Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polystyrene microbeads and benzo[α]pyrene on bioaccumulation, antioxidant response, and cell damage in goldfish Carassius auratus

Researchers exposed goldfish to polystyrene microbeads and benzo[a]pyrene, both individually and in combination, to assess their toxic effects over 120 hours. They found that combined exposure significantly increased oxidative stress, liver damage, and cell death compared to single-compound exposure. The study suggests that microplastics can act as carriers for harmful chemicals, amplifying their toxic impact on aquatic organisms.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Individual and combined effects of microplastics and diphenyl phthalate as plastic additives on male goldfish: A biochemical and physiological investigation

Male goldfish exposed to both microplastics and the plasticizer chemical DPP (diphenyl phthalate) together showed significant liver damage, disrupted fat and sugar metabolism, and hormonal imbalances including decreased testosterone and increased estrogen. The combined exposure was more harmful than either pollutant alone, demonstrating how microplastics and their chemical additives can work together to disrupt the endocrine system.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and cadmium on oxidative stress, apoptosis, and GH/IGF axis in zebrafish early life stages

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene microplastics and cadmium, both alone and together, and found that the combination caused significantly worse effects than either pollutant individually. Co-exposure amplified oxidative stress, increased cell death in the spine and esophagus, and disrupted growth hormone pathways more severely than single exposures. The findings suggest that microplastics and heavy metals in waterways may interact to create heightened risks for developing fish.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of microplastics and benzo[a]pyrene on Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer growth and expression of functional genes

Researchers exposed juvenile Asian sea bass to polyethylene microplastics and the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene, both individually and in combination, over 56 days. They found that co-exposure caused more severe effects on growth and gene expression related to immune function and stress response than either contaminant alone. The study highlights that microplastics may worsen the toxic effects of chemical pollutants already present in marine environments.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effects of polystyrene microplastics and 17α-methyltestosterone on immune and oxidative stress responses in the gill and liver of Gobiocypris rarus

Researchers investigated the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and the synthetic hormone 17-alpha-methyltestosterone on the gills and liver of rare minnows. The study found that co-exposure caused the most severe tissue damage, with significant upregulation of immune and oxidative stress genes and disrupted antioxidant enzyme activities, suggesting synergistic toxicity between these two pollutants.

2026 Fish & Shellfish Immunology
Article Tier 2

In vitro impacts of polystyrene microplastics and environmental pollutants on ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase and glutathione S-transferase activity in Mossambica tilapia

This in vitro study examined how polystyrene microplastics interact with environmental pollutants to affect endocrine function, finding that combined exposures produce different hormonal disruption outcomes than individual pollutants alone.

2024 Toxicology in Vitro 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects of microplastics and phenanthrene to zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics, the pollutant phenanthrene, and a combination of both to assess their toxicity over 24 days. They found that co-exposure amplified oxidative stress, suppressed immune gene expression, and significantly disrupted the gut microbiome compared to either contaminant alone. The study suggests that microplastics can worsen the toxic effects of organic pollutants in aquatic organisms by altering how chemicals accumulate and interact in the body.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 190 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to different sized polystyrene microplastics and benzo[a]pyrene affected inflammation in zebrafish andbronchial-associated cells

Researchers found that co-exposure to different sizes of polystyrene microplastics together with the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene produced greater toxic effects in aquatic organisms than either pollutant alone. The study highlights the importance of studying microplastic interactions with other contaminants rather than treating them as isolated stressors.

2020 Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined effects of microplastics and cadmium on juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus)

Researchers found that combined exposure to polystyrene microplastics and cadmium in juvenile grass carp caused greater physiological stress than either pollutant alone, with microplastics enhancing cadmium accumulation and intensifying oxidative stress and immune responses.

2022 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 22 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of combined exposure to triphenyltin and microplastics on the oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and digestive function of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Exposing common carp to triphenyltin and microplastics individually and in combination found that combined exposure caused greater oxidative stress, disrupted energy metabolism more severely, and more strongly impaired digestive enzyme activity than either pollutant alone.

2025 Frontiers in Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Long-term effects of individual and combined exposure to microplastics and copper in zebrafish hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis – A multi-biomarker evaluation

This study exposed zebrafish to microplastics, copper, and both combined for 30 days and examined effects on their reproductive system. The combination of microplastics and copper caused greater hormonal disruption and oxidative stress than either pollutant alone, affecting genes that control reproduction in both male and female fish. These findings suggest that microplastics interacting with metal pollution in waterways could compound reproductive harm in aquatic organisms and potentially in humans who consume contaminated fish.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of combined exposure to 17α-methyltestosterone and polystyrene microplastics on lipid metabolism and the nervous system in Danio rerio

Researchers exposed zebrafish to a combination of polystyrene microplastics and a synthetic androgen and found significant disruptions to lipid metabolism in the liver and neural function in the brain. The co-exposure caused fatty degeneration of liver cells and altered key signaling pathways involved in nerve communication. The study highlights the compounded risks that arise when aquatic organisms encounter multiple pollutants simultaneously.

