Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Impact of sulfamethoxazole on a riverine microbiome

Scientists studied how the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole affects the microbial community in a river, finding that even low concentrations shifted the balance of bacteria and promoted antibiotic resistance genes. This is relevant to the microplastic field because both antibiotics and microplastics promote antibiotic resistance when they co-occur in aquatic environments.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced hepatotoxicity in zebrafish due to co-exposure of microplastics and sulfamethoxazole: Insights into ROS-mediated MAPK signaling pathway regulation

Zebrafish exposed to both microplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (commonly found in waterways) suffered significantly worse liver damage than exposure to either pollutant alone. The combined exposure triggered a cascade of oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death in liver tissue, showing how microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of other environmental contaminants.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic exposure and concurrent effect with Aeromonas hydrophila infection on zebrafish

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastic exposure in zebrafish caused oxidative stress, altered antioxidant enzyme activity, and induced intestinal damage, with concurrent Aeromonas hydrophila infection amplifying these toxic effects and increasing mortality rates.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics and Sulfamethoxazole on Early Neurodevelopment in Embryo–Larval Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed embryo-larval zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole to assess their individual and combined effects on early neurodevelopment. The study found that both contaminants individually caused neurodevelopmental toxicity, and their combination produced a significant synergistic effect, suggesting that co-exposure to microplastics and antibiotics may pose greater risks than either pollutant alone.

2026 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Toxic effect of chronic exposure to polyethylene nano/microplastics on oxidative stress, neurotoxicity and gut microbiota of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene microplastics and nanoplastics for 21 days and found both caused oxidative damage to organs, disrupted brain function, and altered gut bacteria. Surprisingly, the toxic effects of microplastics and nanoplastics were similar in terms of brain and gut impacts, though organ-level oxidative damage varied by tissue type. These findings are concerning because they show that the plastic particles commonly found in food and water can simultaneously harm the brain, gut, and vital organs.

2023 Chemosphere 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of micro-/nano-plastics and oxytetracycline on the intestinal histopathology and microbiome in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers studied the combined effects of micro- and nano-sized plastics with the antibiotic oxytetracycline on zebrafish intestines over 30 days. Nano-sized plastics caused more intestinal damage than micro-sized ones, and combined exposures altered gut bacterial communities and increased antibiotic resistance genes. The findings suggest that the co-occurrence of plastic particles and antibiotics in aquatic environments may have compounding negative effects on fish gut health.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 90 citations
Article Tier 2

The Potential Toxic Effects of Ceftriaxone and Polypropylene Microplastics on Danio Rerio (Hamilton, 1822) Behaviour

Researchers exposed zebrafish (Danio rerio) to the antibiotic ceftriaxone and polypropylene microplastics individually and in combination and found that both pollutants alone and together altered exploratory and social behaviors, with combined exposure potentially exacerbating behavioral abnormalities.

2025 Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics enhance the intestinal damage and genotoxicity of sulfamethoxazole to medaka juveniles (Oryzias melastigma) in coastal environment

Scientists exposed young medaka fish to the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole and polystyrene nanoplastics, both individually and together, to study their combined effects on intestinal health. They found that co-exposure caused more severe gut damage than either pollutant alone, disrupting the gut microbiome and triggering changes in gene expression related to immune defense and DNA repair. The study suggests that nanoplastics may amplify the harmful effects of antibiotics on fish in coastal environments.

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

Biomicroplastics and Antibiotics: A Toxic Cocktail for Fatty Liver Disease in Marine Medaka.

Marine medaka fish co-exposed to aged polylactic acid (PLA) biomicroplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethazine developed fatty liver disease more severely than with either contaminant alone, demonstrating synergistic toxicity. The study highlighted that bioplastic debris combined with antibiotics poses a serious health threat to marine organisms.

2025 Environmental science & technology
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive review of ecological risks and toxicity mechanisms of microplastics in freshwater: Focus on zebrafish as a model organism

This comprehensive review examines how microplastics affect zebrafish, a widely used laboratory model, covering impacts on the gut, liver, reproductive system, nervous system, and immune function. Researchers found that microplastics can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and disruption of gut bacteria across multiple organ systems. The review highlights that zebrafish studies provide valuable insights into the biological mechanisms by which microplastics may affect freshwater organisms and, potentially, human health.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Rethinking the relevance of microplastics as vector for anthropogenic contaminants: Adsorption of toxicants to microplastics during exposure in a highly polluted stream - Analytical quantification and assessment of toxic effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed microplastics in a highly polluted stream to assess their role as contaminant vectors, then tested effects on zebrafish, finding that naturally contaminated microplastics had limited additional toxicity compared to the polluted water itself.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

The Toxicity of Polyethylene Microplastic Exposure and Its Concurrent Effect With Aeromonas Hydrophila Infection To Zebrafish

This study exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene microplastics while simultaneously infecting them with Aeromonas hydrophila bacteria, a common fish pathogen. Microplastic exposure worsened bacterial infection outcomes, suggesting that plastic pollution may reduce fish immune defenses. The interaction between microplastic contamination and disease susceptibility is relevant to understanding how pollution affects aquatic ecosystem health.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Limnic Ecosystems - Investigation of Biological Fate and Effects of Microplastic Particles and Associated Contaminants in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)-

This doctoral thesis investigated how microplastics and their associated chemical contaminants affect zebrafish (Danio rerio) in freshwater environments, including ingestion, tissue accumulation, and toxicological effects. The research demonstrates that microplastics can act as vectors for pollutants like pesticides and pharmaceuticals, compounding their harmful effects on aquatic organisms.

2020 heiDOK (Heidelberg University) 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects on immunity of exposure to microplastics in adult zebrafish

Adult zebrafish exposed to microplastics showed changes in liver gene expression, gut and gill tissue damage, and altered swimming behavior, indicating that microplastic exposure triggers multiple biological stress responses. The study highlights the relevance of zebrafish as a model for assessing microplastic toxicity.

2019 Use Siena air (University of Siena)
Article Tier 2

Incomplete recovery of gut microbiota in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma) during the depuration phase, after exposure to sulfamethazine/nanoplastics

Researchers found that gut microbiota in marine medaka did not fully recover after 21 days of depuration following exposure to sulfamethazine and polystyrene nanoplastics, indicating that antibiotic and nanoplastic co-exposure can cause lasting disruption to fish gut microbial communities.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate and risk of microplastic and antibiotic sulfamethoxazole coexisting in the environment

Researchers investigated sulfamethoxazole antibiotic adsorption onto polyamide microplastics and found that pH significantly influenced uptake, with adsorbed antibiotics more readily released in natural water than ultrapure water, posing environmental risks.

2022 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Metformin and guanylurea reduce survival, but have limited sublethal effects in larval zebrafish ( Danio rerio )

This paper is not directly about microplastics; it tests the effects of the diabetes drug metformin and its breakdown product guanylurea on larval zebrafish, finding reduced survival at high concentrations and raising concerns about pharmaceutical pollution in freshwater ecosystems.

2023
Article Tier 2

The Research Status, Potential Hazards and Toxicological Mechanisms of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics in the Environment

This review summarizes the environmental presence and toxic effects of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, which are widely used in human and animal medicine. These antibiotics can harm a range of organisms through mechanisms like oxidative stress and DNA damage. While not directly about microplastics, it is relevant because microplastics can carry adsorbed antibiotics through the environment, potentially amplifying their spread and impact.

2023 Antibiotics 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of chlorpyrifos on freshwater microbial community and metabolic capacity of zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish and their surrounding water to chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide, and found it disrupted the diversity of aquatic microbes, increased dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and altered the gut metabolism of fish — raising concerns about the ecological and food-safety risks of pesticide runoff into waterways.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of the effects of nanoplastics ingestion in a freshwater fish ( Danio rerio )

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene nanoplastics and found evidence of intestinal damage, oxidative stress, and behavioral changes. The study adds to growing evidence that nanoplastics in freshwater environments can harm fish health, with potential implications for the health of ecosystems and fish-eating humans.

2021 Annals of Medicine 4 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Meta-analysis unravels the complex combined toxicity of microplastics and antibiotics in aquatic ecosystems

A meta-analysis of 730 datasets found that microplastics amplify antibiotic accumulation in aquatic organisms and worsen effects on growth, development, and immune function, but paradoxically appear to mitigate reproductive toxicity from antibiotics. The impact depends on biological response pathway, microplastic concentration, antibiotic properties, and exposure time, with an inverse relationship between antibiotic toxicity and both microplastic concentration and exposure duration.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Subchronic toxicity of dietary sulfamethazine and nanoplastics in marine medaka (Oryzias melastigma): Insights from the gut microbiota and intestinal oxidative status

Researchers found that dietary co-exposure to the antibiotic sulfamethazine and polystyrene nanoplastics in marine medaka caused significant disruption of gut microbiota composition and increased intestinal oxidative stress, with combined effects exceeding individual exposures.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Gut microbiota related response of Oryzias melastigma to combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics and tetracycline

Researchers exposed estuarine fish to polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline, both alone and in combination, for four weeks. The combined exposure caused more severe disruption to gut bacteria and liver tissue than either pollutant alone, with microplastics appearing to worsen the effects of tetracycline. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics in coastal waters may pose greater ecological risks than either contaminant by itself.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Genotoxic and Oxidative Damage of Environmental Pollutant Microplastics on Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations for up to 21 days to measure oxidative stress and DNA damage. The study found that both types of microplastics disrupted the antioxidant system and caused measurable DNA damage, with effects depending on dosage and exposure time. These results suggest that microplastics in waterways could pose genetic and cellular risks to aquatic life.

2025 Journal of Applied Toxicology 2 citations