Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Assessment of the Effects of Environmental Concentrations of Microplastics on the Aquatic Snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum

Researchers examined the effects of environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations on the freshwater snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum, assessing impacts on this benthic invertebrate in an understudied freshwater ecosystem context.

2021 Water Air & Soil Pollution 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene Microplastics Affected Survival Rate, Food Intake and Altered Oxidative Stress Parameters in Freshwater Snail Indoplanorbis exustus

Researchers exposed freshwater snails to various concentrations of low-density polyethylene microplastics and measured the effects on survival and physiology. The study found significant increases in oxidative stress markers and lipid peroxidation, along with reduced food intake and body weight, at higher concentrations. Evidence indicates that microplastics cause broad physiological impairment in freshwater invertebrates, and affected snails failed to recover even after exposure ended.

2023 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 7 citations
Review Tier 2

Bioaccumulation and ecotoxicological impact of micro(nano)plastics in aquatic and land snails: Historical review, current research and emerging trends

This review summarizes the ecotoxicological impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic and land snail species worldwide. Researchers found evidence of microplastic bioaccumulation in 40 gastropod species, with Asia showing the highest contamination levels, and documented harmful effects including behavioral changes, oxidative stress, and tissue damage. The study highlights that toxicity depends on particle composition, shape, and size, and identifies significant research gaps in understanding how these pollutants affect invertebrate communities.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of PVC microplastic ingestion on Biomphalaria alexandrina: behavioral, physiological, and histological responses

Researchers exposed the freshwater snail Biomphalaria alexandrina to PVC microplastics and measured behavioral, physiological, and histological outcomes. They found concentration-dependent harm including reduced feeding and survival, oxidative stress, and damage to digestive glands.

2025 Hydrobiologia
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

Neurophysiological and Behavioral Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Organisms

Researchers reviewed evidence that micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic environments cross the blood-brain barrier, accumulate in neural tissues, and cause oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and disrupted neurotransmitter signaling, with downstream effects on locomotion, feeding, predator avoidance, and social behavior across multiple aquatic species.

2026 Animals
Article Tier 2

The Impact of Micro- and Nanoplastics on Aquatic Organisms: Mechanisms of Oxidative Stress and Implications for Human Health—A Review

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics cause oxidative stress, a harmful chemical imbalance, in aquatic organisms from plankton to fish. These tiny plastics accumulate in the food chain and may reach humans through seafood consumption. While the evidence of harm in aquatic species is growing, more research is needed to fully understand the implications for human health.

2023 Environments 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological Research on Nano and Microplastics in Environmental Pollution: Current Advances and Future Directions

This review summarizes existing research on how nano- and microplastics from our massive global plastic production enter aquatic environments, absorb harmful chemicals, and move through food chains into living organisms. Studies show these particles can cause brain damage, disrupt metabolism, trigger inflammation, and produce harmful oxidative stress in aquatic species, with microplastics even detected in commercial fish that people eat.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 43 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Is microplastic an oxidative stressor? Evidence from a meta-analysis on bivalves

Microplastics induce time-dependent oxidative stress in bivalves, with antioxidant enzymes (GPx, GST, SOD) increasing during short-term exposure but declining after long-term exposure, while glutathione levels and catalase activity remained elevated throughout and may serve as reliable biomarkers of sublethal microplastic effects.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 199 citations
Article Tier 2

The Hidden Poison: How Microplastics and Nanoplastics Threaten the Health of Aquatic Organisms Across Ecosystems

This review synthesizes evidence on how microplastics and nanoplastics interact with aquatic organisms at molecular, cellular, and systemic levels across diverse ecosystems. The study highlights documented effects including oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, neurotoxicity, immune disruption, and reproductive impairment across a wide range of aquatic species.

2026 IntechOpen eBooks
Article Tier 2

Impact of Schistosoma sp., infection on biological, behavioral, physiological, histological, and genotoxicological aspects of Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus snails

Not relevant to microplastics research; this paper studies how Schistosoma parasite infection alters the physiology, behavior, reproduction, and tissue health of freshwater snails that serve as intermediate hosts, with no connection to microplastic pollution.

2023
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation of polystyrene microplastics and changes in antioxidant and AChE pattern in a freshwater snail (Filopaludina bengalensis) from river Ganga

Researchers exposed freshwater snails from the Ganga River to polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles accumulated in the snails' tissues over 27 days. The microplastics disrupted the snails' antioxidant defense systems and impaired nerve function, as measured by changes in key enzyme levels. The study highlights that bottom-dwelling organisms in freshwater ecosystems may be particularly vulnerable to microplastic pollution.

