Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The effects of nano- and microplastic ingestion on the survivorship and reproduction of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Researchers studied how nano- and microplastic ingestion affects survivorship and reproduction in small invertebrates, finding that exposure reduced reproductive output and survival rates in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that even environmentally relevant concentrations of plastic particles can impair fitness in aquatic invertebrates.

2024 Environmental Entomology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics on the menu; exploring interactions between two mosquitoes species and microplastics

Researchers exposed larvae of two mosquito species with contrasting feeding ecologies (Anopheles gambiae and Aedes albopictus) to varying concentrations, sizes, and densities of polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics, finding that ingestion risk was primarily determined by particle size rather than larval ecology, and that microplastics affected survival only in An. gambiae adults at the highest concentration, with no physical or chemical alteration of microplastics detected post-digestion.

2024 ORBi UMONS
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution differentially affects development of disease-vectoring Aedes and Culex mosquitoes

Researchers tested how polyethylene microplastics affect the development and survival of two disease-carrying mosquito species, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus. They found that microplastic exposure had different effects on each species, with Culex showing increased development time while Aedes was relatively unaffected. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in aquatic habitats may alter mosquito population dynamics, with potential implications for disease transmission.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Tracking micro- and nanoplastics in Aedes albopictus: From ingestion to metabolic disruption

Researchers tracked the fate of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus from larval ingestion through adult development. They found that ingested particles crossed the gut barrier, persisted in tissues, and were retained through metamorphosis, while causing reduced body weight and significant metabolic disruptions. The study suggests that plastic pollution may affect mosquito biology through endocrine disruption and altered energy metabolism pathways.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion perturbs the microbiome of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti

Researchers exposed Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito larvae to polystyrene microplastics and found that ingestion altered adult emergence rates, caused gut tissue damage, and disrupted the gut microbiome, demonstrating that microplastic contamination can impair mosquito development.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 3 citations
Review Tier 2

Ontogenetic transfer of microplastics and nanoplastics in mosquitoes: a scoping review of environmental and health implications

This scoping review examines the role of mosquitoes as vectors for transferring microplastics and nanoplastics from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems through their life cycle. Researchers found evidence that mosquito larvae ingest micro- and nanoplastics in water, which are retained through metamorphosis and carried into terrestrial environments by adult mosquitoes. The study highlights an underappreciated pathway for microplastic dispersal and raises questions about potential implications for organisms that feed on mosquitoes.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Can microplastic contamination affect the wing morphology and wingbeat frequency of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes?

Researchers tested whether polyethylene microplastic exposure during larval development affects wing morphology and wingbeat frequency in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a species relevant to disease transmission. They found that while larval survival was unaffected, female mosquitoes reared in microplastic-contaminated water had smaller wings, and male mosquitoes showed altered wingbeat frequency and wing morphology. The study suggests that microplastic pollution could have sex-specific effects on mosquito traits related to their capacity as disease vectors.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Female mosquito-a potential vector for transporting plastic residues to humans

Researchers found that mosquito larvae accumulate microplastics from sewage environments and retain them through metamorphosis into adult females, suggesting that mosquitoes could serve as vectors for transporting plastic residues to humans through biting.

2022 Chemosphere 21 citations
Article Tier 2

A perspective on the impacts of microplastics on mosquito biology and their vectorial capacity

This perspective paper explored how microplastic pollution in aquatic environments could affect mosquito biology and their ability to transmit diseases. Researchers suggest that microplastics in the water where mosquito larvae develop could influence their growth, survival, and potentially their capacity to carry pathogens, representing an understudied intersection between plastic pollution and public health.

2024 Medical and Veterinary Entomology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Ontogenetic Transfer of Microplastics in Bloodsucking Mosquitoes Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) Is a Potential Pathway for Particle Distribution in the Environment

Researchers demonstrated that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can transfer microplastics across life stages from larvae through pupae to flying adults, identifying bloodsucking mosquitoes as a potential pathway for distributing plastic particles through the environment.

2022 Water 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene microplastic ingestion on development, adult fitness, and reproductive success of Culex quinquefasciatus and Anopheles quadrimaculatus

Researchers fed polystyrene microplastics to Drosophila melanogaster and measured effects on larval development, adult fitness, and reproductive success across generations, finding that MP ingestion impaired multiple fitness traits and that some effects persisted into subsequent generations.

2025 Journal of the Florida Mosquito Control Association
Article Tier 2

No Effect of Realistic Microplastic Exposure on Growth and Development of Wild-caught Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes

Researchers exposed wild-caught Culex mosquito larvae to polystyrene microplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations. The study found no significant effects on body size, development time, or growth rate in either species tested, suggesting that microplastic levels typically found in nature may have minimal impact on these fitness-related traits in mosquitoes.

2023 Journal of Medical Entomology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion perturbs the microbiome of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Aedes aegypti

Researchers fed mosquito larvae polystyrene microplastics and found the particles accumulated in their guts, caused physical damage, and disrupted both bacterial and fungal communities in their bodies. The microplastics persisted through the larval stage into adulthood and were shed in adult feces. While focused on mosquitoes, this study shows how microplastics can alter the microbiome of insects that interact closely with humans and spread disease.

