Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Analysis of the Acute Toxicity Effects of Bifenthrin on Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus) Larvae

This is not a microplastics study; it investigates the acute toxic effects of the insecticide bifenthrin on Chinese giant salamander larvae, finding oxidative stress, liver inflammation, and DNA damage at tested concentrations.

2023 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

In vivo evaluation of the neurogenotoxic effects of exposure to validamycin A in neuroblasts of Drosophila melanogaster larval brain

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it evaluates the neurogenotoxic effects of the fungicide validamycin A in an in vivo vertebrate model, examining DNA damage in brain cells.

2023 Journal of Applied Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Alteration in the Antioxidant Enzymes Activities as Potential Biomarkers for Identification of Stress Caused by Afidopyropen Intoxication in Cyprinus Carpio.

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it studies oxidative stress biomarkers in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) exposed to afidopyropen, a synthetic insecticide, with no connection to plastic pollution.

2023 Current World Environment
Article Tier 2

Hepatotoxicity of pristine polyethylene microplastics in neotropical physalaemus cuvieri tadpoles (Fitzinger, 1826)

Physalaemus cuvieri tadpoles exposed to pristine polyethylene microplastics showed hepatotoxicity, including liver cell vacuolation and oxidative stress, demonstrating that microplastic ingestion causes measurable liver damage in amphibian larvae even without chemical additives.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 101 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological effects of a glyphosate-based herbicide on Gryllus (Gryllus) assimilis (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) ontogeny: A study on antioxidant system, oxidative stress and cholinergic system

Researchers exposed crickets (Gryllus assimilis) to a glyphosate-based herbicide throughout their entire life cycle and measured changes in antioxidant enzymes, cholinergic enzymes, and lipid peroxidation across five developmental stages. This is an insect ecotoxicology study about pesticide exposure — it is not about microplastics and is a false positive for microplastic relevance.

2023
Article Tier 2

RETRACTED: Toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in dragonfly larvae: An insight on how these pollutants can affect bentonic macroinvertebrates

Polystyrene nanoplastics accumulated in dragonfly larvae and caused oxidative stress and reduced acetylcholinesterase activity, indicating neurotoxic effects, even at low concentrations over short exposure periods. This is among the first studies to demonstrate nanoplastic toxicity in freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates, a group critical to aquatic food webs.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Roles of bio-based microplastics in modulating the toxic effects of the herbicide metolachlor on the South American native species Palaemon argentinus: Single and co-exposure effects

Researchers exposed South American native shrimp to polylactic acid microplastics and the herbicide metolachlor, both individually and in combination, over a seven-day period. They found that the bio-based microplastics caused oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, and tissue damage, and also acted as carriers that increased pesticide accumulation in the shrimp. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can transport pollutants and pose ecological risks in aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro(nano)plastics on amphibian cell lines

This study assessed the effects of micro- and nanoplastics on amphibian cell lines as an alternative model system for evaluating plastic toxicity, responding to growing concerns about particle impacts on amphibians and the value of cell-based testing. Plastic particles caused measurable cellular damage in amphibian cells, supporting their use as a screening tool.

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

How much are microplastics harmful to the health of amphibians? A study with pristine polyethylene microplastics and Physalaemus cuvieri

Researchers exposed frog tadpoles (Physalaemus cuvieri) to polyethylene microplastics and found significant harmful effects including DNA damage, cell toxicity, and abnormal physical development. The microplastics accumulated in multiple tissues including the gills, gut, liver, muscle, and blood. The study provides some of the first evidence that microplastics can affect amphibian health, adding to concerns about their impact on freshwater wildlife.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 239 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

Ecotoxicological perspectives of microplastic pollution in amphibians

This review summarizes research on how microplastics affect amphibians, which are considered important indicator species for freshwater pollution. Researchers found evidence that microplastics can impair amphibian growth, immune function, and gene expression, with effects varying by species and particle characteristics. The findings raise concerns about the vulnerability of amphibian populations already threatened by habitat loss and other environmental stressors.

2022 Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part B 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polyurethane Small-Sized Microplastics in the Chironomid, Chironomus riparius: Responses at Organismal and Sub-Organismal Levels

This study exposed the freshwater chironomid Chironomus riparius to polyurethane microplastics (7-9 micrometers) and found dose-dependent effects on survival, growth, and oxidative stress markers. The results indicate polyurethane microplastics are toxic to this widely used aquatic invertebrate indicator species.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as an emerging threat to amphibians: Current status and future perspectives

This review summarizes existing research on microplastic contamination in amphibians like frogs and salamanders, finding that over 80% of studied species had accumulated microplastics. The particles persisted in organs, showed toxic and gene-damaging effects, and could transfer through the food chain. Since amphibians are indicators of environmental health, widespread microplastic accumulation in these animals signals broader ecosystem contamination that can ultimately affect human food and water sources.

