Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Response of coral reef dinoflagellates to nanoplastics under experimental conditions

Researchers exposed symbiotic dinoflagellates from coral reefs to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that cell growth and aggregation were significantly reduced after 10 days. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution could harm the tiny algae that are essential to coral reef health, with potential consequences for reef ecosystems.

2020 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of Coral Reef Dinoflagellates to Nanoplastics under Experimental Conditions Suggests Downregulation of Cellular Metabolism

Coral reef dinoflagellates were exposed to nanoplastics under controlled laboratory conditions to examine effects on cell growth, aggregation, and physiology. The study found that nanoplastic exposure altered dinoflagellate behavior and cellular responses, with implications for reef symbiotic relationships that depend on algal health.

2020 Microorganisms 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Growth and Grazing Rates Reduced by Microplastic Ingestion

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic ingestion significantly reduced the growth and grazing rates of heterotrophic dinoflagellates, suggesting that microplastic pollution could disrupt marine microbial food webs at the single-celled predator level.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 29 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

Microplastics impacts in seven flagellate microalgae: Role of size and cell wall

Seven marine flagellate microalgae species were incubated with 1-micrometer polystyrene microplastics at 10 mg/L, revealing that cell size and the presence of a cell wall strongly influenced the degree of microplastic-induced physiological and growth effects across species.

2021 Environmental Research 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of microplastics and nano-plastics to coral-symbiotic alga (Dinophyceae Symbiodinium): Evidence from alga physiology, ultrastructure, OJIP kinetics and multi-omics

Researchers studied how microplastics and nanoplastics damage Symbiodinium, the algae that live inside coral and keep reefs alive. Even at concentrations found in the real environment, the plastic particles disrupted photosynthesis, caused oxidative stress, and triggered metabolic problems in the algae. Since the breakdown of this coral-algae partnership leads to coral bleaching, microplastic pollution could threaten the reef ecosystems that support fisheries and coastal communities worldwide.

2024 Water Research 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoparticle-Biological Interactions in a Marine Benthic Foraminifer

Researchers exposed single-celled marine organisms called foraminifera to three types of engineered nanoparticles — including polystyrene nanoplastics — and found that all three accumulated inside the cells and triggered oxidative stress (a form of cellular damage). This study shows that even microscopic seafloor organisms are vulnerable to nanoplastic pollution, expanding the known range of species harmed by plastic contamination.

2019 Scientific Reports 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics cause growth inhibition, morphological damage and physiological disturbance in the marine microalga Platymonas helgolandica

Researchers exposed marine green microalgae to polystyrene nanoplastics and found significant growth inhibition, increased membrane permeability, disrupted photosynthesis, and visible morphological damage — including surface fragmentation and cellular rupture — at concentrations as low as 200 µg/L.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-induced apoptosis and metabolism responses in marine Dinoflagellate, Karenia mikimotoi

Researchers found that micro- and nanoplastics of polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate induced apoptosis and disrupted metabolism in the harmful algal bloom dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi, with effects varying by plastic size and polymer type.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Nanoplastics on the Dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae Hulburt from the Perspectives of Algal Growth, Oxidative Stress and Hemolysin Production

Polystyrene nanoplastics at 50 nm diameter inhibited growth, reduced chlorophyll content, elevated reactive oxygen species, and enhanced hemolysin production in the marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae, suggesting that nanoplastic pollution could impair harmful algal bloom dynamics and broader marine food web function.

2021 Nanomaterials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Internalization of polystyrene microplastics in Euglena gracilis and its effects on the protozoan photosynthesis and motility

Researchers exposed Euglena gracilis protozoa to polystyrene microplastics and found that while photosynthesis was unaffected at tested concentrations, motility was significantly reduced at higher doses, suggesting that microplastics impair locomotion in unicellular flagellates that would normally avoid or evade particles.

2021 Aquatic Toxicology 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to nanoplastics affects the outcome of infectious disease in phytoplankton

Researchers exposed a cyanobacterium-fungal parasite system to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that at high concentrations, NPs formed heteroaggregates with phytoplankton cells, altered host-parasite dynamics, and disrupted disease outcomes in an ecologically relevant model.

