Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and cadmium on oxidative stress, apoptosis, and GH/IGF axis in zebrafish early life stages

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene microplastics and cadmium, both alone and together, and found that the combination caused significantly worse effects than either pollutant individually. Co-exposure amplified oxidative stress, increased cell death in the spine and esophagus, and disrupted growth hormone pathways more severely than single exposures. The findings suggest that microplastics and heavy metals in waterways may interact to create heightened risks for developing fish.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolic profile changes of zebrafish larvae in the single- and co-exposures of microplastics and phenanthrene

Researchers exposed zebrafish larvae to microplastics and the pollutant phenanthrene, both individually and together, and analyzed changes in their metabolic profiles. They found that combined exposure triggered unique metabolic disruptions not seen with either contaminant alone, particularly in amino acid metabolism pathways. The study provides evidence that microplastics and organic pollutants can interact to produce novel toxic effects in aquatic organisms.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of microplastics and benzo[a]pyrene on Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer growth and expression of functional genes

Researchers exposed juvenile Asian sea bass to polyethylene microplastics and the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene, both individually and in combination, over 56 days. They found that co-exposure caused more severe effects on growth and gene expression related to immune function and stress response than either contaminant alone. The study highlights that microplastics may worsen the toxic effects of chemical pollutants already present in marine environments.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects of microplastics and phenanthrene to zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics, the pollutant phenanthrene, and a combination of both to assess their toxicity over 24 days. They found that co-exposure amplified oxidative stress, suppressed immune gene expression, and significantly disrupted the gut microbiome compared to either contaminant alone. The study suggests that microplastics can worsen the toxic effects of organic pollutants in aquatic organisms by altering how chemicals accumulate and interact in the body.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 190 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of PFOS onto polystyrene microplastics potentiates synergistic toxic effects during zebrafish embryogenesis and neurodevelopment

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics can absorb PFOS (a persistent industrial chemical) from water and deliver it to zebrafish embryos in a more concentrated form. The combination caused worse developmental problems than either pollutant alone, including delayed hatching, higher death rates, birth defects, and impaired brain development. This shows microplastics can act as carriers that intensify the toxic effects of other environmental chemicals.

2024 Chemosphere 21 citations
Article Tier 2

The exploration of chronic combined toxic mechanisms of environmental PFOA and polyethylene micro/nanoplastics on adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), using aquatic microcosm systems

Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of polyethylene micro/nanoplastics and the chemical pollutant PFOA on zebrafish in conditions mimicking real aquaculture systems. They found that the combination produced time-dependent toxicity patterns, with effects on the liver, gut, and reproductive systems that were sometimes more severe than either pollutant alone. The study highlights that microplastics and industrial chemicals can interact in ways that amplify their individual harms to aquatic life.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure with microplastics increases the toxic effects of PFOS and its alternative F-53B in adult zebrafish

Researchers found that when zebrafish were exposed to microplastics along with PFOS or its replacement chemical F-53B (both are "forever chemicals"), the combined toxic effects were worse than either pollutant alone. The microplastics worsened liver inflammation, disrupted energy metabolism, and altered gut bacteria. This is relevant to human health because people are simultaneously exposed to both microplastics and PFAS chemicals through food and water.

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

Co-exposure to microplastic and plastic additives causes development impairment in zebrafish embryos

When zebrafish embryos were exposed to mixtures of polystyrene microplastics combined with common plastic additives (BPS and a phthalate), the combination was far more toxic than any single chemical alone. Even at individually non-toxic doses, the mixtures caused significant developmental abnormalities, oxidative stress, and disrupted thyroid hormone genes. This highlights that real-world exposure to microplastics plus their chemical additives may be more dangerous than studies of individual plastics suggest.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined hepatotoxicity of imidacloprid and microplastics in adult zebrafish: Endpoints at gene transcription

Researchers investigated the combined liver toxicity of the pesticide imidacloprid and polystyrene microplastics in adult zebrafish over 21 days. The combination caused greater changes in gene expression related to fat and sugar metabolism and inflammatory responses than either contaminant alone. The study suggests that even low concentrations of microplastics and pesticides together may produce more severe hepatotoxic effects than individual exposures.

2021 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic endocrine disruption and cellular toxicity of polyethylene microplastics and bisphenol A in MLTC-1 cells and zebrafish

When zebrafish and testicular cells were exposed to polyethylene microplastics and the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) together, the combination caused significantly worse reproductive harm than either pollutant alone, including reduced cell survival and disrupted hormone-producing gene activity. This matters because people are commonly exposed to both microplastics and BPA through food packaging, and their combined effect on reproductive health may be greater than expected.

2025 Scientific Reports 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of parental co-exposure of microplastic and bisphenol compounds on adult zebrafish: Multi-omics investigations on offspring

When adult zebrafish were exposed to combinations of microplastics with bisphenol A (BPA) or bisphenol S (BPS), the reproductive damage was worse than from any single pollutant alone, and the effects carried over to their offspring. The BPA-microplastic combination primarily affected brain function, while BPS-microplastic exposure mainly disrupted visual development in the next generation. This study highlights that microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of common plastic chemicals, with consequences that extend to future generations.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term effects of individual and combined exposure to microplastics and copper in zebrafish hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis – A multi-biomarker evaluation

This study exposed zebrafish to microplastics, copper, and both combined for 30 days and examined effects on their reproductive system. The combination of microplastics and copper caused greater hormonal disruption and oxidative stress than either pollutant alone, affecting genes that control reproduction in both male and female fish. These findings suggest that microplastics interacting with metal pollution in waterways could compound reproductive harm in aquatic organisms and potentially in humans who consume contaminated fish.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxicity of polyethylene micro/nanoplastics and PFOA in zebrafish (Danio rerio): Impacts on antioxidant, neurotransmission, and gut microbiota

