Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The underestimated toxic effects of nanoplastics coming from marine sources: A demonstration on oysters (Isognomon alatus)

Researchers found that nanoplastics derived from real marine debris triggered more significant gene-level toxic responses in Caribbean oysters than commonly used laboratory polystyrene nanoplastics, suggesting standard lab particles may underestimate actual environmental toxicity.

2022 Chemosphere 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolic profiles and protein expression responses of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) to polystyrene microplastic stress

Researchers exposed Pacific oysters to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found the particles caused oxidative stress and disrupted the oysters' metabolism, particularly amino acid processing. Different microplastic concentrations triggered different metabolic changes in the oysters. Since oysters are a popular seafood, these findings raise questions about food safety and whether microplastic-stressed shellfish could affect consumer health.

2024 Food Chemistry 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Adaptive response of triploid Fujian oyster (Crassostrea angulata) to nanoplastic stress: Insights from physiological, metabolomic, and microbial community analyses

Researchers exposed triploid Fujian oysters to nanoplastics for 14 days and studied their physiological, metabolic, and microbial responses. They found that the oysters showed strong adaptive capacity, adjusting their metabolism and gut microbial communities to cope with nanoplastic stress. The study provides important insights into how shellfish respond to increasing nanoplastic pollution in ocean environments.

2023 Chemosphere 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on marine organisms

Researchers exposed Pacific white shrimp to polystyrene nanoplastics at various concentrations and measured immune, antioxidant, and tissue responses after seven days. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted immune function, increased oxidative stress, and caused tissue damage, particularly in the hepatopancreas and gills. The study adds to growing evidence that nanoplastics can harm the health of commercially important marine species.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce molecular toxicity in Simocephalus vetulus: A transcriptome and intestinal microorganism analysis

Researchers exposed a freshwater crustacean to polystyrene nanoplastics and found widespread molecular-level damage, including oxidative stress, disrupted energy metabolism, and signs of neurotoxicity. The nanoplastics also significantly altered the animals' gut microbiome, increasing harmful bacteria and weakening intestinal barrier function. The study provides a detailed picture of how plastic pollution can affect freshwater organisms at the cellular and genetic level.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and their impact on enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidative stress mechanisms

Researchers assessed the bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and measured enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant stress responses after 4 days of exposure to 1 mg/L of 54 nm particles. Nanoplastics accumulated in mussel tissues and triggered significant oxidative stress responses, including altered superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, indicating toxicological effects at environmentally relevant concentrations.

2024 Juraj Dobrila University of Pula Digital Repository
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

This study investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics affect Mediterranean mussels, an important marine species and human food source. Researchers found that these tiny plastic particles can cross cell membranes, accumulate in tissues, and trigger oxidative stress and immune responses. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution in the ocean could affect both marine ecosystem health and the safety of seafood consumed by people.

2023 Environmental Pollution 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of dietary nanoplastics exposure on muscle quality, immunity, antioxidative capacity and digestive gland function of abalone (Haliotis discus hannai)

Researchers fed abalone different concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics for 21 days and observed dose-dependent harm across multiple organ systems. The nanoplastics impaired antioxidant defenses, suppressed immune function, degraded muscle texture, and caused fat accumulation and inflammation in the digestive gland. The study suggests that dietary nanoplastic exposure poses significant risks to the health and quality of commercially important shellfish species.

2026 Aquatic Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Early molecular responses of mangrove oysters to nanoplastics using a microfluidic device to mimic environmental exposure

Researchers used a microfluidic chip mimicking estuarine water conditions to expose mangrove oysters to nanoplastics from polystyrene and beach-collected sources, finding that low concentrations of beach-derived nanoplastics triggered the strongest gene expression responses. Genes involved in endocytosis, oxidative stress, and DNA repair were activated, demonstrating the utility of microfluidic devices for nanoplastic ecotoxicology.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoparticle-Biological Interactions in a Marine Benthic Foraminifer

Researchers exposed single-celled marine organisms called foraminifera to three types of engineered nanoparticles — including polystyrene nanoplastics — and found that all three accumulated inside the cells and triggered oxidative stress (a form of cellular damage). This study shows that even microscopic seafloor organisms are vulnerable to nanoplastic pollution, expanding the known range of species harmed by plastic contamination.

2019 Scientific Reports 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics induce dose-specific transcriptomic disruptions in energy metabolism and immunity of the pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera

Pearl oysters (Pinctada margaritifera) exposed to three doses of polystyrene microbeads showed dose-dependent reductions in energy balance, and transcriptomic analysis revealed disruptions to pathways controlling immunity and energy metabolism that scaled with exposure concentration.

