Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of PET microplastics on the physiology of Drosophila

Researchers used Drosophila fruit flies as a model to study the physiological effects of PET microplastics, finding that ingestion affected reproduction, lifespan, and gut function. The study suggests that even common plastic types found in food packaging can have measurable biological effects when consumed by living organisms.

2021 Chemosphere 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological Profile of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Microplastic in Ingested Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R+) and Its Adverse Effect on Behavior and Development

Researchers fed PET microplastics to fruit flies and found that the particles accumulated in their bodies and caused dose-dependent declines in movement, climbing ability, and survival rates. Higher microplastic concentrations also slowed the flies' development from larvae to adults. While fruit flies are a simple model organism, these behavioral and developmental effects suggest that chronic microplastic ingestion could impair neurological and physiological functions in animals exposed through their diet.

2023 Toxics 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Titanium-doped PET nanoplastics, from opaque milk bottle degradation, as a model of environmental true-to-life nanoplastics. Hazardous effects on Drosophila

Researchers used titanium-doped PET nanoplastics ground from opaque milk bottles as a realistic environmental nanoplastic model and tested their effects on fruit flies. The study found that while these true-to-life nanoplastics did not reduce survival rates, they did cause measurable biological effects when ingested, demonstrating the importance of using realistic plastic materials rather than pristine laboratory particles in toxicity studies.

2023 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

The hazardous impact of true-to-life PET nanoplastics in Drosophila

Researchers created realistic nanoplastics by sanding commercial PET water bottles and tested their effects on fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). They found that these true-to-life nanoplastics were internalized through the digestive tract and distributed throughout the body, causing measurable biological impacts. The study highlights the importance of testing with environmentally relevant plastic particles rather than only laboratory-grade materials to accurately assess health risks.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Drosophila melanogaster as a tractable eco-environmental model to unravel the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics

This review summarizes research using fruit flies as a model to study how micro- and nanoplastics harm living organisms. Studies show these tiny plastic particles cause oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and reproductive problems in flies, with males being more vulnerable than females -- findings that may help us understand similar risks in humans.

2024 Environment International 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics induce behavioural and developmental deficits in the Drosophila model

Researchers generated polyethylene microplastics sized 2-10 micrometers and tested their effects on fruit flies (Drosophila). They found that exposure caused severe declines in fly longevity, reduced locomotor function in both larvae and adults, decreased eclosion rates, and increased antioxidant enzyme activity along with stress-response gene activation. The findings provide evidence that polyethylene microplastics can impair growth, development, and survival in a well-established animal model.

2025 Toxicology and Environmental Health Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of microplastics and nanoplastics upon history, policies, and Drosophila melanogaster

This study examined the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, finding that dietary exposure to these pervasive environmental contaminants causes measurable biological harm and making the case for stronger regulatory policies.

2023
Article Tier 2

No evidence for behavioral or physiological effects of nanoplastics ingestion in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers exposed Drosophila melanogaster to low and high concentrations of nanoplastics (1 µg/g and 1 mg/g) across several generations and measured emergence rate, mitochondrial activity, metabolism, body mass, and locomotion. No significant behavioral or physiological effects were detected, suggesting Drosophila may be less sensitive to nanoplastics than aquatic species.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolic effects of dietary exposure to polystyrene microplastic and nanoplastic in fruit flies

Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to study the metabolic effects of ingesting polystyrene microplastic and nanoplastic particles at environmentally relevant doses. They found that both particle sizes disrupted metabolic processes, with nanoplastics causing more pronounced changes in energy storage and lipid metabolism. The study suggests that dietary exposure to plastic particles, even at levels found in the environment, can meaningfully alter metabolic physiology.

2025 Journal of Experimental Biology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics affect behavioural, oxidative stress, and molecular responses in the Drosophila model

Fruit flies exposed to polyethylene microplastics showed reduced climbing and crawling ability, increased oxidative stress, and activation of genes involved in cell death and stress responses. The microplastics overwhelmed the flies' antioxidant defenses and triggered the same cellular damage pathways associated with disease in mammals. Since fruit flies share many biological pathways with humans, these findings suggest that microplastic exposure could cause similar oxidative damage and stress responses in human cells.

2024 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics alter physiological parameters in the Drosophila model

Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and found dose- and size-dependent toxicity at both larval and adult stages. Exposure caused significant behavioral impairments, elevated markers of cellular stress, and activated key stress response genes, indicating that polystyrene microplastics induce oxidative stress and cellular damage.

2026 Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Article Tier 2

Polypropylene microplastics affect the physiology in Drosophila model

Researchers found that polypropylene microplastics negatively affected the physiology of Drosophila fruit flies, complementing earlier work on polyethylene terephthalate microplastics and demonstrating that different polymer types can impair organism health.

2023 Bulletin of Entomological Research 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Fly: What Drosophila melanogaster Can Tell Us about the Biological Effects and the Carcinogenic Potential of Nanopolystyrene

Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to investigate whether polystyrene nanoplastics can cause genetic damage and promote tumor growth. They found that nanoplastic exposure led to DNA damage and increased tumor formation in the flies, with effects worsening at higher concentrations. The study suggests that nanoplastics commonly found in food packaging may carry cancer-promoting potential that warrants further investigation.

