Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Size-dominated biotoxicity of microplastics laden with benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin: Enhanced integrated biomarker evaluation on mussels

Researchers found that smaller microplastics laden with benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin caused greater toxicity in mussels than larger particles, demonstrating that particle size is the dominant factor driving the combined biotoxicity of microplastics and adsorbed contaminants.

2023 Environmental Pollution 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and norfloxacin on mussel: Leveraging biochemical parameters and gut microbiota

Researchers exposed mussels to nanoplastics and the antibiotic norfloxacin, both alone and together, and found that the combination caused greater biochemical stress than either pollutant alone. Nanoplastics appeared to carry the antibiotic into mussel tissues, increasing its bioavailability and impact on gut microbiota. The findings suggest that nanoplastics can amplify the toxicity of other contaminants in marine organisms.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics pollution on ciprofloxacin bioaccumulation in the edible mussel (Perna viridis): Implications for human gut health risks

Researchers studied how microplastics affect the accumulation of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin in edible green mussels from a mariculture farm. They found that microplastics altered the way mussels absorbed and retained the antibiotic, with implications for human gut health when contaminated seafood is consumed. The study highlights the compounding food safety risks when multiple pollutants interact in aquaculture environments.

2024 Environmental Technology & Innovation 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the toxic trio: Combined effects of thifluzamide, enrofloxacin, and microplastics on Mytilus coruscus

Researchers examined the combined effects of the pesticide thifluzamide, the antibiotic enrofloxacin, and polystyrene microplastics on mussels over four weeks. They found that co-exposure increased the accumulation of both chemicals in mussel tissue and worsened oxidative damage, neurotoxicity, and metabolic disruption compared to single exposures. The study suggests that the presence of microplastics in waterways can amplify the harmful effects of pesticides and antibiotics on edible shellfish.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics aggravate the bioaccumulation of three veterinary antibiotics in the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus and induce synergistic immunotoxic effects

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics interact with three common veterinary antibiotics in thick shell mussels. The study found that when microplastics and antibiotics were present together, mussels accumulated significantly more antibiotics in their tissues and suffered worse immune damage than from either pollutant alone. This synergistic effect included reduced immune cell counts, increased oxidative stress, and disrupted immune gene expression, suggesting that microplastic pollution may amplify the harmful effects of antibiotic contamination in coastal waters.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 134 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and norfloxacin on antioxidant and immune genes in mussels

Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic norfloxacin on mussels, focusing on genes related to antioxidant defense and immune function. They found that the mixture of both contaminants produced more severe disruptions to gene expression than either substance alone, indicating a synergistic toxic effect. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of nanoplastics and antibiotics in marine environments may pose compounding risks to shellfish health.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 18 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined effects of phenanthrene and micro-/nanoplastics mixtures on the cellular stress responses of the thick-shell mussel Mytilus coruscus

Scientists exposed thick-shell mussels to a combination of micro- and nanoplastics along with a common pollutant (phenanthrene) to study their combined effects. The mixtures caused more severe immune cell damage, increased oxidative stress, and stronger inflammatory responses than either pollutant alone. Evidence indicates that micro- and nanoplastics can worsen the toxic effects of organic pollutants in marine shellfish.

2023 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers compared the chronic effects of polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics on Mediterranean mussels over a 21-day exposure at very low concentrations. They found that nanoplastics generally produced stronger biological responses than microplastics, including greater impacts on immune function, oxidative stress, and neurotoxicity markers. The study suggests that smaller plastic particles may pose greater risks to marine filter feeders even at trace environmental concentrations.

2021 Nanomaterials 89 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of sizes and concentrations of different types of microplastics on bioaccumulation and lethality rate in the green mussel, Perna viridis

Researchers investigated how different microplastic types, sizes, and concentrations affected bioaccumulation and mortality in green mussels, finding size- and concentration-dependent effects on MP accumulation in this filter-feeding species.

2021 Marine Pollution Bulletin 37 citations
Article Tier 2

When nanoplastics (NPs) meet algae: Heteroaggregates exacerbate bioaccumulation, immunotoxicity, and microbial dysbiosis in the green mussel (Perna viridis)

Researchers exposed green mussels to nanoplastics alone and to heteroaggregates of nanoplastics combined with microalgae, finding that heteroaggregates increased nanoplastic uptake rates by 5.5-fold and tissue accumulation by 2.5-fold, while also exacerbating immunotoxicity and gut microbiota disruption.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

The particle effect: comparative toxicity of chlorpyrifos in combination with microplastics and phytoplankton particles in mussel

Researchers compared how microplastics and natural phytoplankton particles each affect the toxicity of the pesticide chlorpyrifos in mussels. They found that both particle types adsorbed the pesticide and transferred it to the mussels, but the biological effects differed depending on the carrier. The study suggests that microplastics are not uniquely dangerous as pollutant carriers, since natural particles in the environment can play a similar role in shuttling chemicals into marine organisms.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent effects of plastic particles on antioxidant and immune responses of the thick-shelled mussel Mytilus coruscus

