea virginica) exposées par voie trophique.

This French-language thesis investigated the molecular effects of nanoplastics combined with arsenic on two oyster species — Caribbean (Isognomon alatus) and Canadian (Crassostrea virginica). The research found that nanoplastics can increase arsenic bioavailability in filter-feeding bivalves, amplifying heavy metal toxicity through co-exposure.

2020 EspaceINRS Institutional Digital Repository (Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in commercial bivalves from China

Researchers analyzed microplastics in commercially sold bivalves from China, finding contamination across multiple species and geographic origins, with implications for human dietary microplastic exposure through shellfish consumption.

2015 Environmental Pollution 960 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the risks of co-exposures in a changing world: A case study of dual monitoring of the biotoxin domoic acid and Vibrio spp. in Pacific oyster

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it examines the co-occurrence of the harmful algal toxin domoic acid and Vibrio bacteria in Pacific oysters in California, focusing on food safety risks from biological rather than plastic contaminants.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Occurrence of microplastics and heavy metals accumulation in native oysters Crassostrea Gasar in the Paranaguá estuarine system, Brazil

Researchers examined native oysters from the Paranagua estuarine system in Brazil for both microplastic contamination and heavy metal accumulation. They found high levels of microplastics in all oyster samples, along with elevated concentrations of several heavy metals, and observed potential interactions between the two pollutant types. The study raises concerns about the combined exposure risks from microplastics and heavy metals in seafood harvested from polluted estuaries.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic alters the redox state and arsenic metabolization in the freshwater bivalve Limnoperna fortunei

Researchers exposed the freshwater mussel Limnoperna fortunei to polystyrene microplastics in combination with arsenic, finding that microplastics altered the bivalve's redox state and interfered with arsenic metabolization pathways. The results suggest microplastics can impair an organism's ability to convert toxic forms of arsenic to less toxic metabolites, worsening arsenic toxicity.

2023 Toxicology Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on the Fate and Behaviour of Arsenic in the Environment and Their Significance for Drinking Water Supply

This review highlights a largely overlooked problem: microplastics in the environment can adsorb arsenic — one of the world's most dangerous water contaminants — onto their surfaces and potentially transport it to new locations or make it harder to remove during drinking water treatment. The authors call for urgent research into how the presence of microplastics affects the performance of arsenic removal technologies, since both pollutants now co-occur in water sources globally.

2023 Processes 1 citations
Article Tier 2

An examination of the occurrence and potential risks of microplastics across various shellfish

Researchers compared microplastic contamination levels in commercial shellfish from northern (Qingdao) and southern (Xiamen) China, finding microplastics in 70-100% of samples. The study assessed potential human health risks from consuming contaminated shellfish, with microplastic abundances varying across species and geographic locations.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Concentrations in Two Oregon Bivalve Species: Spatial, Temporal, and Species Variability

Pacific oysters and razor clams from Oregon were found to contain microplastics, with concentrations varying by species, location, and season. The findings have direct relevance for human health since both species are commercially harvested and consumed.

2019 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and arsenic on plants: Interactions, toxicity and environmental implications

This review examines how microplastics and arsenic interact in soil and their combined effects on plant health. When both pollutants are present together, they can have amplified toxic effects on plants, affecting growth, nutrient uptake, and stress responses. Since plants absorb these contaminants from soil, the interaction between microplastics and arsenic could increase human exposure to both pollutants through food crops.

2023 Chemosphere 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in bivalves from the Daya Bay: Species variability and spatio-temporal distribution and human health risks

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in six species of bivalves from Daya Bay, China, finding microplastics present in 87 to 93% of individuals sampled. Sediment-dwelling bivalves had higher microplastic levels than water-dwelling species, and the types of microplastics found in the shellfish matched those in the surrounding seawater and sediment. A risk assessment based on polymer hazard levels indicated that microplastic contamination in these bivalves may pose health risks to humans who consume them as seafood.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring microplastics in commercial bivalve species and in bivalve aquaculture waters: Insights from the southern Pacific

Microplastics were detected in multiple commercially sold bivalve species (such as mussels and oysters) and in nearby inland and coastal waters. Because bivalves are widely eaten by humans, the findings raise direct concerns about microplastic dietary exposure through seafood consumption.

2025 Water Biology and Security 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular impacts of dietary exposure to nanoplastics combined with arsenic in Canadian oysters (Crassostrea virginica) and bioaccumulation comparison with Caribbean oysters (Isognomon alatus)

Researchers exposed Canadian oysters (Crassostrea virginica) to nanoplastics combined with arsenic and compared molecular responses and bioaccumulation with previously studied Caribbean oysters, finding species-specific differences in contaminant uptake and gene expression, suggesting that risk assessments must account for interspecies variability.

2021 Chemosphere 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Landscape and risk assessment of microplastic contamination in farmed oysters and seawater along the coastline of China

Scientists surveyed microplastic contamination in farmed oysters and seawater at 18 sites along China's coastline, finding 34 different types of microplastics. Oysters from the Bohai Sea had the highest contamination levels and posed the greatest estimated daily intake risk for human consumers. The study highlights that people eating farmed oysters are regularly consuming microplastics, with the amount varying significantly by region.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine microplastics enhance release of arsenic in coastal aquifer during seawater intrusion process

Researchers found that marine microplastics carried by seawater intrusion into coastal aquifers enhanced arsenic release from sediments, with negatively charged microplastics competing with arsenate for adsorption sites on iron minerals. The study identifies a new environmental risk from the interaction of two major coastal contaminants.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Interface adsorption characteristics of microplastics on multiple morphological arsenic compounds

Researchers studied how polystyrene and PET microplastics adsorb different forms of arsenic, a toxic element commonly found in contaminated water. They found that polystyrene had a much higher capacity to bind arsenic compounds than PET, and that the arsenic-loaded microplastics were more toxic to organisms than either pollutant alone. The study highlights that microplastics can act as carriers for toxic heavy metals, amplifying their environmental harm.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nano- or microplastic exposure combined with arsenic on soil bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities

Researchers studied the combined and individual effects of arsenic and micro- or nanoplastics on soil bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities. The study found that combined pollution distinctly altered the composition of these microbial communities, with protistan communities being particularly sensitive, indicating that the co-occurrence of plastics and heavy metals in soil may have compounding ecological effects.

2021 Chemosphere 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular Impacts of Dietary Exposure to Nanoplastics Combined or Not with Arsenic in the Caribbean Mangrove Oysters (Isognomon alatus)

Researchers exposed Caribbean mangrove oysters (Isognomon alatus) to three nanoplastic types alone and combined with arsenic and used transcriptomics to measure molecular impacts, finding that nanoplastic-arsenic combinations produced additive or synergistic disruption of detoxification, immune, and metabolic pathways.

2021 Nanomaterials 25 citations