Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Micrometer scale polystyrene plastics of varying concentrations and particle sizes inhibit growth and upregulate microcystin-related gene expression in Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics inhibited the growth of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa in a dose- and size-dependent manner, with smaller particles and higher concentrations causing greater growth suppression. Notably, microplastic exposure also upregulated genes related to microcystin production, suggesting that microplastics could potentially increase the toxicity of harmful algal blooms.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic study on the increase of Microcystin-LR synthesis and release in Microcystis aeruginosa by amino-modified nano-plastics.

This study examined how amino-modified nanoplastics increase production and release of the toxin Microcystin-LR in the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa, revealing the cellular and gene-expression mechanisms behind this enhancement. The findings highlight how nanoplastic pollution can amplify harmful algal bloom toxicity.

2024 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

[RETRACTED] Short-term dynamics and growth parameters of cyanobacteria and microcystins in freshwater from the Sidi-Yacoub dam, North-east of Algeria

This retracted study monitored cyanobacteria and their toxin (microcystin) in an Algerian reservoir. Cyanobacterial blooms are environmentally important but this paper has been retracted and is not related to microplastic research.

2023 Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastic stress intensifies Microcystis aeruginosa physiology and toxin risks under environmentally relevant water chemistry conditions

Researchers exposed the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to environmentally relevant concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics, finding both significantly enhanced algal biomass and microcystin toxin production, with nanoplastics additionally promoting extracellular toxin release.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Distribution and changes in microplastics in Taihu Lake and cyanobacterial blooms formed by the aggregation of Microcystis colonies

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution in the surface water and sediments of Taihu Lake, China, finding abundances of 0-3.7 items/L in surface water and 44.42-417.56 items/kg in sediments, and exploring relationships between microplastics, nutrient pollutants, and cyanobacterial bloom formation in this heavily eutrophic freshwater system.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymer-specific toxicity of microplastics to Microcystis aeruginosa: Growth inhibition, physiological responses, and molecular mechanisms

Researchers exposed the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to four polymer types over 12 days and found that all significantly inhibited growth, with PVC causing the greatest inhibition, and identified polymer-specific molecular mechanisms including oxidative stress and photosynthesis disruption.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Microplastic characteristics differentially influence cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom microbial community membership, growth, and toxin production

Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics influence the growth and toxin production of harmful algal blooms in freshwater. They found that certain microplastic characteristics, such as shape and polymer type, significantly affected which microbial species thrived and how much toxin was produced. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may play an underappreciated role in worsening harmful algal blooms in lakes and reservoirs.

2025 Sustainable Microbiology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent toxic effects of polystyrene microplastic exposure on Microcystis aeruginosa growth and microcystin production

Researchers exposed the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to polystyrene microplastics of two sizes and found that particle size significantly influenced the effects. The larger 1-micrometer particles promoted algal growth while aggregating on cell surfaces and inhibiting photosynthesis, whereas 100-nanometer particles stimulated toxin production. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in freshwater may have complex, size-dependent effects on harmful algal blooms and their toxin output.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 152 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics benefit bacteria colonization and induce microcystin degradation

Polystyrene microplastics in a microcosm experiment facilitated bacterial colonization and promoted the degradation of the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin, with the plastisphere community showing distinct metabolic activity compared to free-living bacteria. The study reveals that microplastic biofilms can unexpectedly accelerate detoxification of co-occurring harmful algal bloom toxins.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity mechanism of Nylon microplastics on Microcystis aeruginosa through three pathways: Photosynthesis, oxidative stress and energy metabolism

Researchers investigated how nylon microplastics affect the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and found dose-dependent growth inhibition reaching nearly 48% at the highest concentration. The microplastics disrupted photosynthesis, damaged cell membranes, triggered oxidative stress, and altered the expression of genes involved in energy production and carbon fixation. The study identifies three interconnected pathways through which nylon microplastics harm these important aquatic organisms.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatio-temporal variation of bacterial community structure in two intertidal sediment types of Jiaozhou Bay

This is a microbial ecology study characterizing bacterial communities in intertidal sediments of Jiaozhou Bay, China, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing; it is not a microplastics research paper.

2023
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Promote Microcystin Synthesis and Release from Cyanobacterial Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers discovered that amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics promote both the production and release of microcystin, a harmful toxin, from the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. The nanoplastics inhibited photosynthesis, induced oxidative stress, and damaged cell membranes, which enhanced toxin synthesis and extracellular release. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems could worsen the threat of harmful algal blooms to aquatic ecology and human health.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 232 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics promote microcystin synthesis and release from cyanobacterial Microcystis aeruginosa.