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polyethylene micro/nanoplastics and the industrial pollutant PFOA individually and in combination, assessing antioxidant capacity, neurotransmission, and gut microbiome composition. Combined exposure caused greater oxidative stress, more severe neurotransmitter disruption, and larger gut microbiome shifts than either contaminant alone, highlighting synergistic risks of co-occurring plastic and PFAS pollution.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology
Article Tier 2

Assessment of microplastic-sorbed contaminant bioavailability through analysis of biomarker gene expression in larval zebrafish

Researchers examined whether contaminants sorbed to microplastics become bioavailable when ingested by larval zebrafish, using phenanthrene and ethinylestradiol as test chemicals. The study found that microplastics can alter the bioavailability of co-contaminants, as evidenced by changes in biomarker gene expression in the fish larvae.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 183 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and sulfamethoxazole on zebrafish embryos

Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole on zebrafish embryos. They found that co-exposure caused significant mortality, malformations, reduced movement, increased heartbeat rates, and endocrine disruption including elevated vitellogenin and hormone levels. While the two pollutants showed antagonistic rather than synergistic interactions, their combined effects were still substantial, highlighting the importance of studying microplastic-pollutant mixtures in aquatic environments.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Individual and combined effects of microplastics and diphenyl phthalate as plastic additives on male goldfish: A biochemical and physiological investigation

Male goldfish exposed to both microplastics and the plasticizer chemical DPP (diphenyl phthalate) together showed significant liver damage, disrupted fat and sugar metabolism, and hormonal imbalances including decreased testosterone and increased estrogen. The combined exposure was more harmful than either pollutant alone, demonstrating how microplastics and their chemical additives can work together to disrupt the endocrine system.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of combined exposure to polystyrene microplastics and 17α-Methyltestosterone on the reproductive system of zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics combined with a synthetic hormone (17-alpha-methyltestosterone) and found that the combination caused more severe reproductive damage than either substance alone. The co-exposure reduced mature egg and sperm production, disrupted hormone-related gene expression, and lowered reproductive hormone levels. This suggests that microplastics can make the effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals in the environment worse, which is concerning for both wildlife and human reproductive health.

2023 Theriogenology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Realistic microplastics harness bacterial presence and promote impairments in early zebrafish embryos: Behavioral, developmental, and transcriptomic approaches.

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to realistic microplastic fragments and fibers from bottles and textiles, both alone and combined with a bacterial pathogen. They found that microplastics adhered to egg surfaces and accelerated hatching, while fragments were more harmful to development than fibers. The study provides new insights into how microplastics interact with environmental pathogens to affect early life stages of aquatic organisms.

2024 Chemosphere 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure to nanoplastics and metal oxide nanoparticles inhibits efflux pumps and causes oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos

Researchers found that combined exposure to nanoplastics and metal oxide nanoparticles in zebrafish embryos inhibited cellular efflux pumps and caused greater oxidative stress than individual exposures, suggesting synergistic toxicity from co-occurring environmental contaminants.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of co-exposure to microcystin-LR and polystyrene microplastics on growth, brain pathology and thyroid hormone homeostasis in adult zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to microcystin-LR (a toxin from algal blooms) combined with polystyrene microplastics and found that the combination caused significantly worse brain damage and thyroid hormone disruption than either pollutant alone. The microplastics appeared to overwhelm the fish's ability to compensate for the algal toxin, leading to hormone imbalances that could affect growth and development. This is concerning because algal blooms and microplastics frequently occur together in polluted waterways, and their combined effects on the hormone system may be worse than expected.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics modulate the toxic effects of bisphenol A in the early stages of zebrafish development

This study investigated whether polystyrene microplastics affect the toxicity of bisphenol A (BPA) during zebrafish embryo development by co-exposing fish to both contaminants. The PS microplastics modulated BPA toxicity in complex ways—in some developmental endpoints amplifying harm, in others providing partial protection—underscoring the unpredictability of combined plastic-chemical exposures.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology
Article Tier 2

Combined impacts of organophosphate pesticide and polyamide microplastics on growth, hematology, and immune responses in juvenile striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus)

Researchers exposed juvenile striped catfish to both polyamide microplastics and an organophosphate pesticide, finding that the combination caused more severe growth reduction, immune suppression, and organ damage than either pollutant alone — evidence that microplastics and pesticides can act together to amplify harm in freshwater fish.

2025 Emerging contaminants 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of Bisphenol Compounds and the Bioaccumulation after Co-Exposure with Polyethylene Microplastics in Zebrafish

Researchers developed a method to measure how bisphenol A and bisphenol S accumulate in zebrafish tissues when microplastics are also present. They found that microplastics increased the accumulation of these hormone-disrupting chemicals in fish tissues, with BPA building up more than BPS. The evidence indicates that microplastics can act as carriers that enhance the uptake of harmful chemicals by aquatic organisms.

2024 Toxics 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Phenotypic and Gene Expression Alterations in Aquatic Organisms Exposed to Microplastics

This review summarizes research on how microplastics affect aquatic animals at the genetic level, covering changes in hatching, development, and growth. Microplastics, especially when combined with other pollutants, trigger abnormal gene activity in antioxidant and stress-response systems in fish and other water organisms. These genetic disruptions in aquatic life are relevant to human health because affected organisms can enter the food chain through seafood.

2025 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 6 citations