Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Antagonistic and synergistic effects of warming and microplastics on microalgae: Case study of the red tide species Prorocentrum donghaiense

Researchers exposed the red tide microalgae Prorocentrum donghaiense to different microplastic concentrations and temperatures, finding that microplastics significantly suppressed growth and photosynthesis at 16 degrees C but that higher temperatures (22 and 28 degrees C) partially counteracted these effects at low microplastic doses. The antagonistic and synergistic outcomes of combined warming and microplastic exposure depended on microplastic concentration.

2022 Environmental Pollution 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastic and seawater acidification on unicellular red algae: Growth response, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzymes, and extracellular polymer substances

Researchers examined the individual and combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and seawater acidification on unicellular red algae, which play an important role in marine primary production. They measured impacts on growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzyme activity, and extracellular polymer production. The study found that the combined stressors had more pronounced effects than either one alone, suggesting that ocean acidification may worsen the ecological impact of microplastic pollution on marine algae.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Warming and microplastic pollution shape the carbon and nitrogen cycles of algae

Researchers investigated how ocean warming combined with microplastic pollution affects carbon and nitrogen cycling in marine diatoms and dinoflagellates, revealing that these combined stressors alter key biochemical processes in dominant phytoplankton species.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics disrupt microalgal carbon fixation: Efficiency and underlying mechanisms

Researchers exposed the microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa to polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics and found up to 39% inhibition of carbon fixation, driven by reduced chlorophyll content, increased oxidative stress, and downregulation of genes in the Calvin cycle and chlorophyll metabolism, with implications for aquatic carbon cycling.

2026 Journal of Environmental Management
Article Tier 2

Dominant effects of elevated CO2 over microplastics on physiological and microbial responses of submerged aquatic plants in eutrophic waters

Researchers investigated the combined effects of elevated CO2 and microplastics on submerged aquatic plants in eutrophic water, finding that elevated CO2 dominated over microplastics in determining plant physiological and microbial responses. The study highlights that climate change variables may override microplastic stress in some aquatic plant systems.

2025 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics on Growth and Halocarbon Release of Marine Microalgae].

Lab experiments showed that polyethylene microplastics affected two species of marine microalgae differently, inhibiting growth of one while promoting growth of the other. Microplastic stress also increased production of reactive oxygen species and altered the release of volatile halocarbons, trace gases important for climate and ozone chemistry.

2023 PubMed 1 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Evaluating physiological responses of microalgae towards environmentally coexisting microplastics: A meta-analysis

A meta-analysis of 52 studies found that microplastics inhibit microalgal growth and photosynthesis and induce oxidative damage, though microalgae can recover over time. Cyanobacteria are more vulnerable than green algae, and the relative size of microplastics to algal cells governs the mechanism of impact, while aged versus pristine microplastics have opposite effects on extracellular polymeric substance and microcystin production.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined effects of ocean warming and microplastic pollution on marine phytoplankton community dynamics

Researchers studied the combined effects of microplastic pollution and rising ocean temperatures on tiny marine plants called phytoplankton. While microplastics alone had minimal impact at current temperatures, when combined with warmer water conditions, phytoplankton biomass dropped by 41% and diversity fell by nearly 39%. The study suggests that climate change may dramatically amplify the harmful effects of microplastic pollution on the ocean organisms responsible for a significant portion of global carbon capture.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Concentration dependent toxicity of microplastics to marine microalgae

Researchers exposed the marine microalga Chlorella sp. to polystyrene microplastics at concentrations of 10 and 50 mg/L, finding that even low concentrations inhibited growth and disrupted photosynthesis, while higher concentrations caused more pronounced oxidative stress.

