Papers

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Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics alleviate the developmental toxicity of silver nanoparticles in embryo-larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) at the transcriptomic level

In a surprising finding, researchers discovered that when zebrafish embryos were exposed to both silver nanoparticles and polystyrene microplastics together, the microplastics actually reduced the toxic effects of the silver nanoparticles. The study suggests that microplastics may interact with other pollutants in complex ways, sometimes lessening rather than amplifying their harmful impacts on developing organisms.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics and their effect on the toxicity of Au ions in zebrafish embryos

Researchers studied the bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics in zebrafish embryos and their interaction with gold ions. They found that smaller nanoplastics readily penetrated the embryo's protective membrane and accumulated in lipid-rich regions, particularly the yolk. While nanoplastics alone caused only marginal toxic effects, their presence synergistically amplified the toxicity of gold ions through increased oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, suggesting that nanoplastics may worsen the harmful effects of co-occurring environmental contaminants.

2018 Nanoscale 329 citations
Article Tier 2

The Role of Synthetic Polymers in the Aquatic Environment and Its Implications in Danio Rerio as a Model Organism

Exposing zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics combined with silver nanoparticles caused significantly more oxidative damage, tissue injury in gills and intestines, and higher mortality than either contaminant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics can act as carriers that enhance the toxicity of co-pollutants like silver nanoparticles, a combination effect that is highly relevant to understanding real-world aquatic contamination where multiple pollutants co-occur.

2023 Apple Academic Press eBooks
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and polybrominated diphenyl ethers to zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers investigated the individual and combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the flame retardant BDE-47 on zebrafish embryos. They found that co-exposure worsened developmental deformities including pericardial and yolk sac edema, and disrupted gene expression related to detoxification and antioxidant defense. The study suggests that nanoplastics can act as carriers for persistent organic pollutants, amplifying their harmful effects on aquatic organisms.

2022 Fish & Shellfish Immunology 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics enhance the toxicological effects of DDE in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics enhanced the toxicity of the pesticide metabolite DDE in zebrafish larvae, with co-exposure causing greater developmental abnormalities and oxidative stress than either pollutant alone.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of co-exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and arsenic in zebrafish (Danio rerio): Oxidative stress, physiological and biochemical responses

In a zebrafish study, polystyrene nanoplastics made arsenic more toxic by helping the poison build up in the liver, gills, and intestines. The nanoplastics increased cell damage and oxidative stress beyond what arsenic alone would cause. This shows that nanoplastics can act as carriers for other toxic substances in water, potentially making environmental pollutants more dangerous to aquatic life and the food chain.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of nanoplastics on the toxicity of the herbicide phenmedipham, using Danio rerio embryos as model organisms

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics altered the toxicity of the herbicide phenmedipham to zebrafish embryos, with combined exposure producing different developmental effects than either contaminant alone, suggesting nanoplastics can modify pesticide bioavailability.

2022 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse effects of polystyrene nanoplastic and its binary mixtures with nonylphenol on zebrafish nervous system: From oxidative stress to impaired neurotransmitter system

Researchers investigated the individual and combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the industrial chemical nonylphenol on the zebrafish nervous system over 45 days. Both substances induced oxidative stress and disrupted neurotransmitter systems, with combined exposure generally producing more severe effects on glutamate metabolism and brain tissue damage. The study suggests that the interaction between nanoplastics and co-occurring environmental pollutants can amplify neurotoxic effects in fish.

2022 Environmental Pollution 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Neurological Outcomes of Joint Exposure to Polystyrene Micro/Nanospheres and Silver Nanoparticles in Zebrafish

This zebrafish study found that tiny nanoplastics made the brain-damaging effects of silver nanoparticles worse, while larger microplastics had less of an impact. The findings suggest that when nanoplastics combine with other common pollutants, they may create greater risks to the nervous system than either pollutant alone.

2025 Environmental Health Perspectives 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure of polystyrene nanoplastics and silver nanoparticles exacerbating hepatotoxicity in zebrafish mediated by ferroptosis pathway through increased silver accumulation

When zebrafish were exposed to both polystyrene nanoplastics and silver nanoparticles together, the liver damage was significantly worse than from silver alone because the nanoplastics helped more silver accumulate in the body. The combined exposure triggered a specific type of cell death called ferroptosis in liver tissue, suggesting that nanoplastics can make other environmental pollutants more toxic.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Developmental toxicity and mechanism of polychlorinated biphenyls 126 and nano-polystyrene combined exposure to zebrafish larvae

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to a combination of a toxic industrial chemical (PCB126) and nanoplastics and found that the mixture caused more severe developmental problems than either pollutant alone. The nanoplastics appeared to increase the absorption and toxic effects of PCB126, leading to greater heart defects and developmental abnormalities. The study suggests that nanoplastics may worsen the impact of existing chemical pollutants on aquatic life.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics cause developmental abnormalities, oxidative damage and immune toxicity in early zebrafish development

Zebrafish embryos exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics showed dose-dependent developmental problems including delayed hatching, reduced survival, smaller body size, and the nanoplastics accumulated in critical organs like the eyes, heart, liver, and brain. The particles triggered oxidative stress that damaged cells and activated inflammatory immune responses, demonstrating how nanoplastic contamination in water can cause widespread harm to developing organisms.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 11 citations
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

Polystyrene nanoplastics aggravated ecotoxicological effects of polychlorinated biphenyls in on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls, banned industrial chemicals that persist in the environment) and found that nanoplastics significantly worsened PCB toxicity — amplifying damage to bone and heart development and suppressing the genes that normally help detoxify harmful chemicals. The nanoplastics also accumulated in the liver, intestine, and gills of zebrafish rather than being excreted, raising serious concerns about the ecological risks of rising nanoplastic levels in aquatic environments.

