Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics modulate the outcome of a zooplankton–microparasite interaction

Researchers found that nanoplastics can alter the outcome of zooplankton-microparasite interactions, demonstrating that plastic pollution at the nanoscale may disrupt host-parasite dynamics in freshwater ecosystems with cascading ecological effects.

2023 Freshwater Biology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Trophically Transmitted Parasites and Their Responses to Microbial Pathogens and Consumed Plastic Contaminants

Researchers reviewed how trophically transmitted parasites respond to stressors including microplastic contaminants and microbial pathogens, finding that plastic exposure can disrupt host-parasite dynamics by altering host microbiomes and immune responses. The interactions add complexity to understanding parasite infection success in polluted environments.

2024 Infectious diseases
Article Tier 2

Size Matters: The Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Parasite Transmission in the Daphnia‐Metschnikowia Host–Parasite System

Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastic size affects parasite transmission between aquatic hosts, finding that nanoplastic size influenced infection dynamics by altering host behavior, immune function, or parasite infectivity. Smaller nanoplastics had more pronounced effects on parasite transmission success.

2024 Freshwater Biology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution and parasitism: Impact of nanoplastics on the transmission of a marine trematode parasite

A three-month experiment showed that nanoplastics at 20 mg/L reduced cercarial emergence and survival in a marine trematode parasite infecting snails and amphipods, suggesting high nanoplastic concentrations can disrupt parasite transmission dynamics in coastal marine ecosystems.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics differentially influence the outcome of infection by two microparasites of the host Daphnia magna

Researchers exposed the water flea Daphnia magna to two different parasites in the presence of polystyrene nanoplastics. The study found that nanoplastic exposure dramatically increased infection rates by a fungal parasite while having no significant effect on a gut microsporidium, suggesting that nanoplastics can differentially affect host-parasite relationships and potentially favor parasite coexistence in aquatic environments.

2023 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences 15 citations
Article Tier 2

How microplastics influence the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates: A review

This review examines how microplastics affect the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates, an area that has received less attention than fish studies. Researchers summarize evidence showing that microplastics cause toxicity at biological and molecular levels, alter microbial communities associated with invertebrate hosts, and interact with climate change and other pollutants to produce combined effects. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps and proposes future research directions for understanding microplastic impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems: Current research trends and perspectives

This review covers 83 studies on the distribution and toxic effects of micro- and nanoplastics in both marine and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Researchers found that these tiny particles affected the growth, development, behavior, reproduction, and survival of a wide range of aquatic organisms. The paper identifies key research gaps and suggests future directions for understanding the full ecological impact of plastic pollution in aquatic environments.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 630 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of micro/nanoplastics and nanomaterials/pharmaceuticals: Their ecotoxicological consequences in the aquatic systems

Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics interact with co-occurring nanomaterials and pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments, finding that plastics act as vectors that can either amplify or attenuate the bioavailability and toxicity of these contaminants depending on species, trophic level, and environmental conditions.

2021 Aquatic Toxicology 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions of Microplastics with Freshwater Biota

Researchers reviewed how microplastics affect freshwater animals, finding that toxicity depends on a complex mix of factors including plastic type, size, shape, chemical additives, and microbial coatings — and emphasizing that future studies need to compare synthetic plastic effects against natural particles to understand what truly makes microplastics harmful.

2017 ˜The œhandbook of environmental chemistry 155 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution and infectious diseases

Researchers reviewed how plastic pollution contributes to the spread of infectious diseases. The study suggests that plastic debris holding water can encourage arthropod-borne diseases by providing habitats for disease vectors, and that microplastic and nanoplastic particles may also interact with pathogens in ways that affect disease transmission in both humans and livestock.

2022 The Lancet Planetary Health 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics diversify and reshape Daphnia microbiomes in parasite-infected and uninfected hosts

Scientists exposed water fleas (Daphnia magna) to polystyrene nanoplastics of two sizes, with and without a yeast parasite infection, and analyzed changes in their gut and body microbiomes. The smallest nanoplastics at the highest concentration caused the most dramatic shifts in bacterial communities, with effects that exceeded those caused by the parasite alone. The results suggest that nanoplastic pollution could fundamentally reshape the beneficial microbes that aquatic organisms depend on for their health.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Biological Effects and Implications of Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Aquatic Environment

This review summarizes what is known about the biological effects and implications of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic organisms, covering a wide range of species from phytoplankton to fish. It highlights that while laboratory studies show harm at high concentrations, the effects at environmentally relevant levels are still poorly understood.

