Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Toxicological interactions of microplastics/nanoplastics and environmental contaminants: Current knowledge and future perspectives

This review examines how the combined presence of micro- and nanoplastics with other environmental contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals affects toxicity. Researchers found that plastic particles can alter the bioavailability and toxic effects of co-occurring pollutants, sometimes increasing harm to organisms, which complicates environmental risk assessment.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 501 citations
Article Tier 2

A critical review on the interaction of polymer particles and co-existing contaminants: Adsorption mechanism, exposure factors, effects on plankton species

This review critically examines how microplastics and nanoplastics interact with co-existing contaminants including organic pollutants, toxic metals, and nanoparticles. Researchers found that the combined toxicity depends on multiple factors including plastic size, polymer type, weathering, and the nature of the co-contaminant. The study reveals that mixture effects on plankton species vary widely, with some combinations producing synergistic harm and others showing antagonistic interactions.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Mixed Contaminants: Occurrence, Interactions, Toxicity, Detection, and Remediation

This review examines how mixed environmental contaminants, including microplastics, heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals, interact when present together in the environment. The study highlights that pollutant mixtures can produce synergistic toxic effects that are greater than the sum of individual pollutants, making combined contamination a more complex risk than single-pollutant assessments suggest.

2022 Molecules 67 citations
Article Tier 2

A tale of two emerging contaminants: Interfacial interactions, co-transport behaviors and ecotoxicological implications between per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and micro(nano)plastics.

This review examined how PFAS and micro/nanoplastics co-occur in the environment, form interfacial adsorption complexes, and interact synergistically within organisms. The authors found that the two contaminant classes amplify each other's toxicity in co-exposure scenarios and that their shared transport pathways complicate standard risk assessment.

2026 Advances in colloid and interface science
Article Tier 2

Interaction of Environmental Pollutants with Microplastics: A Critical Review of Sorption Factors, Bioaccumulation and Ecotoxicological Effects

This critical review examines how microplastics interact with and enhance the toxicity of co-occurring environmental pollutants including heavy metals, persistent organic compounds, and pharmaceuticals, synthesizing evidence on sorption mechanisms and combined ecotoxicological effects.

2020 Toxics 313 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Molecular Toxicity Mechanism of Microplastics Mixtures

This review examines how microplastics interact with other environmental pollutants like heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals, altering how toxic those substances behave. The study explores the molecular mechanisms behind these combined toxicity effects, which matter because in real-world environments, organisms are rarely exposed to microplastics in isolation.

2025 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and joint exposure to nanoplastics and bisphenols: a comparative assessment of in vitro hazards

This study compared the individual and combined toxicity of nanoplastics and bisphenol compounds in biological test systems, finding synergistic effects at certain exposure combinations. The results indicate that co-exposure to these two common plastic-associated contaminants may be more harmful than either alone.

2024 Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT)
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of micro/nanoplastics and nanomaterials/pharmaceuticals: Their ecotoxicological consequences in the aquatic systems

Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics interact with co-occurring nanomaterials and pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments, finding that plastics act as vectors that can either amplify or attenuate the bioavailability and toxicity of these contaminants depending on species, trophic level, and environmental conditions.

2021 Aquatic Toxicology 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological Effects of Nanoplastics on Aquatic Organisms

This review synthesizes knowledge on the ecotoxicological effects of nanoplastics in aquatic organisms, covering how nanoplastics interact synergistically with traditional and emerging co-pollutants, the mechanisms underlying long-term low-dose toxicity, and the research gaps that must be addressed for accurate risk assessment.

2025 Advances in Engineering Technology Research
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxic effects of microplastics and contaminated microplastics – Emerging evidence and perspective

This review examined the ecotoxic effects of microplastics alone and when contaminated with other environmental pollutants. Researchers analyzed how microplastics' small size, surface properties, and hydrophobicity contribute to their environmental persistence and tendency to bind other contaminants. The study suggests that contaminated microplastics may pose greater ecological risks than pristine particles due to combined toxic effects.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 45 citations
Article Tier 2

A review on the combined toxicological effects of microplastics and their attached pollutants

Researchers reviewed how microplastics act as carriers for other environmental pollutants — including heavy metals and persistent organic chemicals — and how these combinations produce toxic effects in organisms that are more severe than either contaminant alone. The findings highlight a complex, layered toxicity problem that affects microbes, invertebrates, and vertebrates across marine and terrestrial environments.