2020 Environmental Pollution 87 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of a polystyrene nanoplastic on the intestinal microbes and oxidative stress defense of the freshwater crayfish, Procambarus clarkii

Researchers tested the acute effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on freshwater crayfish and found that exposure altered the composition of intestinal bacteria and disrupted oxidative stress defenses. Higher concentrations of nanoplastics led to more severe changes in gut microbial diversity and antioxidant enzyme activity. The study adds to growing evidence that nanoplastic pollution can harm the gut health and immune defenses of freshwater organisms.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of medium-term exposure to a high concentration of polystyrene nanoplastics in Chilean mussels (Mytilus chilensis)

Researchers exposed Chilean mussels to high concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics for 28 days and observed an initial antioxidant and immune response in gills that declined over time, with histological changes including hemocytic infiltration and epithelial damage in gills, the primary site of nanoplastic accumulation.

2026 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

Chronic toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polystyrene nanoplastics (50 nm, 10 µg/L) for 21 days and found genotoxicity in blood cells and overwhelmed antioxidant defenses in gills and digestive glands, with gills showing the most severe tissue-level oxidative damage over time.

2021 Chemosphere 70 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of nanoplastics on hemolymph immune parameters and microbiota composition in Mytilus galloprovincialis

Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels exposed to amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics for 96 hours showed disrupted hemolymph immune parameters and significant shifts in microbiota composition, suggesting nanoplastics alter both immune function and the microbial communities mussels rely on.

2020 Marine Environmental Research 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Gradual effects of gradient concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics on metabolic processes of the razor clams

Researchers exposed razor clams to a gradient of polystyrene nanoplastic concentrations and used metabolomics to track effects, finding that even low concentrations disrupted energy metabolism and amino acid pathways, with effects becoming more severe as concentration increased.

2021 Environmental Pollution 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Acute exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induced oxidative stress in Sepia esculenta Larvae

Researchers exposed cuttlefish larvae (Sepia esculenta) to polystyrene nanoplastics and found significant oxidative stress — a type of cellular damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals — along with changes in the expression of genes involved in stress response pathways. This study extends understanding of nanoplastic harm beyond commonly studied species to economically important marine cephalopods.

2024 Aquaculture Reports 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Orally administered nano-polystyrene caused vitellogenin alteration and oxidative stress in the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)

Researchers orally dosed red swamp crayfish with 100 nm carboxylated polystyrene nanoparticles and found mild but measurable stress responses including altered gene expression in immune function, oxidative stress pathways, lipid metabolism, and reproduction, suggesting nanoplastics can perturb molecular systems even at low concentrations without breaching physiological thresholds.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of a chronic waterborne exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics on the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata): Combining traditional and multi-omics approaches

Researchers exposed gilthead seabream to environmentally relevant and elevated polystyrene nanoplastic concentrations for 28 days, finding no visible tissue damage or blood abnormalities but significant shifts in gut microbiome diversity and dose-dependent changes in plasma metabolites linked to energy metabolism, suggesting subtle long-term risks for aquaculture production.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of environmental and polystyrene plastic particles on the bivalve Corbicula fluminea: focus on the molecular responses

Researchers exposed freshwater bivalves to environmental microplastics and nanoplastics collected from a river, as well as to laboratory polystyrene nanoparticles, and measured molecular-level responses. Gene expression analysis revealed that plastic particle exposure activated stress response and immune defense pathways in gill and visceral tissues. The study indicates that even environmentally relevant concentrations of plastic particles can trigger measurable biological stress in filter-feeding organisms.

2024 Ecotoxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of a polystyrene nanoplastic on the immune response and gut microbiota of Eriocheir sinensis and its post-recovery state

Researchers exposed Chinese mitten crabs to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that 48-hour exposure suppressed immune enzyme activity, elevated pathogen abundance in the gut microbiome, and damaged the hepatopancreas — with tissue damage persisting after 7 days of recovery even as gut nanoplastics were cleared.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Cytotoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics involves mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage in hemocytes of the Pacific oyster

Researchers used an in vitro cellular bioassay with Pacific oyster hemocytes to investigate the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics, finding that 24-hour exposure caused mitochondrial dysfunction, elevated reactive oxygen species, and DNA damage. The results identify immune cell mitochondria as key targets of nanoplastic cytotoxicity in marine bivalves.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Adverse effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus and their association with gut microbiota dysbiosis

Researchers used multiple advanced techniques to study how polystyrene nanoplastics affect sea cucumbers, an important aquaculture species. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted the animals' gut microbiome, triggered inflammation, and impaired immune function. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in aquaculture environments could harm the health of commercially farmed marine species.

2023 Chemosphere 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics and pathogen plasticity: Toxic threat or tolerated stressor in Salmonella enterica?

Researchers examined how polystyrene nanoplastics affect Salmonella enterica, a major foodborne pathogen, across a range of concentrations. They found that nanoplastics induced oxidative stress, membrane damage, and increased biofilm formation, while also triggering early activation of virulence and stress-response genes. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in the environment could alter bacterial survival strategies and potentially influence food safety risks.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials