Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Toxicological Effects of Microplastics and Sulfadiazine on the Microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Researchers examined the combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic sulfadiazine on the freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The results suggest that both substances individually and in combination inhibited algal growth, and the interaction between microplastics and antibiotics may alter their respective toxic effects on aquatic organisms.

2022 Frontiers in Microbiology 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics and their combined effects with sulphamethoxazole on the free-floating aquatic plant Lemna major

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole on free-floating freshwater organisms, examining how co-exposure to these two pollutants interacts compared to individual exposures. Nanoplastics altered the bioavailability and toxicity of the antibiotic, demonstrating complex mixture effects in aquatic systems.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics decrease the toxicity of sulfamethoxazole to marine algae (Skeletonema costatum) at the cellular and molecular levels

Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole and five types of microplastics on the marine alga Skeletonema costatum. They found that certain microplastics actually decreased the toxicity of the antibiotic by adsorbing it, creating a protective "shelter" effect, though polystyrene combined with the antibiotic caused higher oxidative stress. The study suggests that microplastics can alter the bioavailability and toxicity of co-occurring pollutants in marine environments through adsorption interactions.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effect of nanoplastic particles and phototoxicant on microalgae

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoparticles and methylene blue, a phototoxic compound, on two species of freshwater microalgae. Depending on concentrations and exposure duration, the combination produced synergistic, additive, or antagonistic toxic effects on algal growth. The study highlights that nanoplastics can modify the toxicity of other pollutants in complex and sometimes unpredictable ways.

2026 Advances in Natural Sciences Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Article Tier 2

Higher toxicity induced by co-exposure of polystyrene microplastics and chloramphenicol to Microcystis aeruginosa: Experimental study and molecular dynamics simulation

Researchers studied what happens when the antibiotic chloramphenicol and polystyrene microplastics are present together in water containing blue-green algae. The study found that the combined exposure was more toxic to the algae than either pollutant alone, disrupting photosynthesis and gene expression. The findings suggest that microplastics and antibiotics may interact in ways that amplify their harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics and their combined effects with sulphamethoxazole on the free-floating aquatic plant Lemna major

Researchers examined the combined effects of nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulphamethoxazole on free-floating algae, assessing whether nanoplastics alter antibiotic toxicity. The co-exposure produced greater inhibitory effects on algal growth than either substance alone.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Interactive toxicity effects of metronidazole, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and differently functionalized nanoplastics on marine algae Chlorella sp.

Researchers examined the combined toxicity of common pharmaceutical drugs and nanoplastics with different surface coatings on marine algae. They found that the interaction between drugs and nanoplastics produced effects ranging from additive to synergistic, depending on the specific combination, with amine-coated nanoplastics generally causing more harm. The study highlights that real-world mixtures of pharmaceutical and plastic pollutants in oceans may pose greater risks to marine life than either contaminant alone.

2025 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics alter the ecotoxicological effects of diclofenac on freshwater microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus

Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to modify the ecotoxicological effects of the pharmaceutical diclofenac on freshwater microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, with the combined exposure producing effects different from either pollutant alone.

2023 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The comparative effects of visible light and UV-A radiation on the combined toxicity of P25 TiO2 nanoparticles and polystyrene microplastics on Chlorella sp.

Scientists studied how titanium dioxide nanoparticles and polystyrene microplastics together affect green algae under visible light versus UV-A radiation. UV-A light made titanium dioxide more toxic on its own, but when combined with microplastics, the mixture actually reduced toxicity because the plastics absorbed some of the reactive chemicals generated by UV exposure. The findings suggest that light conditions significantly change how multiple pollutants interact in marine environments.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and lead on Chlorella vulgaris growth, membrane lipid peroxidation, antioxidant capacity, and morphological alterations

Researchers found that amino-functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics and lead act synergistically to inhibit the growth of the microalga Chlorella vulgaris, with combined exposure producing greater reductions in chlorophyll, biomass, and cell size than either pollutant alone.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Antagonistic effect of polystyrene nanoplastics and sliver nanoparticles on Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers tested antagonistic interactions between polystyrene nanoplastics and silver nanoparticles on the freshwater green alga Chlorella, finding that combined exposure produced less toxicity than either agent alone, suggesting that plastic particles can sequester silver nanoparticles and reduce their bioavailability.

