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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Comparative toxicity of beach mesoplastics from South Spain: An in vitro approach
ClearPolyethylene, whose surface has been modified by UV irradiation, induces cytotoxicity: A comparison with microplastics found in beaches
Researchers showed that polyethylene microplastics degraded by UV light, mimicking what happens to plastics in the environment, were toxic to immune and skin cells in lab tests. Fresh, undegraded plastic particles did not cause the same harm, meaning weathered microplastics found in nature are likely more dangerous than the pristine plastics typically used in lab studies. This suggests that real-world human exposure to environmentally aged microplastics may carry greater health risks than current research indicates.
UVB-aged microplastics and cellular damage : An in vitro study
Researchers conducted in vitro experiments to assess whether UVB-aged microplastics cause greater cellular damage than unaged plastics, given that UV irradiation fragments and chemically alters plastic surfaces. The study found that UVB aging enhanced the capacity of microplastics to cause cellular toxicity.
Photodegradation Elevated the Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics to Grouper (Epinephelus moara) through Disrupting Hepatic Lipid Homeostasis
Researchers compared the toxicity of pristine, UV-photodegraded, and commercial polystyrene microplastics in juvenile grouper fish. The study found that photodegradation significantly elevated the toxicity of microplastics by disrupting hepatic lipid homeostasis, suggesting that weathered microplastics in the environment may be more harmful than their pristine counterparts.
Photoaged microplastics induce neurotoxicity via oxidative stress and abnormal neurotransmission in zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio)
This study found that microplastics aged by sunlight were more toxic to zebrafish larvae than fresh microplastics, causing brain damage and abnormal behavior. The sun-aged particles triggered greater oxidative stress and disrupted neurotransmitter systems in the developing fish. This is concerning because most microplastics in the environment have been weathered by sunlight, meaning the real-world health risks may be greater than lab studies using fresh plastics suggest.
Photolytic degradation elevated the toxicity of polylactic acid microplastics to developing zebrafish by triggering mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis
Researchers found that biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics become more toxic to zebrafish after being broken down by sunlight over 90 days. UV exposure shrank the particles and generated nanoplastics, which were harder for the fish to expel from their bodies compared to the original material. The degraded PLA triggered oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in developing zebrafish, suggesting that the environmental breakdown of biodegradable plastics may actually increase their harmful effects.
Impact of virgin and weathered microplastics on zebrafish: Bioaccumulation, developmental toxicity and molecular pathway disruptions
Researchers compared the effects of brand-new versus environmentally weathered microplastics on zebrafish larvae and found that weathered particles were far more toxic, causing 80% mortality compared to 20% for new plastics. The weathered microplastics triggered more severe disruptions to oxidative stress pathways, cell death signaling, and DNA repair mechanisms. The study emphasizes that laboratory tests using only pristine microplastics may significantly underestimate the real-world dangers of plastic pollution.
Development of 3D spheroids from fish liver cells as in-vitro models to assess the effects of plastics in aquatic systems
Three-dimensional fish liver cell spheroids were developed as in vitro models to assess toxicity of conventional plastics, biodegradable plastics, and beach-collected mesoplastics, with photodegradation and composting shown to influence toxic responses in liver cells.
Assessing the impact of simulated ocean acidification on the photodegradation of selected microplastics
This study assessed how simulated ocean acidification conditions affect the photodegradation rate and products of plastic polymers, finding that lower pH accelerates surface oxidation and may alter the toxicity of plastic degradation leachates.
UVB-Aged Microplastics and Cellular Damage: An in Vitro Study
Researchers compared the cellular damage caused by UV-aged versus new microplastic particles using lab-grown human cells. They found that UV-aged microplastics caused significantly more DNA damage and oxidative stress than pristine particles, likely due to chemical changes on their surfaces during weathering. The findings suggest that environmentally weathered microplastics may pose greater health risks than freshly produced ones.
Photodegradation Controls of Potential Toxicity of Secondary Sunscreen-Derived Microplastics and Associated Leachates
Researchers studied how sunlight breaks down microplastics from sunscreen products and whether this makes them more or less toxic. They found that sunlight aging caused chemical changes on the plastic surfaces and released harmful compounds into the water, increasing toxicity to aquatic organisms. This is relevant because sunscreen microplastics are commonly washed into oceans and lakes, where sun exposure could make them more dangerous over time.
Treatment of polyethylene microplastics degraded by ultraviolet light irradiation causes lysosome-deregulated cell death
Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics degraded by ultraviolet light were more toxic to cells than pristine microplastics, triggering a type of cell death linked to lysosome dysfunction. UV exposure changed the surface chemistry of the particles, making them more reactive and harmful to cellular structures. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in the environment may pose greater health risks than newly produced plastic particles.
Oxidative and inflammatory responses to virgin and beached microplastics in marine fish liver
This study compared oxidative stress and inflammation responses in marine organisms exposed to virgin microplastics versus weathered, beach-collected microplastics. Beached particles, which have undergone environmental aging, triggered different and in some cases stronger toxic responses than their pristine counterparts.
First evidence of in vitro cytotoxic effects of marine microlitter on Merluccius merluccius and Mullus barbatus , two Mediterranean commercial fish species
Researchers collected actual marine litter (not lab-made microplastics) from the Northern Adriatic Sea and tested its toxicity on cells from two commercially caught fish species. Real marine microlitter caused significant cell damage and inflammation, including effects not seen with pristine lab-grade microplastics. This suggests that studies using only clean, standardized plastic particles may underestimate the true toxicity of environmental microplastics.
