Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on common carp: Insights into blood parameters, DNA damage, and gene expression

Exposing common carp to polystyrene nanoplastics caused significant DNA damage in blood and brain cells, along with changes in genes related to immune function and stress response. Higher concentrations led to more severe effects, and the nanoplastics also disrupted liver antioxidant defenses. Since carp are widely consumed fish, these findings raise questions about the safety of fish from nanoplastic-contaminated waters for human consumption.

2024 Journal of Applied Toxicology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular, biochemical and behavioral responses of Daphnia magna under long-term exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers studied the long-term effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the water flea Daphnia magna over a 21-day exposure period at environmentally relevant concentrations. The study found molecular, biochemical, and behavioral changes even at low concentrations, suggesting that chronic exposure to nanoplastics may have significant impacts on aquatic organisms that short-term studies might miss.

2022 Environment International 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of sub-chronic polystyrene nanoplastics exposure on hematology, histology, and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein expression in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Researchers exposed Nile tilapia to polystyrene nanoplastics for an extended period and found the particles caused blood cell changes, tissue damage in the liver and gills, and activated stress responses in cellular structures called the endoplasmic reticulum. Even the lowest concentration tested, which matches levels found in the environment, triggered harmful effects. Since tilapia is one of the most consumed farmed fish worldwide, these results highlight potential food safety concerns from nanoplastic contamination in aquaculture.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce molecular toxicity in Simocephalus vetulus: A transcriptome and intestinal microorganism analysis

Researchers exposed a freshwater crustacean to polystyrene nanoplastics and found widespread molecular-level damage, including oxidative stress, disrupted energy metabolism, and signs of neurotoxicity. The nanoplastics also significantly altered the animals' gut microbiome, increasing harmful bacteria and weakening intestinal barrier function. The study provides a detailed picture of how plastic pollution can affect freshwater organisms at the cellular and genetic level.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Chironomus riparius molecular response to polystyrene primary microplastics

Researchers examined the molecular response of the aquatic midge larva Chironomus riparius to polystyrene primary microplastics, investigating how these emerging contaminants affect gene expression in this standard toxicology test organism.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Time-dependent effects of polystyrene nanoparticles in brine shrimp Artemia franciscana at physiological, biochemical and molecular levels

Researchers tracked short- and long-term effects of cationic polystyrene nanoplastics on brine shrimp Artemia, finding that even low concentrations impair growth, trigger cumulative oxidative stress leading to lipid peroxidation, inhibit neural and developmental enzymes including cholinesterase and carboxylesterase, and alter gene expression governing molting and cell protection.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 170 citations
Article Tier 2

Acute exposure to high concentrations of polystyrene nanoparticles induces genotoxicity in Daphnia pulex

Researchers exposed the freshwater organism Daphnia pulex to high concentrations of polystyrene nanoparticles and assessed genotoxic effects using the comet assay alongside immobilization and reproduction tests. They found that acute exposure induced significant DNA damage in the organisms. The study suggests that nanoplastics can cause genetic-level harm in freshwater species, an area that remains understudied.

2026 Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive analysis of proteomic and biochemical responses of Daphnia magna to short-term exposure to polystyrene microplastic particles

Scientists exposed tiny freshwater crustaceans (Daphnia magna) to polystyrene microplastic particles for just 48 hours and found widespread disruptions at the molecular level. The organisms showed reduced energy metabolism, elevated signs of oxidative stress, and activated cellular uptake pathways, possibly as a defense mechanism. These findings indicate that even short-term microplastic exposure can trigger a complex stress response in a species that plays a key role in freshwater food webs.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastic induces oxidative stress, immune defense, and glycometabolism change in Daphnia pulex: Application of transcriptome profiling in risk assessment of nanoplastics

Researchers used transcriptome sequencing to examine how polystyrene nanoplastics affect gene expression in the water flea Daphnia pulex. After 96 hours of exposure, they identified 208 genes with altered expression levels, linked to oxidative stress, immune defense, and sugar metabolism pathways. The study provides molecular-level evidence that nanoplastic pollution can trigger multiple stress responses in freshwater organisms.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 167 citations
Article Tier 2

Change in energy-consuming strategy, nucleolar metabolism and physical defense in Macrobrachium rosenbergii after acute and chronic polystyrene nanoparticles exposure

Researchers examined how polystyrene nanoplastic exposure affects freshwater prawns over both short-term and long-term periods, finding significant changes in gene expression related to energy metabolism and physical defense. The study revealed that nanoplastic exposure disrupted nucleolar metabolism and triggered shifts in energy-consuming strategies, suggesting these particles pose a meaningful threat to aquatic crustaceans.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular effects of polystyrene nanoplastics toxicity in zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene nanoplastics at various concentrations and measured gene expression changes related to stress, inflammation, and DNA repair. They found dose-dependent activation of oxidative stress and apoptotic pathways at the highest concentration, along with inhibition of the neurotransmitter-related gene acetylcholinesterase and DNA repair genes. The study suggests that nanoplastic exposure at the molecular level may compromise cellular defense mechanisms and neurological function in developing fish.

2022 Chemosphere 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular characterisation of cytochrome P450 enzymes in waterflea (Daphnia pulex) and their expression regulation by polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers cloned and characterized two cytochrome P450 enzyme genes in the water flea Daphnia pulex and found that polystyrene nanoplastic exposure at 0.5 mg/L upregulated three of five CYP genes, with expression returning toward baseline at higher doses — suggesting these detoxification enzymes respond to nanoplastic stress and may serve as molecular biomarkers of nanoplastic exposure in aquatic invertebrates.