2022 Geoscience Frontiers 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics synergistically exacerbate diclofenac toxicity in embryonic development and the health of adult zebrafish

When zebrafish embryos and adults were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics combined with the common pain medication diclofenac, the mixture was significantly more harmful than either substance alone. The combination reduced hatching rates, increased mortality, caused developmental abnormalities, and triggered intestinal inflammation in adult fish. This finding is concerning because nanoplastics and pharmaceutical residues frequently coexist in waterways, and their combined effects on aquatic life could be worse than what studies of individual pollutants suggest.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

The Trojan horse effect of nanoplastics exacerbates methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity during zebrafish development

This zebrafish study showed that 250 nm polystyrene nanoplastics can act as a Trojan horse by enhancing methylmercury accumulation and directing it toward the head and eyes of larvae over 30 days. Combined exposure worsened behavioral impairment and developmental defects beyond what either contaminant caused alone.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure to nanoplastics and metal oxide nanoparticles inhibits efflux pumps and causes oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos

Researchers found that combined exposure to nanoplastics and metal oxide nanoparticles in zebrafish embryos inhibited cellular efflux pumps and caused greater oxidative stress than individual exposures, suggesting synergistic toxicity from co-occurring environmental contaminants.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced neurotoxic effect of PCB-153 when co-exposed with polystyrene nanoplastics in zebrafish larvae

Researchers found that when zebrafish larvae were exposed to both polystyrene nanoplastics and the toxic chemical PCB-153 together, the neurological damage was significantly worse than from either pollutant alone. The combined exposure caused hyperactive swimming behavior and suppressed immune, brain, and detoxification pathways at the genetic level. This is concerning because nanoplastics and persistent organic pollutants frequently co-exist in the environment, meaning their real-world health effects on aquatic life and humans may be greater than studies of single pollutants suggest.

2024 Chemosphere 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Complex combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and phenanthrene in aquatic models

Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and the pollutant phenanthrene in fish cells and zebrafish larvae. They found that the interaction between nanoplastics and phenanthrene was complex and tissue-dependent, with nanoplastics increasing phenanthrene uptake in some cell types while decreasing it in others. Interestingly, zebrafish larvae experienced lower overall toxicity during co-exposure compared to single-pollutant exposure, suggesting the interaction dynamics are more nuanced than previously assumed.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics induce neurotoxicity in zebrafish via oxidative stress and neurotransmitter disruption

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics and found that both particle sizes caused neurodevelopmental toxicity, with nanoplastics being more potent. The plastic particles induced oxidative stress in the brain and disrupted neurotransmitter levels critical for normal neural development. The study suggests that microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in aquatic environments may pose significant risks to the neurological development of fish.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoplastic Exposure Induces Developmental Toxicity by Activating the Oxidative Stress Response and Base Excision Repair Pathway in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish embryos to polystyrene nanoplastics at various concentrations and found significant developmental abnormalities including reduced hatching rates and increased malformations. The nanoplastics activated oxidative stress responses and DNA repair pathways, indicating cellular damage during critical early development stages. The study provides mechanistic evidence for how nanoplastic exposure can disrupt normal embryonic development in aquatic organisms.

2022 ACS Omega 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of PFOS onto polystyrene microplastics potentiates synergistic toxic effects during zebrafish embryogenesis and neurodevelopment

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics can absorb PFOS (a persistent industrial chemical) from water and deliver it to zebrafish embryos in a more concentrated form. The combination caused worse developmental problems than either pollutant alone, including delayed hatching, higher death rates, birth defects, and impaired brain development. This shows microplastics can act as carriers that intensify the toxic effects of other environmental chemicals.

2024 Chemosphere 21 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics and different forms of arsenic on the zebrafish embryos (Danio rerio)

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics interact with different forms of arsenic and their combined effects on zebrafish embryos. The microplastics absorbed arsenic from the water and altered how the toxic metal accumulated in zebrafish tissues, changing its toxicity profile. The findings suggest that microplastics in the environment can modify how other pollutants affect living organisms, potentially making combined exposures more harmful than expected.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Decrease the Toxicity of a Complex PAH Mixture but Impair Mitochondrial Energy Production in Developing Zebrafish

Researchers studied the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and a real-world mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on developing zebrafish. While the nanoplastics alone did not cause visible developmental defects, they impaired mitochondrial energy production and unexpectedly reduced the toxicity of the PAH mixture. The findings suggest that nanoplastics can interact with co-occurring pollutants in complex ways, sometimes moderating their effects while causing their own subtle cellular damage.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 291 citations