2024 The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of co-exposure to microcystin-LR and polystyrene microplastics on growth, brain pathology and thyroid hormone homeostasis in adult zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to microcystin-LR (a toxin from algal blooms) combined with polystyrene microplastics and found that the combination caused significantly worse brain damage and thyroid hormone disruption than either pollutant alone. The microplastics appeared to overwhelm the fish's ability to compensate for the algal toxin, leading to hormone imbalances that could affect growth and development. This is concerning because algal blooms and microplastics frequently occur together in polluted waterways, and their combined effects on the hormone system may be worse than expected.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 8 citations
Article Tier 2

The synergetic effects of 4-nonylphenol and polyethylene microplastics in Cyprinus carpio juveniles using blood biomarkers

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics and the endocrine disruptor 4-nonylphenol produce synergistic toxic effects in juvenile carp, with combined exposure causing greater disruption to blood biomarkers than either contaminant alone.

2023 Scientific Reports 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic Effect of Combined Exposure of Microplastics and Copper on Goldfish (Carassius auratus): Insight from Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Apoptosis and Autophagy in Hepatopancreas and Intestine

Researchers found that combined exposure to microplastics and copper in goldfish significantly enhanced copper accumulation and tissue damage in the hepatopancreas and intestine, triggering oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy beyond the effects of either pollutant alone.

2022 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics and benzo[a]pyrene in rat: Study of the oxidative stress effects in the liver

Researchers exposed rats to polystyrene microplastics and the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene, both individually and in combination, to study oxidative stress in liver tissue. The combined exposure caused significantly more liver damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that microplastics may amplify the harmful effects of environmental carcinogens when both are ingested together.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of combined exposure to polystyrene microplastics and 17α-Methyltestosterone on the reproductive system of zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics combined with a synthetic hormone (17-alpha-methyltestosterone) and found that the combination caused more severe reproductive damage than either substance alone. The co-exposure reduced mature egg and sperm production, disrupted hormone-related gene expression, and lowered reproductive hormone levels. This suggests that microplastics can make the effects of hormone-disrupting chemicals in the environment worse, which is concerning for both wildlife and human reproductive health.

2023 Theriogenology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics enhance the microcystin-LR-induced gonadal damage and reproductive endocrine disruption in zebrafish

Zebrafish exposed to polystyrene microplastics along with microcystin-LR (a common toxin from algae blooms) suffered worse reproductive damage than when exposed to either pollutant alone. The microplastics acted as carriers that increased the amount of toxin accumulating in the fish's reproductive organs. This study demonstrates that microplastics can worsen the effects of other water pollutants by helping toxic chemicals build up in the body.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Immunoendocrine response to individual or combined exposure of polystyrene nanoplastics and elevated salinity on gilthead seabream

Researchers exposed juvenile gilthead seabream to polystyrene nanoplastics and elevated salinity — individually and in combination — finding tissue-specific immune and endocrine disruption, with the intestine most affected and combined stressor exposure producing substantially stronger responses than either stressor alone.

2026 Frontiers in Endocrinology
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics modulate the toxic effects of bisphenol A in the early stages of zebrafish development

This study investigated whether polystyrene microplastics affect the toxicity of bisphenol A (BPA) during zebrafish embryo development by co-exposing fish to both contaminants. The PS microplastics modulated BPA toxicity in complex ways—in some developmental endpoints amplifying harm, in others providing partial protection—underscoring the unpredictability of combined plastic-chemical exposures.

2025 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology
Article Tier 2

Synergistic endocrine disruption and cellular toxicity of polyethylene microplastics and bisphenol A in MLTC-1 cells and zebrafish

When zebrafish and testicular cells were exposed to polyethylene microplastics and the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) together, the combination caused significantly worse reproductive harm than either pollutant alone, including reduced cell survival and disrupted hormone-producing gene activity. This matters because people are commonly exposed to both microplastics and BPA through food packaging, and their combined effect on reproductive health may be greater than expected.

2025 Scientific Reports 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Detrimental effects of individual versus combined exposure to tetrabromobisphenol A and polystyrene nanoplastics in fish cell lines

Researchers tested how combined exposure to the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A and polystyrene nanoparticles affects freshwater fish cells. They found that co-exposure to even low concentrations of both pollutants caused subtle changes in cell viability and generated oxidative DNA damage. The study suggests that the interaction between nanoplastics and chemical pollutants in aquatic environments may pose compounding risks to fish health.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics enhance microcystin-LR-induced cardiovascular toxicity and oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos

Zebrafish embryos exposed to both microplastics and microcystin-LR (a toxin produced by algal blooms) developed significantly worse heart and blood vessel damage than those exposed to the toxin alone. The microplastics amplified oxidative stress and cell death, suggesting that in polluted waterways where both contaminants coexist, the combined health risks may be greater than either one individually.

2024 Environmental Pollution 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Joint effects of micro-sized polystyrene and chlorpyrifos on zebrafish based on multiple endpoints and gut microbial effects

Researchers found that micro-sized polystyrene particles accumulated in zebrafish gut and liver, causing oxidative stress and gut microbiome disruption, and that co-exposure with chlorpyrifos pesticide amplified toxic effects at the individual level.

2022 Journal of Environmental Sciences 38 citations