2019 Aquatic Toxicology 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoparticles induce DNA damage and apoptosis in HeLa cells

Researchers exposed human HeLa cells to polystyrene nanoplastics — particles smaller than 100 nm — and found that even short exposures at low concentrations caused DNA damage, abnormal cell division, and signs of cell death including apoptosis and necrosis. The results suggest nanoplastics can directly damage human cell DNA, raising concerns about the health implications of everyday nanoplastic exposure.

2024 Heliyon 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Altered gene expression in Chironomus riparius (insecta) in response to tire rubber and polystyrene microplastics

Researchers investigated changes in gene expression in the aquatic insect Chironomus riparius after exposure to polystyrene and tire rubber microplastics. The study found that both types of microplastics altered the expression of genes involved in stress response and detoxification, suggesting that microplastic pollution can cause molecular-level effects in freshwater organisms even at sublethal concentrations.

2021 Environmental Pollution 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Short-term polystyrene nanoplastic exposure alters zebrafish male and female germline and reproductive outcomes, unveiling pollutant-impacted molecular pathways

A short 96-hour exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics harmed both male and female reproductive cells in zebrafish. In males, nanoplastics crossed the testicular barrier, entered reproductive cells directly, and caused abnormal sperm with reduced movement. In females, the exposure disrupted egg development, suggesting that even brief nanoplastic contact could impair fertility in aquatic species and raising questions about similar risks for human reproductive health.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-Term Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics Impairs the Liver Health of Medaka

Researchers found that three months of exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics caused significant liver damage in medaka fish, including oxidative stress, immune disruption, and altered gene expression related to lipid metabolism and detoxification pathways.

2022 Water 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Persistence of algal toxicity induced by polystyrene nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations

Researchers studied whether the harmful effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on marine algae are temporary or long-lasting. They found that while some damage, like oxidative stress, was reversible after exposure ended, other effects such as increased cell membrane damage persisted. The study suggests that even at low, environmentally realistic concentrations, nanoplastics can cause lasting disruption to algal metabolism and cell function.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanospheres-induced hepatotoxicity in swamp eel (Monopterus albus): From biochemical, pathological and transcriptomic perspectives

Researchers exposed swamp eels to polystyrene nanoplastics for 28 days and found significant liver damage including oxidative stress, tissue abnormalities, and disrupted gene expression related to immune response and metabolism. Higher concentrations caused more severe liver injury, with changes detectable at both the biochemical and genetic levels. This study adds evidence that nanoplastic exposure can harm liver function in freshwater species important to aquaculture and local food supplies.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Changes in life-history traits, antioxidant defense, energy metabolism and molecular outcomes in the cladoceran Daphnia pulex after exposure to polystyrene microplastics

Researchers exposed the freshwater zooplankton Daphnia pulex to polystyrene microplastics and observed dose-dependent effects on survival, antioxidant capacity, and energy metabolism. The study found that microplastics accumulated in the digestive tract, caused lipid oxidative damage, disrupted sugar and fat metabolism, and activated DNA repair mechanisms while inhibiting lipid metabolism pathways.

2022 Chemosphere 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Transcriptome sequencing and metabolite analysis reveal the toxic effects of nanoplastics on tilapia after exposure to polystyrene

Researchers exposed larval tilapia to polystyrene nanoplastics and then analyzed changes in gene expression and metabolic profiles after a recovery period. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted immune-related pathways, energy metabolism, and lipid processing in the fish, with some effects persisting even after exposure ended. The study suggests that nanoplastics can cause lasting metabolic and immune disruptions in freshwater fish.

2021 Environmental Pollution 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastic exposure induces immobilization, reproduction, and stress defense in the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia pulex

Researchers documented how polystyrene nanoplastics accumulate in the guts of the freshwater crustacean Daphnia pulex and cause chronic toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations, delaying reproduction, reducing offspring numbers, and inducing then suppressing antioxidant defense genes over a 21-day exposure.

2018 Chemosphere 285 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure on Liver Cell Damage, Oxidative Stress, and Gene Expression in Juvenile Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus)

Researchers exposed young crucian carp to polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations and found dose-dependent liver damage, with higher concentrations causing more severe tissue injury and weaker antioxidant defenses. The microplastics disrupted genes involved in detoxification and stress response in liver cells. Since crucian carp is a commonly consumed freshwater fish, these findings raise questions about whether microplastic-contaminated fish could affect the health of people who eat them.

2025 Toxics 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Sub-Chronic Exposure to Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Lipid and Antioxidant Metabolism in Sparus aurata

Researchers exposed gilthead seabream to polystyrene nanoplastics for 14 days and measured effects on blood, tissue, and gene expression. While the fish showed no visible tissue damage or changes in body condition, they had reduced hemoglobin levels and significant downregulation of genes related to fat metabolism, growth, and antioxidant defense. The study suggests that nanoplastics can cause subtle but meaningful biological changes in fish even when outward signs of harm are absent.

2025 Animals 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on marine organisms

Researchers exposed Pacific white shrimp to polystyrene nanoplastics at various concentrations and measured immune, antioxidant, and tissue responses after seven days. They found that nanoplastic exposure disrupted immune function, increased oxidative stress, and caused tissue damage, particularly in the hepatopancreas and gills. The study adds to growing evidence that nanoplastics can harm the health of commercially important marine species.

2023 Environmental Technology & Innovation 32 citations