2025 Journal of Environmental Sciences
Article Tier 2

Single and combined toxicity assessment of primary or UV-aged microplastics and adsorbed organic pollutants on microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers investigated the single and combined toxicity of polyamide microplastics with the pollutants sulfamethoxazole and dicamba on the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa. They found that UV-aged microplastics caused different toxic effects than pristine ones, and that microplastics altered the bioavailability and toxicity of the co-occurring pollutants. The study suggests that environmental aging of microplastics changes their interactions with other contaminants, potentially affecting aquatic organisms in complex ways.

2022 Environmental Pollution 45 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of microplastics on the toxic effects and biodegradation of bisphenol A in the microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics inhibited the biodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA) by the microalga Chlorella vulgaris, with combined exposure showing greater toxicity than either contaminant alone due to BPA adsorption onto microplastic surfaces.

2022 Research Square (Research Square) 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of selected pharmaceutical products (metronidazole, diclofenac, ibuprofen) and differently functionalized nanoplastics on marine algae Chlorella sp.

The combined toxicity of three pharmaceutical products (metronidazole, diclofenac, ibuprofen) and polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface functionalization (NH2 and COOH) was tested on marine algae Chlorella sp. Polystyrene nanoplastics at 1 mg/L caused substantial growth inhibition, while combining pharmaceuticals with nanoplastics reduced rather than amplified toxicity.

2024 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Combinatory effects of microplastics and emerging contaminants on alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Researchers exposed the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to two types of microplastics found in face washes — PVC and an acrylate copolymer — along with the preservative 2-phenoxyethanol, finding that combined exposure had distinct effects on algal growth compared to individual pollutants. This is relevant because microplastics rarely occur alone in the environment, and their interactions with other chemicals can either amplify or dampen ecological harm.

2023 Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-specific mediation of the physiological responses and degradation ability of microalgae to sulfamerazine by microplastics

Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes affect the ability of marine microalgae to tolerate and break down the antibiotic sulfamerazine. They found that nano-sized plastics were more harmful than larger particles, reducing algal growth and impairing the organisms' ability to degrade the antibiotic. The study reveals that microplastic pollution could interfere with the natural biological breakdown of pharmaceutical contaminants in waterways.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced biotoxicity by co-exposure of aged polystyrene and ciprofloxacin: the adsorption and its influence factors

This study found that polystyrene microplastics aged by sunlight absorbed significantly more of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin than fresh microplastics, and the combination was more toxic to organisms than either pollutant alone. The aging process created more surface area and chemical binding sites on the plastic particles. This is important because it means weathered microplastics in the real world can concentrate antibiotics and deliver higher toxic doses to organisms, potentially contributing to both direct toxicity and antibiotic resistance.

2024 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 10 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined toxicity influence of microplastics and nonylphenol on microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers examined the combined toxicity of nonylphenol and several types of microplastics on the freshwater microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The study found that microplastics of different polymer types and sizes interacted with nonylphenol in complex ways, affecting algal growth, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant enzyme activity, demonstrating that co-exposure to microplastics and organic pollutants can produce combined toxic effects.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 252 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of polystyrene plastics on the toxicity of triphenyltin to the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum—influence of plastic particle size

The presence of polystyrene particles of different sizes was found to modify the toxicity of triphenyltin (a toxic organotin compound) to the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum, with effects depending on whether the plastic particles increased or decreased the bioavailability of the chemical. The study illustrates how microplastics can alter the toxicity of co-occurring chemical pollutants to sensitive marine microalgae.

2019 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on the toxicity of the pharmaceuticals procainamide and doxycycline on the marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii

Researchers investigated whether the presence of microplastics influences the toxicity of two pharmaceuticals, procainamide and doxycycline, on the marine microalga Tetraselmis chuii. They found that microplastics alone had limited effects, but when combined with pharmaceuticals, the mixture interactions varied depending on the drug and the measured endpoint. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and pharmaceutical pollutants in marine environments may produce unpredictable combined effects on primary producers.

2018 Aquatic Toxicology 293 citations