Researchers showed that amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NH2) stimulate microcystin synthesis and release in the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa by inhibiting photosystem II and increasing membrane permeability. This is the first direct evidence linking nanoplastics to enhanced cyanotoxin production in freshwater blooms.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Phytoplankton Community in Dianchi Lake Using eDNA Metabarcoding

This paper is not about microplastic pollution. It uses environmental DNA metabarcoding to study phytoplankton communities in Dianchi Lake, China, identifying seasonal and spatial variation in algal species and the environmental factors that drive those changes.

2023 Water 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis and differentiation of toxic and non-toxic cyanobacteria using Raman spectroscopy

This paper is not about microplastics. It used Raman spectroscopy to distinguish between toxic and non-toxic strains of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) in water. While the detection technology overlaps with methods used for microplastic identification, this study focuses entirely on algal toxin monitoring with no connection to microplastic contamination.

2024
Article Tier 2

Intraspecific variation of two duckweed species influences response to microcystin-LR exposure

This paper is not about microplastics; it tests how different genetic strains of duckweed plants respond to the cyanotoxin microcystin-LR, exploring whether duckweed could be used to bioremediate cyanobacterial blooms.

2023
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the Impact of Thiophanate-Methyl on Arthrospira platensis: Growth, Photosynthetic Pigments, Biomolecules, and Detoxification Enzyme Activities

Not relevant to microplastics — this study examines how the pesticide thiophanate-methyl affects the growth and biochemistry of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis.

2023 Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Emerging Technologies for the Discovery of Novel Diversity in Cyanobacteria and Algae and the Elucidation of Their Valuable Metabolites

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reviews emerging biotechnology and omics methods for discovering new cyanobacteria and microalgae species and characterizing their bioactive metabolites for industrial applications.

2023 Diversity 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Responses of bloom-forming Microcystis aeruginosa to polystyrene microplastics exposure: Growth and photosynthesis

Researchers exposed bloom-forming blue-green algae (Microcystis aeruginosa) to polystyrene microplastics and found a complex pattern: high concentrations (50–100 mg/L) temporarily suppressed growth and photosynthesis in the middle of the experiment, but promoted growth at the beginning and end. This suggests microplastics could worsen harmful algal blooms in the long run, which is concerning because these blooms produce toxins that contaminate drinking water.

2022 Water Cycle 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polyester Microfibers on the Growth and Toxicity Production of Bloom-Forming Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa

Green, black, and white polyester microplastic fibers at concentrations of 10-200 mg/L affected the growth, photosynthesis, and toxin production of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa in color- and concentration-dependent ways. Black microplastics caused the greatest inhibition of growth while simultaneously altering microcystin production, suggesting MPs could shift the hazard profile of harmful algal blooms.

2022 Water 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characteristics of microplastics in the sediments of Poyang Lake, China

Researchers found microplastic contamination in sediments across Poyang Lake, China, with abundances ranging from 11 to 3,153 items per kilogram dry weight, and identified significant spatial variability linked to human activity and hydrological conditions.

2019 Water Science & Technology 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Complex interactions among temperature, microplastics and cyanobacteria may facilitate cyanobacteria proliferation and microplastic deposition

Researchers investigated how microplastics interact with temperature and nutrient conditions to affect cyanobacterial growth, finding that microplastics can alter cyanobacterial physiology and potentially exacerbate bloom formation under warming conditions.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 15 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Ecological risk analysis and prediction of microplastics' effects on Microcystis aeruginosa in freshwater system: a meta-analysis approach

This meta-analysis found that micro- and nanoplastics can both inhibit and stimulate the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa — a harmful algal bloom cyanobacterium — depending on particle size and degradability. Smaller, degradable plastics tend to promote algal growth, suggesting microplastic pollution could worsen toxic algal blooms in freshwater systems used for drinking water.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

[Distribution Characteristics of Microplastic Surface Bacterial Communities Under Flooded and Non-flooded Conditions in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake].

A 16S sequencing study of bacterial communities in the Poyang Lake wetland found that microbial diversity on microplastic surfaces was lower than in surrounding sediment and water, with the microplastic biofilm community shifting between sediment-like (non-flooded) and water-like (flooded) profiles depending on water level. The plastisphere communities were dominated by distinct bacterial genera including elevated Proteobacteria, suggesting that microplastics select for specific microbial assemblages in natural wetland ecosystems.

2023 PubMed