2023 Aquatic Toxicology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

From plankton to fish: The multifaceted threat of microplastics in freshwater environments

This review summarizes how microplastics harm freshwater organisms from tiny plankton to fish through oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, gut microbiome disruption, and metabolic disorders. Microplastics often combine with other pollutants in water, making their toxic effects even worse. Since freshwater systems are a major pathway for microplastics entering oceans and our food supply, understanding these effects is critical for protecting both ecosystems and human health.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics effects in Scrobicularia plana

Researchers exposed clams to polystyrene microplastics for 14 days and found that the particles accumulated in tissues and were not fully eliminated even after a week of depuration in clean water. The microplastics caused measurable oxidative damage, DNA damage, and neurotoxic effects in the clams. The study demonstrates that even short-term microplastic exposure can cause lasting biological harm in marine bivalves.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 474 citations
Article Tier 2

Dietary consumption of polypropylene microplastics alter the biochemical parameters and histological response in freshwater benthic mollusc Pomacea paludosa

Researchers exposed freshwater snails (Pomacea paludosa) to polypropylene microplastics through their diet at three concentrations over 28 days and measured biochemical and tissue-level responses. They found significant changes in antioxidant enzyme activity and histological damage in the digestive gland, with effects worsening at higher concentrations. The study suggests that dietary microplastic exposure can cause oxidative stress and organ damage in freshwater benthic organisms.

2022 Environmental Research 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing Impact of Microplastics on Aquatic Food System and Human Health

This review assesses the impact of microplastics on aquatic food systems and human health, noting that aquatic species exposed to microplastics over extended periods can experience oxidative stress, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive issues. The study highlights that microplastics also act as carriers for other chemical pollutants in aquatic environments, compounding their potential risks through the food chain.

2023 Preprints.org 12 citations
Review Tier 2

A comprehensive review of the impact of microplastics on aquatic organisms: From ingestion to ecological consequences

This comprehensive review assessed the impacts of microplastics on diverse aquatic organisms—including fish, marine mammals, mollusks, crustaceans, and microorganisms—from ingestion through ecological-level consequences. The authors found that microplastics cause physical injury, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and behavioral changes across taxa, with downstream effects on food web structure and ecosystem function.

2025 Applied Chemical Engineering
Article Tier 2

Overview of the ecotoxicological impacts of micro and nanoplastics in aquatic environments

This review summarises the ecotoxicological impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on marine and freshwater ecosystems, covering mechanisms including physical damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, reproductive impairment, and metabolic disruption in aquatic species. It also discusses bioaccumulation and trophic transfer dynamics.

2025 Bangladesh Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of environmental predominant microplastics and ZnO nanoparticles in freshwater snail Pomaceae paludosa

Researchers assessed the toxic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles and polypropylene microplastics, both individually and combined, on the freshwater snail Pomeacea paludosa over 28 days. The study found that combined exposure caused more severe oxidative stress, disrupted antioxidant and digestive enzyme activity, and led to tissue damage and DNA damage compared to individual pollutant exposure. Evidence indicates that microplastics interacting with nanoparticles can amplify toxic effects in freshwater organisms.

2023 Environmental Pollution 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of micro- and nano-plastics on marine organisms under environmentally relevant conditions

This review summarized the impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on marine organisms including microalgae, crustaceans, snails, and fish at environmentally realistic concentrations. Researchers found that while some species showed tolerance at low concentrations, chronic exposure to nanoplastics in particular caused oxidative stress and behavioral changes. The study emphasizes that more research using real-world concentration levels is needed to accurately assess the risks microplastics pose to ocean life.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics mixture exposure at environmentally relevant conditions induce oxidative stress and neurotoxicity in the wedge clam Donax trunculus

Wedge clams (Donax trunculus) exposed to an environmentally relevant microplastic mixture showed elevated oxidative stress markers and neurotoxicity indicators (inhibited acetylcholinesterase), demonstrating that real-world mixed microplastic exposure causes biochemical harm in marine bivalves.

2020 Chemosphere 95 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Invertebrate responses to microplastic ingestion: Reviewing the role of the antioxidant system

Microplastic ingestion poses an oxidative challenge to invertebrates requiring upregulation of antioxidant defenses, but studies are limited to only seven taxa, dominated by polystyrene spheres <10 µm, and the lack of systematic experiments prevents identifying which specific microplastic characteristics drive the oxidative stress response.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 208 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insights into polystyrene micro/nanoplastics-facilitated cadmium trophic transfer and aggravated toxicity along a lettuce-snail terrestrial food chain

Researchers investigated how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affect cadmium transfer through a lettuce-snail food chain and found that the plastics significantly increased cadmium availability in soil and its accumulation in lettuce leaves. Co-exposure caused amplified toxicity in snails, including greater oxidative stress, intestinal damage, and gut barrier dysfunction, demonstrating that microplastics can worsen the effects of heavy metal contamination in terrestrial food chains.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Microplastic toxicity in aquatic organisms across phylogeny

This review provides the first cross-species assessment of microplastic toxicity spanning the entire range of aquatic life, from simple invertebrates to fish and marine mammals. Evidence indicates that microplastics cause DNA damage, reproductive harm, behavioral changes, and oxidative stress across many different species. The study also highlights that microplastics can act as carriers for other toxic chemicals and harmful microorganisms, amplifying their ecological impact.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 3 citations