Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Interactive toxicity effects of metronidazole, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and differently functionalized nanoplastics on marine algae Chlorella sp.

Researchers examined the combined toxicity of common pharmaceutical drugs and nanoplastics with different surface coatings on marine algae. They found that the interaction between drugs and nanoplastics produced effects ranging from additive to synergistic, depending on the specific combination, with amine-coated nanoplastics generally causing more harm. The study highlights that real-world mixtures of pharmaceutical and plastic pollutants in oceans may pose greater risks to marine life than either contaminant alone.

2025 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of differently functionalized polystyrene microplastics on the toxic effects of P25 TiO2 NPs towards marine algae Chlorella sp.

Differently functionalized polystyrene microplastics (plain, amino, carboxyl) were tested for their influence on the toxicity of TiO₂ nanoparticles to marine algae Chlorella sp., finding that microplastics altered TiO₂ aggregation behavior and modified its effective toxicity in a surface-chemistry-dependent manner. The study demonstrates that microplastic-nanoparticle interactions in marine environments can change the ecotoxicological outcome of either contaminant alone.

2018 Aquatic Toxicology 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and lead on Chlorella vulgaris growth, membrane lipid peroxidation, antioxidant capacity, and morphological alterations

Researchers found that amino-functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics and lead act synergistically to inhibit the growth of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris, with combined exposure producing greater reductions in chlorophyll, biomass, and cell size than either pollutant alone.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of nanoplastics on the toxic effects, bioaccumulation, biodegradation and enantioselectivity of ibuprofen in freshwater algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers co-exposed the freshwater alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa to polystyrene nanoplastics and ibuprofen and found that nanoplastics paradoxically reduced ibuprofen toxicity by adsorbing the drug, while also decreasing its bioaccumulation and accelerating its degradation, with enantioselective effects showing S-ibuprofen was more toxic and R-ibuprofen preferentially accumulated.

2020 Environmental Pollution 104 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on the toxicity of the pharmaceuticals procainamide and doxycycline on the marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii

Researchers investigated whether the presence of microplastics influences the toxicity of two pharmaceuticals, procainamide and doxycycline, on the marine microalga Tetraselmis chuii. They found that microplastics alone had limited effects, but when combined with pharmaceuticals, the mixture interactions varied depending on the drug and the measured endpoint. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and pharmaceutical pollutants in marine environments may produce unpredictable combined effects on primary producers.

2018 Aquatic Toxicology 293 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics alter the ecotoxicological effects of diclofenac on freshwater microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus

Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to modify the ecotoxicological effects of the pharmaceutical diclofenac on freshwater microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, with the combined exposure producing effects different from either pollutant alone.

2023 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Algal extracellular polymeric substances (algal-EPS) for mitigating the combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and nano-TiO2 in Chlorella sp.

This study found that algal extracellular polymeric substances can coat both polystyrene nanoplastics and titanium dioxide nanoparticles and reduce their combined toxic effects on the green alga Chlorella, suggesting that natural organic matter in marine environments can buffer combined nanoparticle toxicity.

2023 Nanotoxicology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Morphochemical characterization and interactions of secondary microplastics with paracetamol and microalgae

Researchers characterized secondary microplastics from polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene and exposed the microalga Tetraselmis to these particles alone and in combination with paracetamol. Surface charge of the microplastics significantly influenced toxicity, and at high paracetamol concentrations algal growth was inhibited, suggesting combined pollution effects.

2025 Ambiente e Agua - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science
Article Tier 2

Toxicity interaction of polystyrene nanoplastics with sulfamethoxazole on the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: A closer look at effect of light availability

Researchers studied how light availability influences the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole on the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The study found that the interaction between these two pollutants was largely antagonistic under low and normal light conditions, as nanoplastics could adsorb the antibiotic and reduce its bioavailability, highlighting the importance of environmental factors in determining combined pollutant toxicity.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Hetero-Aggregation of Nanoplastics with Freshwater Algae and the Toxicological Consequences: The Role of Extracellular Polymeric Substances

Researchers studied how polystyrene and polylactic acid nanoplastics hetero-aggregate with the alga Chlorella vulgaris, finding that extracellular polymeric substances released by algae strongly influenced aggregation behavior and that aggregation altered the toxicity of nanoplastics.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Integrating transcriptomics and biochemical analysis to understand the interactive mechanisms of the coexisting exposure of nanoplastics and erythromycin on Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers used transcriptomics and biochemical analysis to study how nanoplastics and the antibiotic erythromycin interact when both are present in water with the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa. They found that the combined toxicity was dynamic, shifting from synergistic to antagonistic effects depending on nanoplastic concentration and exposure duration. The study indicates that co-exposure disrupts algal cell membranes, induces oxidative stress, and reduces photosynthetic efficiency.

