Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics on Growth and Toxin Production of Alexandrium pacificum

Researchers exposed the paralytic shellfish toxin-producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum to polystyrene microplastics and found that MP presence stimulated growth and increased toxin production per cell at certain concentrations, raising concerns about microplastics amplifying harmful algal bloom toxicity.

2021 Toxins 39 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effecting Mechanisms of 100 nm Sized Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Typical Coastal Alexandrium tamarense

Researchers examined the effects of 100-nanometer polystyrene nanoplastics on the harmful algal bloom species Alexandrium tamarense. They found that nanoplastic exposure inhibited algal growth and photosynthesis while increasing production of paralytic shellfish toxins and reactive oxygen species. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in coastal waters could worsen harmful algal bloom impacts by stressing toxin-producing algal species.

2024 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Unravelling the toxicity mechanisms of polystyrene nanoplastics on physiological and transcriptomic responses of the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum

Researchers exposed the toxic marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum to polystyrene nanoplastics at concentrations from 0.1 to 50 mg/L and measured physiological responses and toxin production. NP exposure inhibited growth and photosynthesis, altered gene expression, and changed the profile of paralytic shellfish toxins produced by the alga.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Uncovering the potential effect of microplastics on Alexandrium pacificum: From the perspective of cyst formation and toxin production

Microplastics were found to influence the growth and toxin production of Alexandrium (a harmful algal bloom species), with effects depending on plastic type and concentration. This raises concerns that microplastic pollution could alter the frequency or severity of harmful algal blooms in coastal waters.

2025 Marine Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics on the feeding behavior, oxidative stress, and accumulation of diarrhetic shellfish toxins in the mussel Mytilus unguiculatus

Polystyrene micro/nanoplastics altered feeding behavior and induced oxidative stress in mussels (Mytilus unguiculatus) and — critically — increased accumulation of diarrhetic shellfish toxins in mussel tissue, raising concerns about combined microplastic-algal toxin food safety risks.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Nitric oxide release as a defense mechanism in marine microalgae against microplastic-induced stress

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics affect nitric oxide release in two species of marine microalgae. They found that microplastic exposure disrupted photosynthesis and triggered the algae to release nitric oxide as a stress defense mechanism. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may alter fundamental biological signaling in marine phytoplankton, with potential cascading effects on ocean ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Pollution 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological and metabolic toxicity of polystyrene microplastics to Dunaliella salina

Researchers studied the physiological and metabolic effects of polystyrene microplastics on the marine microalga Dunaliella salina. They found that both pristine and aged microplastics inhibited growth, increased reactive oxygen species production by up to 2.2-fold, and caused significant membrane lipid damage. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the microplastics disrupted amino acid metabolism and energy transport pathways, ultimately inhibiting cell division.

2022 Environmental Pollution 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Concentration dependent toxicity of microplastics to marine microalgae

Researchers exposed the marine microalga Chlorella sp. to polystyrene microplastics at concentrations of 10 and 50 mg/L, finding that even low concentrations inhibited growth and disrupted photosynthesis, while higher concentrations caused more pronounced oxidative stress.

2025 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Effects of Nanoplastics on the Dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae Hulburt from the Perspectives of Algal Growth, Oxidative Stress and Hemolysin Production

Polystyrene nanoplastics at 50 nm diameter inhibited growth, reduced chlorophyll content, elevated reactive oxygen species, and enhanced hemolysin production in the marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae, suggesting that nanoplastic pollution could impair harmful algal bloom dynamics and broader marine food web function.

2021 Nanomaterials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Functionalized nanoplastics alter physiology and toxin production in Alexandrium pacificum through surface charge effects

Researchers tested how surface-modified nanoplastics affect the harmful algae species Alexandrium pacificum, which produces paralytic shellfish toxins. They found that amino-modified nanoplastics had greater bioavailability to the algae and altered the composition of toxins produced, while all nanoplastic types impaired photosynthesis and triggered oxidative stress. The study suggests that nanoplastic surface chemistry plays a critical role in determining how these particles interact with and affect marine microorganisms.