2024 Heliyon 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro(nano)plastics on amphibian cell lines

Researchers tested the effects of micro- and nanoplastics on amphibian cell lines derived from multiple species, using cell-based methods as alternatives to whole-organism testing for initial toxicity screening. Plastic particles caused cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in amphibian cells, providing data relevant to conservation concerns for declining amphibian populations.

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

Evaluation of Detoxification‐Related Gene Expression, Oxidative Stress Biomarkers, and Blood Biochemical Parameters in Common Carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) Co‐Exposed to Polyethylene Microplastics and Deltamethrin

Researchers investigated whether polyethylene microplastics worsen the toxic effects of the insecticide deltamethrin in juvenile common carp over a 30-day exposure. The study found that co-exposure to microplastics and deltamethrin affected detoxification-related gene expression, oxidative stress biomarkers, and blood biochemistry, suggesting that microplastics can modify the bioavailability and toxicity of co-occurring pesticides in fish.

2026 Journal of Applied Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Abamectin Causes Neurotoxicity in Zebrafish Embryos

This study found that abamectin, a widely used agricultural pesticide, caused brain damage and nerve cell death in developing zebrafish embryos through oxidative stress. While not about microplastics, the research is relevant because microplastics can absorb and transport pesticides like abamectin through water systems, potentially delivering concentrated doses to aquatic organisms. Understanding pesticide neurotoxicity helps explain how chemical-laden microplastics could harm both wildlife and human nervous system development.

2025 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics enhance Daphnia magna sensitivity to the pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin: Effects on life history traits

Researchers tested whether polyethylene microplastics alter the toxicity of the pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin to Daphnia magna and found that microplastic presence increased sensitivity to deltamethrin, reducing survival and reproductive output at concentrations that were not toxic without microplastics.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastic particles in combination with pesticides and antiviral drugs: Toxicity and genotoxicity in Ceriodaphnia dubia

Researchers investigated the toxic and genotoxic effects of polystyrene microplastics alone and in combination with the antiviral drug acyclovir and the insecticide imidacloprid on the freshwater crustacean Ceriodaphnia dubia. The study found that microplastics can act as carriers for other pollutants in a 'Trojan horse effect,' and that mixtures of these contaminants produced combined toxicity in this sensitive freshwater organism.

2022 Environmental Pollution 60 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Micro(nano)plastics as an emerging risk factor to the health of amphibian: A scientometric and systematic review

Only 12 studies have examined microplastic effects on amphibians, concentrated in Brazil and China and limited mostly to the Anura order; lab-tested concentrations were far from environmentally relevant levels, leaving significant knowledge gaps about mechanisms of toxicity in this vertebrate group.

2021 Chemosphere 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic neurotoxicity of clothianidin and photoaged microplastics in zebrafish: Implications for neuroendocrine disruption

This study found that photoaged (sun-weathered) microplastics absorb more of the insecticide clothianidin than fresh plastics, and the combination caused greater nerve damage in zebrafish larvae than either pollutant alone. The results demonstrate how weathered microplastics in the environment can amplify the toxicity of other chemicals they encounter, creating compound exposure risks for aquatic life and potentially for humans through the food chain.

2025 Environmental Pollution 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating Silymarin Extract as a Potent Antioxidant Supplement in Diazinon-Exposed Rainbow Trout: Oxidative Stress and Biochemical Parameter Analysis

This study tested whether silymarin, a natural antioxidant from milk thistle, could protect rainbow trout from liver damage caused by the pesticide diazinon. Silymarin successfully reduced oxidative stress and restored many blood markers to normal levels in the exposed fish. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because microplastics in water can carry pesticides like diazinon, and understanding protective compounds could help address the combined toxic effects of these pollutants on aquatic food sources.

2023 Toxics 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidative damage and decreased aerobic energy production due to ingestion of polyethylene microplastics by Chironomus riparius (Diptera) larvae

Researchers exposed Chironomus riparius larvae to three size classes of polyethylene microplastics and found that all sizes were ingested, causing oxidative damage and reduced aerobic energy production, with the smallest particles causing the greatest harm.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Histopathology of chironomids exposed to fly ash and microplastics as a new biomarker of ecotoxicological assessment

Researchers used histopathological analysis of chironomid larvae exposed to fly ash and microplastics as a novel ecotoxicological biomarker, finding distinct tissue damage patterns that could serve as early indicators of aquatic pollution.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium, herbicides commonly used on genetically modified crops, and their interaction with microplastics: Ecotoxicity in anuran tadpoles

Researchers studied the combined effects of glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium herbicides with polyethylene microplastics on frog tadpoles. They found that the presence of microplastics generally increased the toxicity of both herbicides, with computational analysis confirming spontaneous chemical interactions between the herbicides and polyethylene surfaces.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 78 citations