2021 Environmental Pollution 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics impair the photosynthetic capacities of Symbiodiniaceae and promote coral bleaching

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics at ecologically relevant concentrations impaired the photosynthetic capacity of Symbiodiniaceae algae and promoted coral bleaching, demonstrating that nanoplastic pollution poses a direct threat to coral-symbiont stability.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics impair growth and nitrogen fixation of marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria

Researchers found that nanoplastic exposure significantly reduces growth, photosynthesis, and nitrogen fixation in Crocosphaera watsonii — a key ocean nitrogen-fixer — suggesting that nanoplastic pollution could decrease new nitrogen input to marine ecosystems and impair ocean productivity and biogeochemical cycling.

2024 Environmental Pollution 9 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects and mechanisms of polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate with different sizes and concentrations on Gymnodinium aeruginosum

Researchers exposed the microalga Gymnodinium aeruginosum to polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate microplastics of different sizes and concentrations, finding that smaller particles and higher concentrations caused greater oxidative stress and growth inhibition. The study revealed that microplastics can physically adhere to and damage algal cell membranes, disrupting cellular structure and function.

2021 Environmental Pollution 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nanoplastics on microalgae and their trophic transfer along the food chain: recent advances and perspectives

This review summarized evidence on how nanoplastics affect microalgae — including growth inhibition, oxidative stress, and altered photosynthesis — and examined trophic transfer of nanoplastics up the food chain, finding that toxicity depended on NP concentration, size, and surface charge.

2021 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Are the primary characteristics of polystyrene nanoplastics responsible for toxicity and ad/absorption in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum?

Researchers exposed the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to 50 nm and 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics and found that smaller particles triggered faster oxidative stress and photosynthetic damage while larger ones were more stable and caused greater growth inhibition over 72 hours, illustrating how particle size shapes toxicity dynamics in marine algae.

2019 Environmental Pollution 180 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics reshape lipid metabolism in marine microalgae with potential ecological consequence

Researchers exposed a marine microalga important to ocean ecosystems to nanoplastics and found significant disruptions to its lipid metabolism, reducing both biomass and lipid production. The nanoplastics altered the types of fats the algae produced, potentially affecting the nutritional value of these organisms for the marine food web. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution could have cascading ecological consequences by disrupting carbon cycling at the base of the food chain.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of cell responses in Rhodomonas baltica exposed to PMMA nanoplastics

Researchers exposed the marine microalga Rhodomonas baltica to PMMA nanoplastics and found effects on cell growth, photosynthesis, and membrane integrity, demonstrating that this important alga — often used as aquaculture feed — is sensitive to nanoplastic contamination.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 80 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics inhibit the growth of endosymbiotic Symbiodinium tridacnidorum by altering photosynthesis and bacterial community

Researchers exposed a type of algae that lives inside coral to polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles slowed cell growth and reduced photosynthesis. At higher concentrations, the microplastics clumped together with the algal cells and caused physical damage. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution could harm coral reef ecosystems by disrupting the essential relationship between corals and their symbiotic algae.

2024 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Nanoplastics on Marine Life: A Review

This review summarizes current knowledge about the effects of nanoplastics on marine organisms, including impacts on feeding, reproduction, growth, and cellular-level toxicity. Evidence indicates that nanoplastics can be more harmful than larger microplastics due to their ability to cross biological barriers and accumulate in tissues, though more research is needed on real-world exposure levels.

2023 Nature Environment and Pollution Technology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Cell size matters: Nano- and micro-plastics preferentially drive declines of large marine phytoplankton due to co-aggregation.

Experiments showed that polystyrene nano- and microplastics selectively reduced large phytoplankton populations in marine communities by causing them to clump together and sink, while smaller cells were less affected. This size-selective effect could disrupt marine food webs by reducing the large phytoplankton that are important food sources for fish and other marine animals.

2022 Journal of hazardous materials
Article Tier 2

Cell size matters: nano- and micro-plastics preferentially drive declines of large marine phytoplankton due to co-aggregation

Nano- and microplastics aggregated preferentially with large marine phytoplankton, causing them to sink faster and reducing their abundance relative to small cells. This selective removal could disrupt marine food webs and reduce the ocean's ability to absorb carbon.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicity of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic algae: Facts, challenges, and future opportunities

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of how micro- and nanoplastics harm aquatic algae, which form the base of ocean and freshwater food chains. The toxic effects include reduced growth, oxidative stress, and disrupted photosynthesis, with nanoplastics generally causing more damage than larger particles. Since algae support the entire aquatic food web, their decline from plastic pollution could reduce the quality and safety of fish and shellfish consumed by people.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 45 citations