2026 Sustainable Horizons
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microplastics on growth, physiological traits of Microcystis aeruginosa and microcystin production and release

Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics of various sizes affect the growth and toxin production of the harmful algae Microcystis aeruginosa. They found that microplastics inhibited algal growth at low densities, with the smallest particles causing the greatest inhibition, and also disrupted the algae's antioxidant defense system. Notably, microplastic exposure led to a significant increase in the production of the toxin microcystin-LR, raising concerns about how microplastic pollution could worsen harmful algal blooms.

2025 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of two sized polystyrene nanoplastics on the growth, physiological functions, and toxin production of Alexandrium tamarense

Polystyrene nanoplastics at two size ranges were found to inhibit growth and alter physiological functions of the harmful algal bloom dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense, with larger particles having stronger effects on toxin production and smaller particles causing more pronounced growth inhibition.

2021 Chemosphere 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse effects of microplastics on the growth, photosynthesis, and astaxanthin synthesis of Haematococcus pluvialis

Researchers exposed the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis to polystyrene microplastics and found that while short-term contact briefly stimulated growth, longer exposure inhibited photosynthesis, caused oxidative stress, and impaired the organism's ability to produce astaxanthin, a valuable natural antioxidant. The findings highlight how microplastic pollution could disrupt both aquatic ecosystems and the commercial production of beneficial compounds from algae.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Do microplastics induce oxidative stress in marine invertebrates?

This review examined whether marine invertebrates exposed to microplastics show evidence of oxidative stress — a common cellular response to toxic injury — finding support for this effect across multiple species and polymer types. Oxidative stress is a key mechanism by which microplastics may harm marine organisms.

2018 Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung (Alfred-Wegener-Institut) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics promote microcystin synthesis and release from cyanobacterial Microcystis aeruginosa.

Researchers showed that amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NH2) stimulate microcystin synthesis and release in the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa by inhibiting photosystem II and increasing membrane permeability. This is the first direct evidence linking nanoplastics to enhanced cyanotoxin production in freshwater blooms.

2025 Figshare
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Evaluating physiological responses of microalgae towards environmentally coexisting microplastics: A meta-analysis

A meta-analysis of 52 studies found that microplastics inhibit microalgal growth and photosynthesis and induce oxidative damage, though microalgae can recover over time. Cyanobacteria are more vulnerable than green algae, and the relative size of microplastics to algal cells governs the mechanism of impact, while aged versus pristine microplastics have opposite effects on extracellular polymeric substance and microcystin production.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Promote Microcystin Synthesis and Release from Cyanobacterial Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers discovered that amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics promote both the production and release of microcystin, a harmful toxin, from the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. The nanoplastics inhibited photosynthesis, induced oxidative stress, and damaged cell membranes, which enhanced toxin synthesis and extracellular release. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems could worsen the threat of harmful algal blooms to aquatic ecology and human health.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 232 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nano-plastics and microalgae in aquatic environment: Influence factor, interaction, and molecular mechanisms.

This review examined the interactions between micro/nanoplastics and microalgae in aquatic environments, summarizing how plastic particle size, surface chemistry, and co-pollutants influence algal toxicity through oxidative stress, photosynthesis inhibition, and gene expression changes.

2024 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on growth and hemolysin production of microalgae Karlodinium veneficum

Researchers exposed the harmful algal bloom species Karlodinium veneficum to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that high concentrations significantly inhibited algal growth and caused oxidative damage to cells. The nanoplastics disrupted cell morphology and weakened photosynthesis and energy metabolism in the algae. Notably, while growth was suppressed, the algae produced more hemolysin toxin, suggesting nanoplastic pollution could make harmful algal blooms more toxic.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidative stress and energy metabolic response of Isochrysis galbana induced by different types of pristine and aging microplastics and their leachates

Researchers compared how different types of pristine and aged microplastics affect a marine microalga used in aquaculture. Aged microplastics were more toxic than fresh ones, and the chemical compounds they released into the water caused greater oxidative stress and energy disruption in algal cells. The study suggests that as microplastics weather in the environment, they may become more harmful to the base of the marine food chain.

2023 Chemosphere 17 citations