Mussels exposed to plastic particles ranging from 70 nanometers to 100 micrometers showed that smaller particles caused more severe damage, including higher oxidative stress and greater immune system suppression. After 30 days of exposure, the mussels' immune cells had reduced ability to fight off threats through phagocytosis (the process of engulfing invaders). A seven-day recovery period reversed some effects, but the study highlights how chronic nanoplastic exposure may weaken marine organisms' defenses.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of size-fractionation on toxicity of marine microplastics: Enhanced integrated biomarker assessment in the tropical mussels, Perna viridis

Researchers studied how different sizes of polystyrene microplastics (0.5, 5, and 50 micrometers) affect toxicity in tropical green mussels. The study found that smaller microplastics caused greater bioaccumulation and more severe toxic effects, including oxidative stress and tissue damage, indicating that size is a critical factor in determining microplastic toxicity in marine organisms.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of size continuum from nanoplastics to microplastics on marine mussel Mytilus edulis: Comparison in vitro/in vivo exposure scenarios

Researchers compared the effects of nanoplastics versus microplastics on marine mussels using both in vivo and in vitro approaches, finding that smaller plastic particles caused greater cellular and physiological impacts across the size continuum.

2022 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Biomarker responses of marine mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) experimentally exposed to emerging contaminants: pharmaceuticals and microplastics.

Researchers exposed marine mussels to the antibiotic clarithromycin, the antidepressant venlafaxine, and polystyrene microplastics alone and in combination, finding that the pharmaceuticals caused oxidative stress but that co-exposure with microplastics diminished these effects, likely because microplastics sequestered the drugs.

2026 Environmental science and pollution research international
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants in mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis): Influence of microplastics

Researchers investigated whether microplastics influence the bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants in Mediterranean mussels. The study found that the presence of microplastics altered how certain chemical pollutants accumulated in mussel tissue, suggesting that microplastics can act as carriers that change the uptake and distribution of other contaminants in marine organisms.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Could Mussel Populations Be Differentially Threatened by the Presence of Microplastics and Related Chemicals?

Researchers exposed mussels to polyamide microplastics and the plastic additive tricresyl phosphate, both independently and in combination, for 28 days. Independent exposure significantly inhibited antioxidant and neurotransmitter enzyme activities, but when both contaminants were combined, most biomarker responses returned to control levels. A comparison between Atlantic and Mediterranean mussel populations revealed that baseline detoxification defenses differed, suggesting that different populations may respond differently to plastic-related contamination.

2025 Toxics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative role of microplastics and microalgae as vectors for chlorpyrifos bioacumulation and related physiological and immune effects in mussels

Researchers compared microplastics and microalgae as vectors for chlorpyrifos transfer into mussels, finding that both particle types facilitated pesticide bioaccumulation with distinct physiological and immune effects on the organisms.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of dietary exposure to different sized polystyrene microplastics alone and with sorbed benzo[a]pyrene on biomarkers and whole organism responses in mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers fed mussels polystyrene microplastics of two sizes, with and without sorbed benzo[a]pyrene, over 26 days and measured effects at cellular and whole-organism levels. They found that smaller microplastics caused more pronounced effects on immune cells and digestive tissue, and that the presence of sorbed pollutant amplified some impacts. The study provides evidence that microplastics can facilitate the transfer of hydrophobic pollutants to marine organisms with measurable biological consequences.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 202 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellular effects of microplastics are influenced by their dimension: Mechanistic relationships and integrated criteria for particles definition.

Researchers exposed mussels to five different size classes of polyethylene microplastics and found that the smallest particles (20-50 micrometers) caused the most biological damage, including immune system changes and increased oxidative stress. The study provides experimental evidence that microplastic size matters significantly when assessing health risks. This is important for human health assessments because it suggests that the smallest microplastic particles, which are also the hardest to filter out of food and water, may be the most harmful.

2024 Environmental Pollution 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics aggravate the bioaccumulation and corresponding food safety risk of antibiotics in edible bivalves by constraining detoxification-related processes

Researchers found that microplastics increased the accumulation of antibiotics in three commercially important species of edible shellfish. The microplastics interfered with the animals' natural detoxification processes, making it harder for them to clear antibiotic residues from their tissues. The study raises food safety concerns, suggesting that microplastic-contaminated coastal waters could lead to higher antibiotic levels in the seafood people consume.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics, microfibres and nanoplastics cause variable sub-lethal responses in mussels (Mytilus spp.)

Researchers compared the toxic effects of microplastics, microfibres, and nanoplastics on mussels over 24-hour and 7-day exposures. They found that nanoplastics triggered a heightened immune response, while all plastic types caused initial oxidative stress that returned to normal levels after a week. The study highlights that particle size is a key factor in determining the type and severity of biological responses to plastic pollution in marine organisms.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 223 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent effects of microplastics on intestinal microbiome for Perna viridis

Researchers found that the size of microplastic particles determines how they change the gut bacteria of green mussels, with the smallest particles causing the most disruption to beneficial bacteria and promoting potentially harmful species. Since mussels are widely consumed as seafood, changes to their gut health and the bacteria they carry could affect human food safety.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-specific mediation of the physiological responses and degradation ability of microalgae to sulfamerazine by microplastics

Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes affect the ability of marine microalgae to tolerate and break down the antibiotic sulfamerazine. They found that nano-sized plastics were more harmful than larger particles, reducing algal growth and impairing the organisms' ability to degrade the antibiotic. The study reveals that microplastic pollution could interfere with the natural biological breakdown of pharmaceutical contaminants in waterways.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 3 citations