2023 Chemosphere 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics diminish the toxic effects of Nano-TiO2 in marine algae Chlorella sp.

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics reduced the toxic effects of nano-titanium dioxide on marine algae by forming larger aggregates that decreased the bioavailability of both particle types. The combined exposure led to lower oxidative stress and reduced cellular damage compared to nano-titanium dioxide alone. The study demonstrates that interactions between different types of nanoparticles in marine environments can produce antagonistic effects that alter their individual toxicity profiles.

2021 Environmental Research 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics and their combined effects with sulphamethoxazole on the free-floating aquatic plant Lemna major

Researchers examined the combined effects of nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulphamethoxazole on free-floating algae, assessing whether nanoplastics alter antibiotic toxicity. The co-exposure produced greater inhibitory effects on algal growth than either substance alone.

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

The combined toxicity influence of microplastics and nonylphenol on microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers examined the combined toxicity of nonylphenol and several types of microplastics on the freshwater microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The study found that microplastics of different polymer types and sizes interacted with nonylphenol in complex ways, affecting algal growth, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant enzyme activity, demonstrating that co-exposure to microplastics and organic pollutants can produce combined toxic effects.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 252 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and PCB-44 exposure on growth and physiological biochemistry of Chlorella vulgaris

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and a common industrial pollutant (PCB-44) on a freshwater green algae species over both short and long exposure periods. They found that both contaminants individually inhibited algae growth and disrupted cell functions, but their combined presence intensified the damage. The study highlights that when nanoplastics and chemical pollutants co-exist in water, they can create compounding harmful effects on aquatic organisms.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Low-concentration PVC microplastics alleviate the physiological toxicity of nortriptyline to Chlorella vulgaris and enhance its drug removal capacity

Low-concentration PVC microplastics were found to unexpectedly reduce the toxicity of the antidepressant nortriptyline to the green alga Chlorella vulgaris, while simultaneously enhancing the alga's ability to remove the drug from solution, suggesting complex interaction effects.

2025 Environmental Engineering Research
Article Tier 2

Antagonistic effect of polystyrene nanoplastics and sliver nanoparticles on Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers tested antagonistic interactions between polystyrene nanoplastics and silver nanoparticles on the freshwater green alga Chlorella, finding that combined exposure produced less toxicity than either agent alone, suggesting that plastic particles can sequester silver nanoparticles and reduce their bioavailability.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the toxic effects of different polystyrene micro-and nanoplastics on microalgae Chlorella vulgaris by analysis of cell viability, pigment content, oxidative stress and ultrastructural changes

Researchers examined the toxic effects of different-sized polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on the microalga Chlorella vulgaris in long-term exposure tests. The study found that smaller particles (20 and 50 nm) caused greater reductions in cell viability and chlorophyll concentration than larger ones, with surface functionalization also influencing toxicity and ultrastructural damage.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 209 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of microplastics on the toxic effects and biodegradation of bisphenol A in the microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics inhibited the biodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA) by the microalga Chlorella vulgaris, with combined exposure showing greater toxicity than either contaminant alone due to BPA adsorption onto microplastic surfaces.

2022 Research Square (Research Square) 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent effect of microplastics on toxicity and fate of diclofenac in two algae

This study investigated how different sizes of polystyrene microplastics affect two species of algae and interact with the common pharmaceutical pollutant diclofenac. Researchers found that the smallest microplastics caused the most significant growth inhibition in algae, and the combined presence of microplastics and diclofenac could alter how each pollutant behaves. The findings underscore how microplastics can change the toxicity and environmental fate of other water contaminants.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 35 citations