2023 Journal of Medical Entomology 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the physiology of living organisms on the example of laboratory reared bloodsucking mosquitoes Aedes aegypti L.

Researchers studied the effects of three types of microplastics on mosquito larvae and found that even at low concentrations, the particles suppressed immune responses and reduced the activity of protective enzymes. While survival rates were unaffected, the microplastics disrupted key biological processes including defensive enzyme function and immune response. The study suggests that microplastic exposure could make disease-carrying mosquitoes more vulnerable to other stressors, with unpredictable ecological consequences.

2024 Physiological Entomology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Examining effects of ontogenic microplastic transference on Culex mosquito mortality and adult weight

Culex mosquito larvae were exposed to polystyrene microplastics at different sizes (2 μm and 15 μm) and concentrations, with MP ingestion confirmed and ontogenic transference of particles from aquatic larvae to terrestrial adults demonstrated, though no significant effects on adult mortality or weight were found. The study provides the first evidence of microplastic transfer across the aquatic-to-terrestrial life stage boundary in a common insect vector.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 108 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Effects of Nano- and Microplastics, Perfluorooctane Sulfonic Acid (pfos), and Temperature on the Development of Aedes Albopictus

This thesis found that nano- and microplastics and the PFAS chemical PFOS interact with temperature to affect development, sex ratio, and mortality of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, with the smallest nanoplastic particles (0.2 μm) being the most developmentally disruptive and combined exposures producing complex interactive effects.

2025 DigitalCommons - Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw State University)
Article Tier 2

Interactions between microplastics and Culex sp. larvae in wastewater

Researchers studied the interaction between microplastics and mosquito larvae in Egyptian wastewater treatment plants, finding that the larvae actively ingest plastic particles. They documented seasonal variation in microplastic abundance at the treatment facilities and showed that contaminated larvae could transfer plastics to adult mosquitoes. The study highlights an overlooked pathway by which microplastics in wastewater can spread into terrestrial ecosystems through flying insects.

2024 Water Environment Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of microplastics found in mosquito oviposition habitats

Researchers found microplastics in 36 potential mosquito breeding sites in Texas, with higher concentrations in artificial containers and tires than in natural water bodies. Fragments and fibers were the most common forms, and scanning electron microscopy revealed microbial biofilms forming on the plastic surfaces. This study raises a novel concern: microplastic pollution in standing water may interact with mosquito biology and breeding, potentially affecting disease transmission dynamics.

2024 Journal of Vector Ecology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion of micro- and nanoplastics in Daphnia magna – Quantification of body burdens and assessment of feeding rates and reproduction

Researchers used a quantitative approach to measure how the water flea Daphnia magna ingests and excretes micro- and nanoplastic particles of different sizes. They found that larger 2-micrometer particles were ingested in greater mass than 100-nanometer particles, and that complete excretion did not occur within 24 hours. Chronic exposure reduced feeding rates and reproduction, suggesting that ongoing microplastic exposure could have meaningful ecological consequences for these important freshwater organisms.

2017 Environmental Pollution 536 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics modulate the outcome of a zooplankton–microparasite interaction

Researchers found that nanoplastics can alter the outcome of zooplankton-microparasite interactions, demonstrating that plastic pollution at the nanoscale may disrupt host-parasite dynamics in freshwater ecosystems with cascading ecological effects.

2023 Freshwater Biology 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on host–parasite interactions in aquatic environments

Researchers reviewed how microplastics and nanoplastics affect the interactions between parasites and their hosts in aquatic environments. Evidence indicates that plastic particles can influence infection rates, parasite transmission, and host immune responses, though the effects vary widely depending on the species and type of plastic involved.

2024 Oecologia 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Ontogenetic transfer of microplastics in natural populations of malaria mosquitoes in Western Siberia

Researchers studied how malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Western Siberia take up microplastics during their aquatic larval stage and carry them through metamorphosis into adulthood. Larvae accumulated millions of polystyrene particles within days, but the number dropped dramatically during each life stage transition, with only a few particles remaining in adult mosquitoes. The study confirms that flying insects can transfer waterborne microplastic pollution into terrestrial environments.

2024 Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter toxicity of the insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis to chironomid larvae in different ways depending on particle size

Researchers tested the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and the biological insecticide Bti on aquatic midge larvae over 21 days. They found that while microplastics alone did not affect larval survival, they modified the toxicity of Bti in a size-dependent manner, with smaller particles reducing Bti toxicity and larger particles increasing it. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in freshwater ecosystems could alter the effectiveness of biological pest control agents.

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

Polyethylene microplastics are ingested and induce biochemical changes in Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae) freshwater insect larvae

Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito larvae were exposed to polyethylene microplastics to evaluate toxicity and biochemical effects at early developmental stages. The larvae ingested the microplastics and showed altered biochemical markers, indicating that plastic particles can affect insect physiology during larval development.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental contamination 48 citations