Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics toxicity in aquatic organisms: a review of effects on selected marine and freshwater species

This review synthesizes findings from 128 studies on the effects of nanoplastics on five representative freshwater and marine species, from microalgae to fish. Researchers found that even at low concentrations, nanoplastic exposure can cause oxidative stress, membrane damage, developmental disorders, and reproductive impairment across species. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps around chronic, environmentally realistic exposure levels and calls for standardized testing methods.

2026 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics toxicity in aquatic organisms: a review of effects on selected marine and freshwater species

This review analyzed 128 studies on the effects of nanoplastics on five representative freshwater and marine species, including microalgae, bivalves, crustaceans, and fish. Researchers found that even low concentrations of nanoplastics can cause oxidative stress, membrane damage, developmental disorders, and immune and nervous system dysfunction. The study highlights that particle size, concentration, aging status, and the presence of co-contaminants all influence toxicity, and calls for more research at environmentally realistic exposure levels.

2026 Nanotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Impact of micro- and nano-plastics on marine organisms under environmentally relevant conditions

This review summarized the impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on marine organisms including microalgae, crustaceans, snails, and fish at environmentally realistic concentrations. Researchers found that while some species showed tolerance at low concentrations, chronic exposure to nanoplastics in particular caused oxidative stress and behavioral changes. The study emphasizes that more research using real-world concentration levels is needed to accurately assess the risks microplastics pose to ocean life.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems: Current research trends and perspectives

This review covers 83 studies on the distribution and toxic effects of micro- and nanoplastics in both marine and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Researchers found that these tiny particles affected the growth, development, behavior, reproduction, and survival of a wide range of aquatic organisms. The paper identifies key research gaps and suggests future directions for understanding the full ecological impact of plastic pollution in aquatic environments.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 630 citations
Article Tier 2

Biological Effects and Implications of Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Aquatic Environment

This review summarizes what is known about the biological effects and implications of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic organisms, covering a wide range of species from phytoplankton to fish. It highlights that while laboratory studies show harm at high concentrations, the effects at environmentally relevant levels are still poorly understood.

2019 Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU)
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of nanoplastics to aquatic organisms: Genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, individual level and beyond individual level

This review examines the toxic effects of nanoplastics on aquatic organisms across multiple levels of the food chain, from bacteria and algae to fish. Researchers found that nanoplastics can cause cell damage, genetic harm, and reproductive problems, with toxicity influenced by particle size, concentration, and surface properties. The study also highlights how nanoplastic effects on individual organisms can cascade to disrupt broader ecosystem dynamics.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics Prevalence, Food Web Interactions, and Toxicity Assessment in Aquatic Organisms: A Review

This review examines the prevalence of micro- and nanoplastics across aquatic environments and their documented toxic effects on organisms ranging from plankton to fish, including DNA damage, reproductive harm, and neurotoxicity. Researchers found clear evidence that these particles transfer through aquatic food webs and can ultimately reach humans through seafood consumption. The study calls for more research into how microplastics carrying multiple contaminants cause combined toxic effects in marine organisms.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 164 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicity of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic algae: Facts, challenges, and future opportunities

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of how micro- and nanoplastics harm aquatic algae, which form the base of ocean and freshwater food chains. The toxic effects include reduced growth, oxidative stress, and disrupted photosynthesis, with nanoplastics generally causing more damage than larger particles. Since algae support the entire aquatic food web, their decline from plastic pollution could reduce the quality and safety of fish and shellfish consumed by people.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 45 citations
Article Tier 2

The Hidden Poison: How Microplastics and Nanoplastics Threaten the Health of Aquatic Organisms Across Ecosystems

This review synthesizes evidence on how microplastics and nanoplastics interact with aquatic organisms at molecular, cellular, and systemic levels across diverse ecosystems. The study highlights documented effects including oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, neurotoxicity, immune disruption, and reproductive impairment across a wide range of aquatic species.

2026 IntechOpen eBooks
Meta Analysis Tier 1

A Meta-analysis of Ecotoxicological Hazard Data for Nanoplastics in Marine and Freshwater Systems

This meta-analysis assessed the environmental hazard of nanoplastics (extremely tiny plastic particles) in freshwater and marine systems. By building species sensitivity distributions from available toxicity data, it found that nanoplastics can harm aquatic organisms at relatively low concentrations, highlighting the need for better environmental safety thresholds.

2020 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastic toxicity on aquatic life: Determining factors

This comprehensive review examined the key factors that determine the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics to aquatic organisms. Researchers found that harmful effects depend on particle concentration, size, exposure time, shape, polymer type, and the species being exposed. The most commonly reported impacts included disrupted growth, oxidative stress, inflammation, immune system changes, and altered metabolism, with smaller particles generally causing more severe effects.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 493 citations
Article Tier 2

Overview of the ecotoxicological impacts of micro and nanoplastics in aquatic environments

This review summarises the ecotoxicological impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on marine and freshwater ecosystems, covering mechanisms including physical damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, reproductive impairment, and metabolic disruption in aquatic species. It also discusses bioaccumulation and trophic transfer dynamics.

