Papers

61,005 results
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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

Microplastic ingestion decreases energy reserves in marine worms

Researchers exposed marine worms to microplastics and found that ingestion reduced the worms' energy reserves, demonstrating that microplastic ingestion imposes a measurable energetic cost that could affect growth, reproduction, and survival.

2013 Current Biology 1056 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on key reproductive and biochemical endpoints of the freshwater microcrustacean Daphnia magna

Researchers studied how microplastics affect reproduction and biochemistry in the freshwater water flea Daphnia magna, a widely used indicator species. They found that microplastic exposure led to changes in reproductive output and altered key biochemical markers in these small crustaceans. The study suggests that even tiny plastic particles can disrupt important biological functions in freshwater organisms that form the base of aquatic food webs.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics exposure modulated the content and the profile of fatty acids in the Cladoceran Daphnia magna

Researchers exposed Daphnia magna to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found that fatty acid content and composition were significantly altered. The changes suggest microplastics interfere with energy allocation in this freshwater crustacean, with effects varying by particle size and concentration.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Consumption and Impacts of Water-Borne Polypropylene Microplastics on Daphnia Similis

This study exposed water fleas (Daphnia similis) to polypropylene microplastics and found that the particles accumulated in their digestive tracts and disrupted biochemical processes. Polypropylene is one of the most common plastics in consumer packaging, making it a major contributor to microplastic pollution in aquatic environments. Daphnia are a key link in aquatic food chains, so their disruption could affect fish and other wildlife that consume them.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics affect assimilation efficiency in the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum

Researchers examined how two types of microplastics affect the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum. The study found that microplastic exposure reduced assimilation efficiency in these invertebrates, indicating that microplastic ingestion can interfere with nutrient uptake and energy processing in freshwater organisms.

2016 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 234 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/Nanoplastics Alter Daphnia magna Life History by Disrupting Glucose Metabolism and Intestinal Structure

Micro- and nanoplastics disrupted the life history of Daphnia magna (water fleas) by interfering with hormonal signaling pathways. These findings demonstrate that plastic particles can act as endocrine disruptors in aquatic invertebrates, with potential cascading effects on freshwater food webs.

2025 Sustainability 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Evidence that microplastics at environmentally relevant concentration and size interfere with energy metabolism of microalgal community

In a community of three algae species, environmentally realistic concentrations of micron-sized microplastics reduced sugar production and increased energy consumption in the cells. The microplastics interfered with algal movement, nutrient absorption, and caused lasting oxidative stress and DNA damage. Since algae are the foundation of aquatic food chains, this disruption at realistic pollution levels could ripple through ecosystems that ultimately affect human food sources.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene microplastics on Daphnia magna mortality and reproduction in relation to food availability

Researchers exposed the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna to polystyrene microplastics under varying food availability conditions and found that microplastic impacts on mortality and reproduction were most severe when food was limited. The study suggests that the ecological effects of microplastics on zooplankton are strongly influenced by nutritional status, with food-stressed organisms being more vulnerable to particle ingestion.

2018 PeerJ 160 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effects of Natural and Anthropogenic Microparticles on Individual Fitness in Daphnia magna

Researchers compared the effects of natural and anthropogenic microparticles on the fitness of the water flea Daphnia magna. The study found that both primary microplastics from cosmetic products and secondary microplastics from degraded plastic waste can have detrimental effects on zooplankton feeding and fitness, with particle shape and weathering influencing toxicity.

2016 PLoS ONE 463 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Polystyrene Microplastics in Different Diet Combinations on Survival, Growth and Reproduction Rates of the Water Flea (Daphnia magna)

Researchers exposed Daphnia magna water fleas to 6-micrometer fluorescent polystyrene microplastics across different diet combinations over 21 days, finding that animals fed only microplastics showed survival declines similar to starved controls and the least growth, while algae co-feeding partially mitigated but did not eliminate reproductive impacts.

2022 Microplastics 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Reproduction and Growth of Freshwater Live Feeds Daphnia magna

Researchers found that microplastic exposure negatively affected reproduction and juvenile growth in Daphnia magna, a key freshwater zooplankton species, with effects worsening at higher concentrations and posing risks for aquatic food chains.