2024 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 7 citations
Article Tier 2

A mechanistic understanding of the effects of polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to nanoplastics made from PET, the plastic commonly used in water bottles and food packaging. The nanoplastics accumulated in the liver, intestine, and kidneys, causing oxidative stress, damaging cell energy systems, and disrupting metabolism. This is the first comprehensive study of PET nanoplastic toxicity mechanisms, and it is particularly relevant because PET is one of the most common plastics that humans encounter daily.

2023 Scientific Reports 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics on Drosophila melanogaster Biological Profiles and Heat Shock Protein Levels

Scientists exposed fruit flies to PET microplastics and found severe cell damage in the gut, reproductive organs, and reduced fertility. The microplastics caused oxidative stress and triggered stress-response genes, with one gene (hsp83) identified as an early warning biomarker for microplastic toxicity. These findings in a well-studied model organism suggest that PET microplastics, commonly found in food and water, could pose risks to both gut health and reproductive function.

2024 Biology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure of polystyrene microplastics induces oxidative stress and physiological defects in Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to study the effects of polystyrene microplastics and found that dietary exposure caused significant oxidative stress at both tested concentrations. The microplastics impaired climbing ability in adult flies and disrupted normal development patterns during the pupal stage. The study suggests that microplastic ingestion can trigger oxidative damage and physiological defects even in relatively simple organisms.

2024 Asian Journal of Basic Science & Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

High-concentration polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics co-exposure shorten insect lifespan and impose ecological risk: Multi-omics evidence from Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to study how co-exposure to high concentrations of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics affects insect lifespan. Multi-omics analysis revealed that microplastic co-exposure significantly shortened lifespan and disrupted key biological pathways, suggesting potential ecological risks from cumulative microplastic exposure in the environment.

2026 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology
Article Tier 2

PET microplastics as a Grand Challenge: Effects of PET Microplastics on Model Organisms and Exploring Detection and Degradation Strategies for Environmental Remediation

This review examines PET microplastics specifically, covering how detection methods have evolved, how PET particles disrupt locomotion and gut microbiota in Drosophila (fruit flies), and how chemical recycling via glycolysis or hydrolysis could depolymerize PET waste before it fragments into microplastics. The finding that PET MPs increased spontaneous activity in flies and harmed their gut-brain axis raises concerns because PET is one of the most common plastics in food and beverage packaging.

2023 Journal of Student Research
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics cause oxidative stress induced cell death in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Researchers created the smallest PET nanoplastics tested so far (56 nanometers, from the same plastic used in water bottles) and found they killed yeast cells by triggering oxidative stress and programmed cell death. The nanoplastics caused damage to cell membranes and increased the expression of stress-response genes. While conducted in yeast rather than human cells, the study demonstrates that PET nanoplastics at very small sizes are biologically active and can cause cellular damage, raising concerns about their effects in the human body.

2024 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The multigenerational effects of nanoplastic exposure on fitness and oxidative stress of Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers tracked the effects of nanoplastic exposure on fitness and oxidative stress markers across multiple generations of a small aquatic invertebrate. Reproductive success and antioxidant defenses deteriorated progressively across generations, suggesting that multigenerational exposure to nanoplastics causes cumulative ecological harm.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Effects of true-to-life PET nanoplastics using primary human nasal epithelial cells

Researchers exposed human nasal cells to nanoplastics made from real PET water bottles and found that the particles were absorbed into cells and triggered oxidative stress. The nanoplastics also disrupted mitochondrial function and activated the cell's autophagy cleanup pathway. Since the nose is the first barrier encountered when breathing in airborne plastic particles, these findings suggest that nasal tissues may be particularly vulnerable to nanoplastic exposure.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Reproductive toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in Drosophila melanogaster under multi-generational exposure

Researchers exposed fruit flies to polystyrene nanoplastics across five consecutive generations and found increasing reproductive harm over time, including reduced egg laying and offspring survival. The damage worsened with each generation even at the same exposure levels, suggesting cumulative effects. The study indicates that nanoplastic exposure may pose growing reproductive risks across generations of organisms.

2023 Chemosphere 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Hazard assessment of ingested polystyrene nanoplastics in Drosophila larvae

Researchers assessed the hazard of ingested polystyrene nanoplastics in Drosophila larvae, examining effects on gut morphology, oxidative stress, and development to characterize toxicological risks of nanoplastic exposure in a model invertebrate organism.

2022 Environmental Science Nano 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi-omics Analysis Uncovers Lifespan Effects of Polyethylene and Polystyrene Microplastics Coexposure in Drosophila melanogaster

Researchers used fruit flies (Drosophila) to investigate the combined effects of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics on lifespan. They found that co-exposure at high concentrations significantly reduced lifespan and impaired climbing ability, intestinal barrier function, and hunger resistance. Multi-omics analysis revealed disruptions in metabolic pathways and immune signaling, suggesting that combined microplastic exposure may be more harmful than single-type exposure alone.

2025 1 citations