Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Mechanism of the Synergistic Toxicity of Ampicillin and Cefazoline on Selenastrum capricornutum

Researchers studied how two common antibiotics, ampicillin and cefazolin, work together to harm freshwater algae, finding that their combined effect is worse than either antibiotic alone. The antibiotics disrupted the algae's growth, metabolism, and photosynthesis at the genetic level. While focused on antibiotic pollution rather than microplastics, the study is relevant because microplastics can carry antibiotics through waterways, potentially amplifying these toxic effects on aquatic ecosystems.

2024 Toxics 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling individual and combined toxicity of nano/microplastics and ciprofloxacin to Synechocystis sp. at the cellular and molecular levels

Researchers studied the individual and combined toxic effects of nano- and microplastics with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin on a freshwater cyanobacterium. They found that while each pollutant caused harm on its own, the antibiotic actually showed an antagonistic interaction with the plastic particles, reducing some of their combined toxicity. The study provides important insights into how microplastics and pharmaceutical pollutants interact in aquatic environments, which may complicate pollution risk assessments.

2021 Environment International 105 citations
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

Less toxic combined microplastics exposure towards attached Chlorella sorokiniana in the presence of sulfamethoxazole while massive microalgal nitrous oxide emission under multiple stresses

Researchers studied how microplastics from different plastic types (polyethylene, PVC, and polyamide) interact with an antibiotic in a microalgae-based wastewater treatment system. They found that combining different types of microplastics together was more harmful to the algae than mixing microplastics with the antibiotic. The study also showed that stressed algae released more nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, meaning microplastic pollution in wastewater could worsen climate change.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

When antibiotics encounter microplastics in aquatic environments: Interaction, combined toxicity, and risk assessments

A meta-analysis of the combined toxicity of antibiotics and microplastics in aquatic environments found significant adverse effects on algae but limited apparent effects on fish and daphnia. Microplastics alter antibiotic environmental behavior through adsorption and co-transport, and their coexistence is widespread across global aquatic study sites, though standardized risk assessment methods for combined exposure remain lacking.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
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

Interactive Effects of Ionophore Antibiotic Monensin and Polystyrene Microplastics on the Growth and Physiology of Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers examined the combined effects of the ionophore antibiotic monensin and polystyrene microplastics on the growth and stress physiology of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa under controlled laboratory conditions. The study found interactive effects between the two stressors on algal growth rates and physiological stress markers, suggesting microplastics can modify the ecotoxicological impact of co-occurring pharmaceuticals.

2025 Stresses
Article Tier 2

Complex co-contaminant responses of Chlorella sp. and its phycosphere microbiota under co-exposure to PET microfibers and oxytetracycline

Researchers exposed green algae and their surrounding microbial community to both PET microplastic fibers and an antibiotic, finding that combined exposure caused far greater genetic stress than either pollutant alone — with over 12,000 genes disrupted. The study also found that microplastic fibers promoted the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in the microbial community, raising ecological concerns about co-occurring plastic and drug pollution in waterways.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Toxicity interaction of polystyrene nanoplastics with sulfamethoxazole on the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: A closer look at effect of light availability

Researchers studied how light availability influences the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole on the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The study found that the interaction between these two pollutants was largely antagonistic under low and normal light conditions, as nanoplastics could adsorb the antibiotic and reduce its bioavailability, highlighting the importance of environmental factors in determining combined pollutant toxicity.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions of microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments: A case study of augmented joint toxicity

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics interact with the antimicrobial compound triclosan in simulated environmental and cellular conditions. They found that surface-functionalized microplastics adsorbed significantly more triclosan and released it under cellular conditions, with the combination producing greater toxicity to human intestinal cells than either contaminant alone. The study suggests that microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of co-occurring organic pollutants.

2021 Chemosphere 77 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

Synergistic Pollution: Interactions Among Polyethylene, Surfactants, and Antibiotics in an Aquatic Environment

Researchers investigated synergistic pollution effects among polyethylene microplastics, surfactants, and antibiotics in aquatic systems, finding that co-presence enhanced the environmental persistence and bioavailability of antibiotics beyond what microplastics or surfactants caused individually.

2025
Article Tier 2

Aged microplastics enhance their interaction with ciprofloxacin and joint toxicity on Escherichia coli

Researchers found that aged microplastics showed enhanced adsorption of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin compared to pristine particles, and that their combined exposure produced greater toxicity to E. coli at the molecular level than either pollutant alone.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 39 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

The co-presence of polystyrene nanoplastics and ofloxacin demonstrates combined effects on the structure, assembly, and metabolic activities of marine microbial community

Researchers examined the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic ofloxacin on marine microbial communities. They found that the two pollutants together had a greater impact on bacterial community structure and metabolic activity than either one alone. The study suggests that nanoplastics and antibiotics co-occurring in the ocean may work together to disrupt the microorganisms that support marine ecosystem health.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and PCB-44 exposure on growth and physiological biochemistry of Chlorella vulgaris

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and a common industrial pollutant (PCB-44) on a freshwater green algae species over both short and long exposure periods. They found that both contaminants individually inhibited algae growth and disrupted cell functions, but their combined presence intensified the damage. The study highlights that when nanoplastics and chemical pollutants co-exist in water, they can create compounding harmful effects on aquatic organisms.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics Combined With Antibiotics in the Aquatic Environment: Recent Developments and Prospects

This review examines how microplastics and antibiotics interact in water environments, finding that microplastics can absorb antibiotics onto their surfaces and carry them over long distances. When aquatic organisms encounter these antibiotic-laden microplastics, the combined toxicity can be worse than either pollutant alone. Microplastics also promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes, which is a growing public health concern.

2024 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic toxic effects of polystyrene micro-plastics, DCOIT and their combination on marine Chlorella sp.

Marine green algae (Chlorella) exposed to polystyrene microplastics combined with the antifouling biocide DCOIT showed greater toxicity than exposure to either pollutant alone, indicating synergistic effects. This is concerning because plastics coated with antifouling paint — used on boats and marine infrastructure — can carry these toxic chemicals directly to marine organisms.

2022 Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Toxicology & pharmacology : CBP
Article Tier 2

Alleviating effects of microplastics together with tetracycline hydrochloride on the physiological stress of Closterium sp.

Researchers studied how PET and PBT microplastics combined with the antibiotic tetracycline affect freshwater microalgae. They found that in some combinations, microplastics actually reduced the toxicity of the antibiotic to the algae, likely by adsorbing the chemical onto their surfaces. The study highlights the complex and sometimes counterintuitive ways that microplastics interact with other pollutants in aquatic environments.

2024 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and co-pollutant with ciprofloxacin affect interactions between free-floating macrophytes

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics and ciprofloxacin co-pollutants altered competitive interactions between free-floating macrophytes, with combined exposure affecting plant growth and physiological responses differently than individual pollutant exposure.

2022 Environmental Pollution 39 citations