Oxidative and inflammatory responses to virgin and beached microplastics in marine fish liver
This study compared oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in marine fish exposed to virgin versus beached, weathered microplastics, finding that aging changes particle toxicity. Beached microplastics triggered stronger or qualitatively different inflammatory responses than their pristine counterparts, underscoring the importance of using environmentally realistic particles in toxicity studies.
Genotoxicity and metabolic changes induced via ingestion of virgin and UV-aged polyethylene microplastics by the freshwater fish Perca fluviatilis
Freshwater perch fed UV-aged polyethylene microplastics showed greater DNA damage and more severe metabolic disruption in liver and muscle tissue than fish fed virgin (new) microplastics. The aged plastics disrupted energy metabolism, amino acid processing, and neurotransmitter levels. Since most microplastics in the environment have been weathered by sunlight, these findings suggest the real-world health risks to fish — and potentially to the humans who eat them — may be greater than lab studies using fresh plastics indicate.
UV weathering alters toxicity and chemical composition of consumer plastic leachates
Researchers examined how UV weathering changes the toxicity and chemical makeup of leachates from eight types of consumer plastic products. They found that UV exposure increased cytotoxicity up to 13-fold, particularly for polyethylene leachates, and enhanced reactive toxicity by up to 82%. The increased toxicity was primarily linked to the release and transformation of organic chemicals rather than the microplastic particles themselves, highlighting UV weathering as a critical driver of plastic pollution hazards.
Physicochemical transformation and toxic potential of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fragments exposed to natural daylight
Researchers exposed PET plastic fragments to natural sunlight and studied how weathering changed their chemistry and toxicity. They found that sun-aged PET released a more complex mixture of chemicals, including plasticizers and metals like antimony, and became significantly more toxic to marine microalgae and bacteria. The findings highlight that plastic degradation in the environment does not make it harmless but can actually increase the danger posed by leached substances.
PhotodegradationElevated the Toxicity of PolystyreneMicroplastics to Grouper (Epinephelus moara) throughDisrupting Hepatic Lipid Homeostasis
UV light exposure made polystyrene microplastics more toxic to juvenile fish than either fresh or commercial polystyrene microbeads. Photodegradation reduced particle size, created nanoplastics, and caused surface oxidation, all of which increased harm to fish — suggesting that environmental weathering of plastic pollution may make it more dangerous over time.
Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics to explore the varied hepatic toxicity induced by aged- and pristine-microplastics: in vivo and human-originated liver organoids-based in vitro study
Using human liver organoids (miniature lab-grown livers), researchers found that sun-aged microplastics caused more damage to liver cells than fresh microplastics, even at concentrations matching what is found inside human bodies. The aged particles specifically disrupted energy production in mitochondria and altered an amino acid metabolism pathway linked to cardiovascular disease. This is significant because most microplastics in the environment have been weathered by sunlight, meaning the real health risk may be greater than studies using pristine plastics suggest.
Toxicity assessment of DMSO extracts of environmental aged beached plastics using human cell lines
Researchers tested chemicals extracted from naturally aged beach plastics on human intestinal and liver cells in the lab and found they caused cell damage, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. Some plastic extracts also showed estrogen-like hormonal activity, which could disrupt the body's endocrine system. This study suggests that chemicals leaching from weathered microplastics in seafood could pose real risks to human health.
New Insights into the Mechanisms of Toxicity of Aging Microplastics
This study showed that UV-aged polypropylene microplastics are significantly more toxic than fresh ones, absorbing more chemicals and generating more harmful reactive oxygen species in seawater. The aged particles caused greater damage to cell membranes in mussels compared to pristine plastics. Since most microplastics in the ocean have been weathered by sunlight, real-world exposure risks may be higher than laboratory studies using new plastics suggest.
Vacuum ultraviolet-induced degradation of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride micro/nanoplastics enhances their cytotoxicity and lipid peroxidation level
Researchers studied how UV-induced surface degradation of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride micro- and nanoplastics affects their toxicity to mammalian cells. They found that degraded microplastics enhanced cytotoxicity and lipid peroxidation, with transcriptomic analysis revealing upregulation of ferroptosis-related genes and increased reactive oxygen species levels. The study suggests that environmentally weathered microplastics may pose greater health risks than pristine particles due to surface degradation effects.
Toxicity assessment of pollutants sorbed on microplastics using various bioassays on two fish cell lines
Researchers collected microplastic samples from ocean expeditions and tested their toxicity using two fish cell lines, finding that cell lines differed in sensitivity and that microplastics with sorbed pollutants were toxic to cells. The results suggest that real-world microplastics carrying accumulated chemical pollutants pose a chemical toxicity risk to marine organisms beyond just the physical effects of ingesting plastic.
Comparative toxicity of virgin and biodegraded LLDPE microplastics on growth, behavior, antioxidant, and hematological health of Catla catla fish
Researchers compared the toxicity of virgin versus bacterially degraded polyethylene microplastics on freshwater fish, finding that both types caused abnormal behaviors and disrupted blood parameters in a dose-dependent manner. However, biodegraded microplastics produced less severe effects on growth, survival, and antioxidant enzyme activity, suggesting that microbial degradation may reduce the ecological risk posed by microplastic pollution.