2025 Bangladesh Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Impacts on Aquatic Species and Interactions with Environmental Factors and Pollutants

This review examines how nanoplastics affect aquatic species, focusing on their cellular and molecular toxicity as well as how environmental factors like temperature, salinity, and co-existing pollutants influence their harmful effects. Researchers found that nanoplastics can be absorbed more easily than larger plastic particles, transfer through food webs, and disrupt cellular function in aquatic organisms. The study highlights the need to consider real-world environmental conditions when assessing nanoplastic risks.

2022 Toxics 104 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the ecotoxicological effects of micro and nano-plastics on aquatic organisms and human health

This review summarizes the growing body of evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics affect aquatic organisms and, through the food chain, potentially human health. The tiny plastic particles absorb toxic pollutants and pathogens from the water, acting as carriers that deliver these harmful substances into the bodies of fish, shellfish, and other organisms. The review highlights that both direct plastic toxicity and indirect chemical exposure through contaminated seafood pose risks to human consumers.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological review of micro- and nano-plastics in aquatic environments: Risks to ecosystems, food web dynamics and human health.

This review synthesized evidence on the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems, covering risks to individual organisms, disruptions to food web dynamics, and pathways through which plastic exposure poses risks to human health via seafood consumption.

2024 Ecotoxicology and environmental safety
Article Tier 2

Progress in Research on the Bioavailability and Toxicity of Nanoplastics to Freshwater Plankton

This review critically examines recent research on the bioavailability and toxicity of nanoplastics to freshwater plankton. Evidence indicates that nanoplastics can be ingested by plankton and may cause adverse effects on feeding, reproduction, and growth, though the study notes that most research has used concentrations far exceeding those currently found in natural environments.

2023 Microplastics 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: Impact, Toxicity, Detection, and Remediation Strategies

This review synthesizes current knowledge on nanoplastics in freshwater and marine environments, covering their transformation through photodegradation and biodegradation, ecotoxicological impacts including oxidative stress and reproductive effects in aquatic organisms, and available remediation strategies.

2025 Environmental Quality Management
Article Tier 2

Micro/nanoplastic-induced stress in microalgae: Latest laboratory evidence and knowledge gaps

This review compiled laboratory evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics stress microalgae — the base of aquatic food webs — covering effects on photosynthesis, growth, oxidative stress, and toxin production. The authors identify key knowledge gaps including environmentally realistic concentrations and combined contaminant effects.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology
Review Tier 2

Review of mechanisms and impacts of nanoplastic toxicity in aquatic organisms and potential impacts on human health

This review summarizes what we know about how nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles smaller than 1 micrometer) affect fish, shellfish, and other aquatic life, and what that could mean for people who eat seafood. Studies show nanoplastics build up in marine organisms and move up the food chain, causing oxidative stress, DNA damage, and inflammation along the way. Major gaps remain in understanding the long-term health effects of the low levels of nanoplastics people are likely exposed to through their diet.

2025 Toxicology Reports 26 citations
Article Tier 2

[Toxicology of Nanoplastics to Aquatic and Terrestrial Organism: A Critical Review].

This review examines the toxicological effects of nanoplastics on aquatic and terrestrial organisms, noting that the vast surface area of nanoplastics enables them to carry environmental pollutants into organisms. Researchers describe how nanoplastics accumulate in organs and can transfer to offspring, potentially harming subsequent generations. The study highlights the need for further research on the health threats posed by nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations.

2025 PubMed 1 citations
Review Tier 2

Advances on micro/nanoplastics and their effects on the living organisms: A review

This review examines the current state of research on how micro- and nanoplastics affect plants, animals, microorganisms, and humans. Researchers found that these tiny plastic particles can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, reproductive problems, and disruption of gut microbiomes across a wide range of species. The study highlights that while significant progress has been made in understanding these effects, major gaps remain in assessing long-term exposure risks at realistic environmental concentrations.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 23 citations
Article Tier 2

The Impact of Micro- and Nanoplastics on Aquatic Organisms: Mechanisms of Oxidative Stress and Implications for Human Health—A Review

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics cause oxidative stress, a harmful chemical imbalance, in aquatic organisms from plankton to fish. These tiny plastics accumulate in the food chain and may reach humans through seafood consumption. While the evidence of harm in aquatic species is growing, more research is needed to fully understand the implications for human health.

2023 Environments 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Emergence of nanoplastics in the aquatic environment and possible impacts on aquatic organisms

This review summarizes current knowledge on nanoplastics in aquatic environments, finding them present in seas, rivers, and nature reserves across multiple continents at measurable levels. These extremely small plastic particles accumulate in aquatic organisms and cause growth problems, reproductive issues, and immune dysfunction, raising concerns about human exposure through contaminated seafood and drinking water.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 203 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics toxicity : microalgae and rotifers studies

This thesis investigated the toxicity of nanoplastics — plastic particles smaller than 100 nm — on microalgae and rotifers, two key components of aquatic food webs. The study found evidence of harm at concentrations that may be relevant to the environment, raising concerns about the ecological effects of nanoplastics as they accumulate in the ocean.

2019 Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT)