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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Insights into the Potential Effects of Micro(nano)plastic-Containing Nanoparticles in the Environment
ClearToward Understanding the Environmental Risks of Combined Microplastics/Nanomaterials Exposures: Unveiling ZnO Transformations after Adsorption onto Polystyrene Microplastics in Environmental Solutions
Researchers investigated how zinc oxide nanomaterials adsorb onto polystyrene microplastics in aquatic environments, finding significant chemical transformations of ZnO into zinc-sulfide and zinc-phosphate species, revealing that microplastics can alter the environmental fate of co-occurring nanomaterials.
Co-exposure of maize to polyethylene microplastics and ZnO nanoparticles: Impact on growth, fate, and interaction
Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and zinc oxide nanoparticles on maize growth in a pot experiment. The study found that co-exposure altered plant growth, the fate of nanoparticles in the soil-plant system, and the interaction between these two common agricultural contaminants, suggesting that microplastics can influence how other pollutants behave in crop production.
Zinc oxide nanoparticles dissolution and toxicity enhancement by polystyrene microplastics under sunlight irradiation
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics dramatically increased the sunlight-induced dissolution of zinc oxide nanoparticles, enhancing the release of toxic zinc ions and reactive oxygen species in aquatic environments.
Size-dependent toxicity of nano- and microplastics with zinc oxide nanoparticles in the marine rotifer Brachionus koreanus
Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles with nano- and microplastics on marine rotifers. They found that the presence of plastic particles increased the toxicity of zinc oxide, with nanoplastics causing more harm than microplastics, and the combined exposure reduced reproduction and population growth. The study demonstrates that microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of other environmental contaminants on small marine organisms.
Combined toxic effects of environmental predominant microplastics and ZnO nanoparticles in freshwater snail Pomaceae paludosa
Researchers assessed the toxic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles and polypropylene microplastics, both individually and combined, on the freshwater snail Pomeacea paludosa over 28 days. The study found that combined exposure caused more severe oxidative stress, disrupted antioxidant and digestive enzyme activity, and led to tissue damage and DNA damage compared to individual pollutant exposure. Evidence indicates that microplastics interacting with nanoparticles can amplify toxic effects in freshwater organisms.
Particles rather than released Zn2+ from ZnO nanoparticles aggravate microplastics toxicity in early stages of exposed zebrafish and their unexposed offspring
Researchers investigated the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and zinc oxide nanoparticles on zebrafish embryos and their unexposed offspring. They found that ZnO particles adhered to microplastic surfaces and amplified toxic effects including growth inhibition, oxidative stress, and hormonal disruption, with impacts carrying over to the next generation. Interestingly, dissolved zinc ions actually reversed some microplastic toxicity, suggesting that it is the physical particles rather than the released zinc that drive the increased harm.
Individual and Combined Toxic Effects of Nano-ZnO and Polyethylene Microplastics on Mosquito Fish (Gambusia holbrooki)
Researchers studied the individual and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and zinc oxide nanoparticles on mosquito fish. The combination caused greater damage to liver tissue, blood parameters, and antioxidant systems than either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that microplastics interacting with other environmental contaminants can amplify toxic effects in aquatic organisms.
Biodegradable nanocomposite films containing combined ZnO and TiO₂ nanoparticles in PBAT: A strategy to mitigate microplastic persistence from food packaging
This study created new biodegradable food packaging films by combining a plant-based polyester (PBAT) with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, finding that the combination accelerated the material's degradation while also improving its mechanical and safety properties. The goal was to develop packaging that breaks down faster in the environment, producing fewer persistent microplastics compared to conventional plastics. Results suggest certain nanoparticle concentrations produce materials that are both commercially viable for packaging and meaningfully less likely to accumulate in ecosystems.
Retention of ZnO nanoparticles onto polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics: Aging-associated interactions and the role of aqueous chemistry
Researchers investigated how zinc oxide nanoparticles attach to polypropylene and polystyrene microplastics under different water chemistry conditions. They found that UV-aged microplastics retained significantly more nanoparticles than fresh ones, and water pH and natural organic matter influenced the interaction. The study suggests that weathered microplastics in the environment are more effective at carrying metal contaminants, potentially increasing ecological risks.
Toxicological interactions of microplastics/nanoplastics and environmental contaminants: Current knowledge and future perspectives
This review examines how the combined presence of micro- and nanoplastics with other environmental contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals affects toxicity. Researchers found that plastic particles can alter the bioavailability and toxic effects of co-occurring pollutants, sometimes increasing harm to organisms, which complicates environmental risk assessment.
Micro-polyethylene particles reduce the toxicity of nano zinc oxide in marine microalgae by adsorption
Researchers discovered that polyethylene microplastic particles reduced the toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles to marine microalgae by adsorbing the nanoparticles onto their surface, revealing that microplastics can modify the bioavailability of co-occurring contaminants.
Concomitant presence of nanosized plastics and metal(loid)s: is there cause for alarm? State-of-the-art and recommendations for future studies
This review assessed the co-occurrence of nanoplastics and metal(loid)s in the environment, finding that nanoplastics can adsorb and transport heavy metals, potentially amplifying toxicity through combined exposure and calling for integrated risk assessment approaches.
Mixtures of Micro and Nanoplastics and Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Environment: What We Know about Their Toxicological Effects
This review examines what is known about the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastic mixtures combined with other emerging contaminants in the environment. Researchers found that most studies fail to calculate proper interaction parameters, making it difficult to determine whether combined exposures produce additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects on organisms.
Toxic effects of micro and nanoplastics on living system and recent advances in understanding their degradation routes
This review examines the toxic effects of micro- and nanoplastics on terrestrial and marine ecosystems from primary producers to tertiary consumers, and surveys recent advances in understanding their degradation via thermal pyrolysis, photocatalytic methods using TiO2 and ZnO, and microbial biodegradation. The authors highlight that while biological and photocatalytic approaches show promise for accelerating plastic breakdown, degradation rates remain far slower than environmental accumulation.
Altered interactions and joint toxicity between microplastics and zinc induced by activated sludge composting process
Researchers studied how the composting process ages microplastics made of PET, PP, and PE, and how this aging alters their interactions with the heavy metal zinc. They found that composting increased cracks and oxygen-containing groups on the plastic surfaces, enhancing their capacity to adsorb zinc and increasing the combined toxicity to the model organism C. elegans. The study suggests that aged microplastics in compost may increase heavy metal bioavailability when applied to agricultural soils.
Combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and nanoparticles on Lemna minor
Researchers adsorbed ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles onto polyethylene microplastics extracted from cosmetics and tested their combined toxicity on the aquatic plant Lemna minor, finding that while specific growth rate and chlorophyll a content were unaffected, both nanoparticle-coated microplastic combinations inhibited root growth and reduced chlorophyll b content.
Nanomaterial Ecotoxicology in the Terrestrial and Aquatic Environment: A Systematic Review
This systematic review of 303 studies on nanomaterial ecotoxicity found that research has heavily focused on aquatic organisms while terrestrial impacts remain understudied, creating significant knowledge gaps. Metal oxide nanoparticles like TiO2, ZnO, and Ag showed dose-dependent toxicity across multiple organism types. These findings are relevant to microplastic research because nanoplastics behave similarly to engineered nanomaterials in biological systems, raising parallel toxicity concerns.
Examining the Ecological Footprint of Microplastics: A Holistic Exploration from Genesis to Demise
This review summarizes the origins, environmental distribution, health impacts, and detection methods for microplastics across soil, water, and air, and highlights a promising remediation approach using metal oxide nanoparticles (titanium dioxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide) that can break down microplastics via surface reactions and reactive oxygen species. It provides a useful overview of both the problem's scope and emerging nanoparticle-based solutions for cleaning up contaminated environments.
Reducing Gut Dissolution of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles by Secondary Microplastics with Consequent Impacts on Barnacle Larvae
This study examined how microplastics interact with zinc oxide nanoparticles from sunscreen and affect barnacle larvae development. Sun-weathered (secondary) microplastics reduced the toxic effects of zinc oxide by limiting how much zinc dissolved in the gut, while fresh microplastics had little effect. The research shows that interactions between microplastics and other common pollutants in the ocean can change their combined impact on marine life in complex ways.
Combined toxicity evaluation of polystyrene nanoplastics and Nano-ZnO of distinctive morphology on human lung epithelial cells
Researchers tested how polystyrene nanoplastics combined with zinc oxide nanoparticles affect human lung cells, finding that the two pollutants interact differently depending on their shapes and concentrations. Zinc oxide primarily damaged cell membranes while nanoplastics mainly triggered oxidative stress and cell death, and their combined effects varied from additive to counteracting. This study is important because people are likely exposed to both nanoplastics and metal particles in polluted air, and understanding their combined effects is key to assessing real-world health risks.
Combined interactions and ecotoxicological effects of micro/nanoplastics and organic pollutants in soil–plant systems: a critical overview
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics interact with organic pollutants in soil-plant systems. The study highlights that these plastic particles can act synergistically with organic pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems, posing combined threats to soil and plant health that warrant further investigation.
Single and joint exposure to nanoplastics and bisphenols: a comparative assessment of in vitro hazards
This study compared the individual and combined toxicity of nanoplastics and bisphenol compounds in biological test systems, finding synergistic effects at certain exposure combinations. The results indicate that co-exposure to these two common plastic-associated contaminants may be more harmful than either alone.
Contribution of additive-related effects to microplastics toxicity for aquatic organisms: a case study with model metal (ZnO) and organic additives (Lubio) and LDPE
Researchers produced well-defined LDPE microplastic particles loaded with model additives (ZnO nanoparticles and a commercial Lubio antiaging system) to isolate and quantify additive-related contributions to microplastic toxicity in Daphnia magna and Tetrahymena thermophila. Results showed ZnO nanoparticles were acutely toxic while additive-free and Lubio-loaded particles demonstrated differing toxicity profiles, providing a framework for disentangling polymer versus additive effects in ecotoxicity studies.
Insights into the interaction of microplastic with silver nanoparticles in natural surface water
Researchers co-exposed three common microplastics — polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene — with silver nanoparticles in natural freshwater and brackish water, finding that their interaction altered the environmental behavior and fate of both contaminants. The results suggest that combined pollution from microplastics and nanomaterials produces effects distinct from either pollutant alone.