2022 Fishes 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Uncovering the Hidden Dangers of Microplastic Pollution in Lake Ecosystems: Effects of Ingestion on Talitrid Amphipods

Researchers demonstrated that talitrid amphipods from Lake Albano readily ingested multiple polymer types delivered through food tablets, and within 24 hours the microplastics disrupted energy metabolism by altering glucose, glycogen, and lipid levels in the organisms.

2023 Environments 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion and impacts of water-borne polypropylene microplastics on Daphnia similis

Researchers found that acute exposure to polypropylene microplastics caused immobility in Daphnia similis, increased reactive oxygen species production, elevated antioxidant enzyme activity, and decreased neurotransmitter function.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Metabolomics reveals the mechanism of polyethylene microplastic toxicity to Daphnia magna

Using metabolomics and traditional toxicology, researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics of different sizes affect the water flea Daphnia magna. The study found that microplastic exposure disrupted amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and energy pathways, with smaller particles generally causing more pronounced metabolic disturbances.

2022 Chemosphere 56 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Microplastics on the Bioenergetics of the Mussel Mytilus coruscus Assessed by Cellular Energy Allocation Approach

Researchers studied the effects of polystyrene microplastics on the energy budget of mussels using a cellular energy allocation approach. They found that higher concentrations of microplastics increased energy demands while depleting carbohydrate, lipid, and protein stores, with lipid and protein levels failing to fully recover even after the microplastics were removed.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Energy metabolism response induced by microplastic for marine dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi

Researchers examined how different sizes and types of plastic particles affect the energy metabolism of the marine dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi. The study found that smaller polystyrene particles caused greater damage to cell membrane potential, increased polysaccharide content, and weakened ATPase activity, indicating that nano-scale plastics have a more pronounced impact on cellular energy metabolism than larger microplastics.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics alter the behavior, energy reserve and nutritional composition of marine jacopever (Sebastes schlegelii)

Researchers exposed juvenile jacopever fish to polystyrene microplastics and observed significant changes in feeding behavior, swimming activity, and energy reserves. The fish took longer to find food, moved less, and showed reduced levels of stored energy and altered nutritional composition in their tissues. The study suggests that microplastic exposure can impair the basic survival behaviors and overall fitness of marine fish.

2018 Journal of Hazardous Materials 454 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of microplastics on the speed, mortality rate, and swimming patterns of Daphnia Magna

This study compared how polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics affect the swimming speed, mortality, and movement patterns of Daphnia magna water fleas, finding both plastics caused behavioral changes. Daphnia are key animals in freshwater food webs, and microplastic-induced behavioral impairment could affect their role in aquatic ecosystems.

2021 Journal of Emerging Investigators 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene in the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis: Size-dependent acute toxicity, ingestion, egestion, and antioxidant response

Researchers investigated the effects of different-sized polystyrene beads on the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis, examining ingestion, tissue distribution, and antioxidant responses. While none of the particle sizes caused mortality, the smallest nano-sized beads (0.05 micrometers) were widely distributed throughout the body including embryos and induced lipid damage. The findings suggest that smaller microplastics penetrate deeper into tissues and cause greater oxidative stress than larger particles.

2021 Aquatic Toxicology 50 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of expanded polystyrene particle on energy metabolism of the sea slater (Ligia cinerascens) originating from a highly EPS-polluted area

Researchers studied how dietary exposure to expanded polystyrene particles affects energy metabolism in juvenile sea slaters from a heavily polluted Korean coastal area. While body weight and molting were unaffected, the study found that EPS exposure significantly reduced energy reserves including carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, suggesting that even sub-lethal microplastic exposure can compromise the energy status of coastal organisms.

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

The influence of microplastics pollution on the feeding behavior of a prominent sandy beach amphipod, Orchestoidea tuberculata (Nicolet, 1849)

Microplastic pollution was found to reduce feeding activity and slow growth in a beach amphipod (small crustacean), even at environmentally relevant concentrations. This suggests microplastics can disrupt energy balance and population health in small invertebrates that play important roles in sandy beach ecosystems.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter digestive enzyme activities in the marine bivalve, Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers incubated Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) with polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics and measured changes in digestive enzyme activity, finding significant reductions in amylase and protease activity, suggesting that microplastics impair nutrient digestion in filter-feeding bivalves.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 125 citations
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