2025 Emerging contaminants 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions of microplastics with organic, inorganic and bio-pollutants and the ecotoxicological effects on terrestrial and aquatic organisms

This review systematically examines how microplastics interact with organic pollutants, heavy metals, and biological contaminants in the environment. Researchers found that microplastics can adsorb and transport these pollutants, creating complex combinations that may be more toxic to organisms than either pollutant alone. The study highlights the risks these interactions pose to both ecosystem health and human well-being.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 126 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of interactions of microplastics and typical pollutants from toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics perspective

This review systematically examined interactions between microplastics and typical environmental pollutants from toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic perspectives. Researchers found that microplastics can alter the bioaccumulation, distribution, and toxicity of co-occurring pollutants through adsorption and transport mechanisms. The study suggests that these interactions create significant uncertainty in environmental risk assessments and highlights the need for standardized quantitative approaches.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate of microplastics and emerging contaminants: Mechanisms of interactions, bioaccumulation and combined toxicity to aquatic organisms

This review summarizes how microplastics interact with other emerging contaminants in water, finding that microplastics can absorb pollutants at concentrations up to a million times higher than surrounding water and carry them into living organisms. The combined toxicity of microplastics plus these hitchhiking chemicals is often greater than either alone, and these pollutants can reach humans through the food chain.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Concomitant presence of nanosized plastics and metal(loid)s: is there cause for alarm? State-of-the-art and recommendations for future studies

This review assessed the co-occurrence of nanoplastics and metal(loid)s in the environment, finding that nanoplastics can adsorb and transport heavy metals, potentially amplifying toxicity through combined exposure and calling for integrated risk assessment approaches.

2023 TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined interactions and ecotoxicological effects of micro/nanoplastics and organic pollutants in soil–plant systems: a critical overview

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics interact with organic pollutants in soil-plant systems. The study highlights that these plastic particles can act synergistically with organic pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems, posing combined threats to soil and plant health that warrant further investigation.

2025 Environmental Science Advances 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Review and Prospects on the Ecotoxicity of Mixtures of Nanoparticles and Hybrid Nanomaterials

This review examines the toxic effects of nanoparticle mixtures on a wide range of organisms, from algae and bacteria to fish and plants. Researchers found that combined exposure to multiple nanoparticles often produces different effects than exposure to individual particles, making toxicity predictions challenging. The study highlights the need for better methods to assess real-world risks from simultaneous exposure to multiple engineered nanomaterials in the environment.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Critical review of the characteristics, interactions, and toxicity of micro/nanomaterials pollutants in aquatic environments

This review examined the behavior, interactions, and toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics alongside metal nanoparticles in aquatic environments. Researchers found that these pollutants interact in complex ways that can affect organisms, and the study also explored how metal nanoparticles could potentially be used to remove microplastics from water due to their photocatalytic and magnetic properties.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and PFAS as ubiquitous pollutants affect potencies of highly toxic chemicals in mixtures

Researchers investigated how ubiquitous pollutants like PFAS and microplastics affect the toxicity of other highly toxic chemicals when present together in mixtures. They found that even at non-toxic concentrations, PFAS and microplastics could alter the potency of co-occurring toxic compounds. The study highlights the importance of considering pollutant interactions in complex environmental mixtures rather than assessing chemicals in isolation.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological and toxicological manifestations of microplastics: current scenario, research gaps, and possible alleviation measures

This review examines the ecological and toxicological effects of microplastics and their associated contaminants across aquatic and terrestrial environments, identifying key knowledge gaps and potential mitigation strategies. The authors emphasize that both physical particle effects and co-transported chemical pollutants pose compounding risks to wildlife and ecosystems.

2020 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part C 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicology of microplastics in water ecosystems and aquatic organisms: A review of synergistic and antagonistic effects of microplastics on other xenobiotics

This review examines the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems, focusing on how they interact with other pollutants like heavy metals, organic contaminants, and pathogens. The study highlights that microplastics can adsorb and transport these pollutants through synergistic or antagonistic interactions, leading to oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and reproductive impairment in exposed organisms, with potential for biomagnification up the food chain.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics effects in a multiple stressed marine environment

Researchers examined how micro- and nanoplastics interact with other environmental stressors in marine settings, finding that realistic multi-stressor scenarios can amplify or modify plastic toxicity in ways single-exposure studies miss.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential Health Risks of Micro-Nanoplastics and Persistent Organic Pollutants: A Review of Exposure Pathways and Toxic Effects

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics can enhance the bioavailability of persistent organic pollutants through a Trojan horse effect, leading to combined inflammatory, cellular, and metabolic toxic effects that threaten human health beyond what either contaminant causes alone.

2025 Journal of medicine and health science.
Article Tier 2

Synergistic human health risks of microplastics and co-contaminants: A quantitative risk assessment in water

This study calculated the combined health risks of ingesting microplastics along with the toxic chemicals they carry, including heavy metals and plastic additives, and found that the combined hazard is far greater than from microplastics alone. Children face especially high risk, and the interaction between microplastics and co-contaminants creates synergistic effects that standard risk assessments may significantly underestimate.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations