Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Combined Effects of Polystyrene Nanosphere and Homosolate Exposures on Estrogenic End Points in MCF-7 Cells and Zebrafish

Researchers found that tiny polystyrene nanoplastics can enhance the estrogen-mimicking effects of homosalate (a common sunscreen ingredient) in human breast cancer cells and zebrafish. The nanoplastics acted as carriers, increasing cellular uptake of the sunscreen chemical and amplifying its hormone-disrupting activity. This is significant for human health because people are regularly exposed to both nanoplastics and sunscreen chemicals simultaneously.

2024 Environmental Health Perspectives 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive neurotoxicity of environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics and butyl methoxydibenzoyl methane on early zebrafish embryos

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics and the UV sunscreen chemical BM-DBM interact synergistically to cause neurotoxicity in zebrafish at environmentally relevant concentrations, disrupting nervous system development and gene expression more severely in combination than either pollutant alone.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive transgenerational effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and ethylhexyl salicylate on zebrafish

The combined transgenerational effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the UV filter ethylhexyl salicylate (EHS) were studied in zebrafish across multiple generations. Nanoplastics affected the bioaccumulation and multigenerational toxicity of EHS, indicating that nanoplastics can modify chemical exposure outcomes across zebrafish generations.

2020 Environmental Science Nano 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the bioaccumulation, distribution and parental transfer of ethylhexyl salicylate

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics affect the bioaccumulation and distribution of the UV filter ethylhexyl salicylate in zebrafish, and that nanoplastics facilitate the parental transfer of this chemical contaminant to offspring.

2022 Environmental Science Nano 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Endogenous 15(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid mediates amplified estrogenic responses under nanoplastic–homosalate coexposure

Researchers investigated how co-exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and the UV filter homosalate amplifies estrogenic effects in mice and human cell models. The study identified endogenous 15(S)-HETE as a key mediator of these amplified responses, providing evidence for a mechanism behind the so-called Trojan horse effect where nanoplastics enhance the toxicity of co-occurring chemicals.

2026 Environment International
Article Tier 2

Microplastics enhance the toxicity and phototoxicity of UV filter avobenzone on Daphnia magna

Polystyrene microplastics (200 nm) were found to enhance the toxicity and phototoxicity of the UV filter avobenzone to aquatic organisms, with the combination causing greater harm than either pollutant alone. The results raise regulatory concern about co-occurring microplastic and UV filter pollution in sunscreen-impacted coastal waters.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastic and benzophenone-4 on the bioaccumulation, feeding, growth, and reproduction of Daphnia magna

Researchers examined the combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics and the UV filter chemical benzophenone-4 on water fleas over 21 days. They found that exposure to both contaminants together caused greater harm to feeding, growth, and reproduction than either pollutant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics and personal care product chemicals can interact to amplify their negative effects on freshwater organisms.

2024 Environmental Pollution 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics increase in vitro oestrogenic activity of neurotherapeutic drugs

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics significantly enhance the estrogenic activity of neurotherapeutic drugs in vitro, suggesting that nanoplastic contamination of drinking water and food could increase hormonal exposures from pharmaceutical residues.

2024 Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Initial evaluation of the combined effects of nanoplastics and 17α-ethinylestradiol on D. magna

This laboratory study examined the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the synthetic estrogen ethinylestradiol on small aquatic organisms, finding that the combination had different effects than either contaminant alone. The results suggest that nanoplastics can modify how other environmental pollutants affect aquatic life, complicating risk assessment for real-world multi-contaminant exposures.

2017 Lund University Publications Student Papers (Lund University)
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

Polystyrene nanoplastics alter the cytotoxicity of human pharmaceuticals on marine fish cell lines

Researchers exposed marine fish cell lines to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that while the nanoplastics alone were not directly toxic, they significantly altered the cytotoxicity of human pharmaceuticals, with one cell line proving more sensitive than the other, underscoring how nanoplastics can change the hazard profile of co-occurring chemical pollutants.

2019 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse effects of polystyrene nanoplastic and its binary mixtures with nonylphenol on zebrafish nervous system: From oxidative stress to impaired neurotransmitter system

Researchers investigated the individual and combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the industrial chemical nonylphenol on the zebrafish nervous system over 45 days. Both substances induced oxidative stress and disrupted neurotransmitter systems, with combined exposure generally producing more severe effects on glutamate metabolism and brain tissue damage. The study suggests that the interaction between nanoplastics and co-occurring environmental pollutants can amplify neurotoxic effects in fish.