2019 Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU)
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics Prevalence, Food Web Interactions, and Toxicity Assessment in Aquatic Organisms: A Review

This review examines the prevalence of micro- and nanoplastics across aquatic environments and their documented toxic effects on organisms ranging from plankton to fish, including DNA damage, reproductive harm, and neurotoxicity. Researchers found clear evidence that these particles transfer through aquatic food webs and can ultimately reach humans through seafood consumption. The study calls for more research into how microplastics carrying multiple contaminants cause combined toxic effects in marine organisms.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 164 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: Potential impacts on aquatic biodiversity

This review examined microplastic impacts on aquatic biodiversity, finding that MPs affect organisms across trophic levels through ingestion, entanglement, and chemical leaching, with potential consequences for population dynamics and ecosystem functioning.

2023 Tropical Freshwater Biology 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological review of micro- and nano-plastics in aquatic environments: Risks to ecosystems, food web dynamics and human health.

This review synthesized evidence on the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems, covering risks to individual organisms, disruptions to food web dynamics, and pathways through which plastic exposure poses risks to human health via seafood consumption.

2024 Ecotoxicology and environmental safety
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Impacts on Aquatic Species and Interactions with Environmental Factors and Pollutants

This review examines how nanoplastics affect aquatic species, focusing on their cellular and molecular toxicity as well as how environmental factors like temperature, salinity, and co-existing pollutants influence their harmful effects. Researchers found that nanoplastics can be absorbed more easily than larger plastic particles, transfer through food webs, and disrupt cellular function in aquatic organisms. The study highlights the need to consider real-world environmental conditions when assessing nanoplastic risks.

2022 Toxics 104 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Ecotoxicological Effects, Exposure Pathways and Trophic Transfer Risks

This review synthesises evidence on the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in marine, freshwater, and estuarine environments, covering ingestion, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and physiological harms across aquatic fauna. It identifies chemical co-contamination and particle size as key modulators of toxicity.

2025 UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
Article Tier 2

Biological Effects of Microplastics: A Review.

Researchers reviewed how microplastics harm a wide range of living things, finding they cause physical damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and reproductive problems in aquatic animals, while also carrying toxic chemicals and dangerous bacteria into organisms. Major gaps remain in understanding the effects of long-term low-dose exposure and the risks posed by even tinier nanoplastics.

2025 Mağallaẗ ʻulūm al-rāfidayn
Article Tier 2

Distribution of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems and Their Impacts on Aquatic Organisms, with Emphasis on Microalgae

This review covers the distribution of microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems and their impacts on aquatic organisms from bacteria to fish, with a focus on effects on microalgae as primary producers. The authors highlight that nanoplastics may be more biologically active than microplastics due to their size and surface reactivity, warranting greater research attention.

2018 Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic pollution in the aquatic ecosystem: an emerging threat need to be tackled

This review summarizes the growing threat of plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on how microplastics and nanoplastics enter food webs starting at the lowest levels. The authors highlight the persistence of these particles and call for coordinated action to reduce plastic inputs to water bodies.

2021 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review on Microplastic Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystems and Their Effects on Aquatic Biota

This comprehensive review examines microplastic pollution across freshwater and marine ecosystems and its effects on aquatic organisms. Researchers found that microplastics are abundant in both environments and that nearly all studies reviewed documented uptake by organisms along with alterations in biochemical parameters. The evidence indicates that microplastic contamination is becoming an increasingly serious environmental and health concern for aquatic life.

2023 AQUATIC SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the ecotoxicological effects of micro and nano-plastics on aquatic organisms and human health

This review summarizes the growing body of evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics affect aquatic organisms and, through the food chain, potentially human health. The tiny plastic particles absorb toxic pollutants and pathogens from the water, acting as carriers that deliver these harmful substances into the bodies of fish, shellfish, and other organisms. The review highlights that both direct plastic toxicity and indirect chemical exposure through contaminated seafood pose risks to human consumers.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Impact of Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions

This review examines microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems, covering chemical, biological, and ecological processes beyond simple physical contamination and identifying priority areas for future research directions.

2025 Indus journal of bioscience research.
Article Tier 2

Species-specific effects of long-term microplastic exposure on the population growth of nematodes, with a focus on microplastic ingestion

Scientists conducted long-term microplastic exposure experiments on freshwater nematode species and found species-specific effects on population growth, with ingestion rates and harm varying substantially across species despite identical exposure conditions.

2020 Ecological Indicators 70 citations