2025 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Dual impacts of elevated pCO2 on the ecological effects induced by microplastics and nanoplastics: A study with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Researchers examined how freshwater acidification from elevated carbon dioxide interacts with polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics to affect a common green algae species. They found that smaller nanoplastics caused greater harm than larger microplastics, primarily through oxidative stress, while acidification alone actually promoted algal growth. The study reveals that climate change and plastic pollution can interact in unexpected ways, with acidification sometimes masking or modifying the toxic effects of plastic particles.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Weaken the Adaptability of Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. to Ocean Warming

Researchers found that microplastic exposure weakened the ability of the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus to adapt to warming ocean temperatures. When microplastics were combined with higher water temperatures, carbon fixation dropped by up to 15% compared to warming alone, and photosynthesis pigments declined further. The study suggests that microplastic pollution could compound the damaging effects of climate change on ocean phytoplankton, which play a critical role in global carbon cycling.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological stress response of the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata exposed to polyethylene microplastics

Researchers exposed the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata to polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations, finding that high concentrations reduced photosynthetic efficiency in coral symbionts and disrupted polar metabolites, indicating physiological stress from microplastic exposure.

2020 Environmental Pollution 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro- and nano-plastics on growth, antioxidant system, DMS, and DMSP production in Emiliania huxleyi

Researchers exposed a key ocean-dwelling algae species to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics and found that both sizes impaired growth and triggered oxidative stress. The nanoplastics were more harmful than microplastics, reducing chlorophyll content and altering the production of climate-relevant sulfur compounds. The study suggests that plastic pollution could disrupt ocean algae that play an important role in regulating atmospheric chemistry and climate.

2024 Environmental Pollution 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Ocean acidification enhances the tolerance of dinoflagellate Prorocentrum donghaiense to nanoplastic-induced oxidative stress by modulating photosynthetic performance

The dinoflagellate Prorocentrum donghaiense exposed to both nanoplastics and ocean acidification conditions showed that elevated CO₂ enhanced tolerance to nanoplastic-induced oxidative stress by modulating photosynthetic performance, suggesting complex interactions between these stressors.

2024 Frontiers in Marine Science 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics to benthic Sargassum horneri: The role of nitrogen availability in modulating stress responses

Researchers studied how micro- and nanoplastics affect the growth and stress responses of Sargassum horneri, a common seaweed, under different nitrogen conditions. They found that both particle sizes inhibited growth and disrupted photosynthesis, but high nitrogen levels could partially offset some of the damage from microplastics. The study highlights that nutrient availability plays an important role in how marine plants cope with plastic pollution.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure under future oceanic conditions further threatens an endangered coral, Acropora cervicornis

Researchers exposed the threatened Caribbean coral Acropora cervicornis to microplastics under predicted future ocean conditions (acidification and warming) and found that combined stressors were more damaging than individual stressors. Growth rates declined and photosynthetic efficiency dropped most under the combined microplastic plus ocean warming and acidification treatment.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science
Article Tier 2

Microplastics reduce eelgrass tolerance to heat stress with implications for restoration and blue carbon

Researchers found that microplastic pollution in sediments significantly reduced eelgrass root growth and energy reserves, and when combined with simulated marine heatwaves, the effects were even more severe. The study suggests that microplastics may undermine seagrass restoration efforts and blue carbon storage by depleting the underground energy reserves that these ecosystems depend on for recovery and growth.

2026 Environmental Research
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of microplastics and warming enhance algal carbon and nitrogen storage

Researchers examined the combined effects of warming temperatures and polystyrene microplastics on the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. While warming alone decreased cell viability, the combination of microplastics and warming unexpectedly increased growth rate and nitrogen uptake by promoting fatty acid metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution combined with marine heatwaves may alter algal carbon and nitrogen cycling in ways that could have broader ecological implications.

2023 Water Research 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Biological Responses to Climate Change and Nanoplastics Are Altered in Concert: Full-Factor Screening Reveals Effects of Multiple Stressors on Primary Producers

Using high-throughput screening of a freshwater green alga, researchers tested how nanoplastics interact with multiple climate change stressors (temperature, CO2, pH, UV), finding that nanoplastics combined with warming or UV caused greater harm than either alone, and that climate change will likely amplify nanoplastic toxicity.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Altered Biological Responses of Primary Producers to Multiple Stressors in the Presence of Nanoplastics

This thesis investigated how nanoplastics interact with other environmental stressors — including elevated CO2, temperature, and light — to affect freshwater algae and cyanobacteria. The results show that nanoplastics can alter how aquatic plants respond to climate change, potentially disrupting the base of freshwater food webs.

2021 TSpace