2022 Environmental Pollution 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Endocrine disrupting effect and reproductive toxicity of the separate exposure and co-exposure of nano-polystyrene and diethylstilbestrol to zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to nano-polystyrene and the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol separately and together, finding that combined exposure caused additive disruption of sex hormones and vitellogenin, a dramatic drop in egg production from 1,031 to 306, and a 65% embryo abnormality rate — substantially worse than either pollutant alone.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced neurotoxic effect of PCB-153 when co-exposed with polystyrene nanoplastics in zebrafish larvae

Researchers found that when zebrafish larvae were exposed to both polystyrene nanoplastics and the toxic chemical PCB-153 together, the neurological damage was significantly worse than from either pollutant alone. The combined exposure caused hyperactive swimming behavior and suppressed immune, brain, and detoxification pathways at the genetic level. This is concerning because nanoplastics and persistent organic pollutants frequently co-exist in the environment, meaning their real-world health effects on aquatic life and humans may be greater than studies of single pollutants suggest.

2024 Chemosphere 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of polystyrene microplastics in the photodegradation of steroidal estrogens: Influencing factors, mechanism and aquatic toxicity assessment.

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles in water can speed up the breakdown of hormone chemicals (like estrogen) when exposed to sunlight. While this might sound good, some of the broken-down hormone pieces actually become more toxic than the original chemicals. This matters because both microplastics and hormone pollutants are common in our water systems, and their interaction could create new health risks we didn't know about before.

2026 Ecotoxicology and environmental safety
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics increase estrogenic effects of 17α-ethynylestradiol on male marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma)

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics increased the estrogenic effects of 17a-ethynylestradiol in male marine medaka, with co-exposure at higher MP concentrations causing greater reproductive disruption than the estrogen alone.

2021 Chemosphere 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics sunlight-induce oxidative dissolution, chemical transformation and toxicity enhancement of silver nanoparticles

Researchers discovered that polystyrene microplastics can induce sunlight-driven oxidative dissolution and chemical transformation of silver nanoparticles, enhancing their toxicity and revealing important implications for how co-occurring pollutants interact in the environment.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of the UV filter, oxybenzone, adsorbed to microplastics in the clam Scrobicularia plana

Scientists exposed the clam Scrobicularia plana to oxybenzone (a UV filter in sunscreens) adsorbed to microplastics and found greater bioaccumulation and oxidative damage than with oxybenzone alone, demonstrating that microplastics enhance the bioavailability of adsorbed organic contaminants.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymer aging affects the bioavailability of microplastics-associated contaminants in sea urchin embryos

Researchers found that UV aging of microplastics alters the bioavailability of co-contaminants like flame retardants and metals to sea urchin embryos, with combined exposures generating transcriptional responses distinct from single-contaminant effects.

2022 Chemosphere 22 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

Short-term and long-term effects of microplastics and organic UV-filters on the invertebrate model species Daphnia magna

Researchers exposed water fleas to polystyrene microplastics, a mixture of UV-filter chemicals found in sunscreens, or both over 21 days. The microplastics alone reduced body size and reproduction, while combined exposure with UV-filters further impaired swimming behavior and offspring production. The study highlights that microplastics and common personal care product chemicals can interact to create compounding negative effects on freshwater organisms.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The synergistic effects of UV-328 and polystyrene microplastics on zebrafish embryos: developmental toxicity, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity

Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and the UV stabilizer UV-328 on zebrafish embryos and found that the two pollutants acted synergistically to cause developmental abnormalities. The combination induced greater oxidative stress and neurotoxic effects than either substance alone, disrupting embryo hatching rates and development. The findings suggest that microplastics and UV stabilizers together may pose amplified risks to aquatic organisms compared to individual exposures.

2026 Aquatic Toxicology
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

From cradle to grave: Deciphering sex-specific disruptions of the nervous and reproductive systems through interactions of 4-methylbenzylidene camphor and nanoplastics in adult zebrafish

Adult zebrafish exposed to a common sunscreen chemical (4-MBC) combined with nanoplastics showed significant damage to both their nervous and reproductive systems, with effects that differed between males and females. The nanoplastics acted as carriers that increased the accumulation of the sunscreen chemical in brain and reproductive tissues. These combined effects were passed to the next generation, raising concerns about how cosmetic chemicals and plastic pollution together may affect long-term reproductive health.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations