Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Sorption of the common freshwater cyanotoxin microcystin to microplastics

Researchers demonstrated that microplastics from freshwater environments can adsorb the harmful algal bloom toxin microcystin onto their surfaces, potentially concentrating the toxin and altering its environmental fate. This finding suggests that microplastics in lakes with cyanobacterial blooms may act as carriers for toxins that affect fish, wildlife, and humans.

2020 QSpace (Queen's University Library) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of cyanotoxins on polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate: Microplastics as vector of eight microcystin analogues

Eight microcystin analogues were tested for adsorption onto polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics, finding that these common plastics can bind cyanotoxins from freshwater environments. The study identifies microplastics as potential vectors for cyanobacterial toxins in lakes and reservoirs, with implications for drinking water safety.

2022 Environmental Pollution 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Potentially Poisonous Plastic Particles: Microplastics as a Vector for Cyanobacterial Toxins Microcystin-LR and Microcystin-LF

Researchers demonstrated for the first time that microplastics can act as vectors for cyanobacterial toxins called microcystins, concentrating the toxins up to 28 times from water onto plastic surfaces. The adsorption process depended on particle size, plastic type, pH, and the specific microcystin variant. The findings raise concerns about microplastics transporting harmful algal toxins through aquatic food webs to higher trophic levels.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Microcystin bound on microplastics in eutrophic waters: A potential threat to zooplankton revealed by adsorption-desorption processes

Researchers studied adsorption and desorption of the cyanotoxin microcystin onto microplastics in eutrophic freshwater and found that microplastics can act as vectors carrying bound cyanotoxins to zooplankton, enhancing toxin transfer through the food web beyond what free toxin exposure alone would predict.

2023 Environmental Pollution 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Limited Potential of Polystyrene Microplastic as a Vector of Microcystin-LR in Diluted Lysate of Microcystis aeruginosa Strain MASH01-A05 in Laboratory Freshwater and Brackish Water Conditions

Microplastics and cyanotoxins (toxic compounds produced by harmful algal blooms) often occur together in freshwater lakes, raising concern that plastics could act as a vehicle concentrating and transporting these toxins to organisms that ingest them. This lab study mixed polystyrene microplastics of two size ranges with a cyanotoxin (microcystin-LR) in both fresh and brackish water, finding that adsorption was extremely low—less than 5% even under ideal conditions. The results suggest polystyrene microplastics are unlikely to be a significant vector for microcystin-LR delivery in real aquatic environments, providing some reassurance about this particular combination of pollutants.

2026 Toxins
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of microcystin-LR adsorbed onto microplastics: Impacts on Daphnia magna

Researchers tested how microcystin-LR toxin adsorbed onto polyethylene microplastics affects the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna compared to free toxin exposure. Microplastic-adsorbed microcystin showed enhanced toxicity versus free toxin at equivalent concentrations, with increased mortality and reduced reproduction, suggesting microplastics can potentiate cyanotoxin hazards in freshwater ecosystems.

2025
Article Tier 2

The Inhibition of Microcystin Adsorption by Microplastics in the Presence of Algal Organic Matters

Researchers found that polyethylene, polystyrene, and polymethyl methacrylate microplastics can adsorb microcystin MC-LR from water, but the presence of algal intracellular organic matter (IOM) reduced this adsorption by up to 22.7% due to competitive binding, suggesting that microplastic uptake of harmful natural toxins is likely overestimated in realistic aquatic conditions.

2022 Toxics 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Microcystins by Virgin and Weathered Microplastics in Freshwater Matrices

Researchers examined the adsorption of long-chain and short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and cyanobacterial microcystins by both virgin and weathered microplastics in freshwater matrices. The study found that microplastic weathering and polymer type influenced sorption capacity, with implications for the co-transport of persistent organic contaminants and cyanotoxins in drinking water source environments.

2022 TSpace
Article Tier 2

Experimental Evidence from the Field that Naturally Weathered Microplastics Accumulate Cyanobacterial Toxins in Eutrophic Lakes

Researchers conducted laboratory sorption experiments and field sampling in eutrophic lakes to test whether naturally weathered microplastics accumulate cyanobacterial toxins (microcystins). Weathered microplastics from the field had significantly higher microcystin concentrations than predicted from lab sorption experiments with pristine plastics, confirming that naturally aged plastics are more effective toxin carriers.

2022 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate, abundance and ecological risks of microcystins in aquatic environment: The implication of microplastics

This review explores how microplastics in water can interact with microcystins, highly toxic compounds produced by harmful algal blooms, by adsorbing and transporting them through aquatic environments. The combination poses increased risks to human health because microplastics can carry these dangerous toxins into drinking water sources and through the food chain.

2024 Water Research 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of cyanotoxins on nitrogen transformation in aquaculture systems with microplastics coexposure: Adsorption behavior, bacterial communities and functional genes

Combined exposure of polystyrene and polylactic acid microplastics with microcystin-LR in simulated aquaculture ponds disrupted nitrogen transformation processes and shifted microbial communities, with adsorption behavior of the toxin on different MP types influencing overall ecotoxicity.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential of Adsorption of Diverse Environmental Contaminants onto Microplastics

Researchers assessed the ability of four common types of microplastics to adsorb hazardous environmental contaminants including dyes and heavy metals. They found that dyes were adsorbed through physical processes while heavy metal adsorption varied by plastic type, with polystyrene showing the highest capacity for certain metals. The study confirms that microplastics can act as vectors for diverse pollutants, potentially increasing the environmental mobility and bioavailability of toxic substances.

2022 Water 43 citations
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

Selective enrichments for color microplastics loading of marine lipophilic phycotoxins

This study found that colored microplastics selectively adsorb certain marine lipophilic phycotoxins (algal toxins) in coastal waters, meaning microplastics can act as concentrated vectors for potent toxins already present in the environment. The combination of microplastics and algal toxins could compound ecological harm in nearshore marine ecosystems.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of perfluoroalkyl substances on polyamide microplastics: Effect of sorbent and influence of environmental factors

Researchers studied how perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of persistent industrial chemicals, bind to polyamide microplastics in water. They found that smaller microplastic particles absorbed dramatically more PFAS than larger ones, and that water chemistry conditions like pH and salinity influenced the process. The findings suggest microplastics can concentrate harmful chemicals and potentially increase human and wildlife exposure to PFAS in contaminated environments.

2022 Environmental Research 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic and microcystin in tropical drinking water reservoir: pollution characteristics and human health risk assessment

Researchers surveyed microplastic and cyanobacterial toxin levels in a tropical drinking water reservoir in Vietnam over a one-year period. They found microplastics at all sampling sites, predominantly polypropylene and polyethylene fibers, with high polymer hazard scores despite low overall pollution levels. The co-occurrence of microplastics and microcystin toxins across the reservoir highlights the need for research on how these contaminants interact in freshwater drinking water sources.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of microplastics and excess boron on Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers studied the combined effects of microplastics and excess boron on a common freshwater cyanobacterium (Microcystis aeruginosa). They found that amino-modified polystyrene microplastics were the most harmful, inhibiting growth and worsening boron toxicity, while other surface-modified types actually stimulated growth. The study reveals that the surface chemistry of microplastics plays a key role in how they interact with other pollutants to affect aquatic microorganisms.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxicity of nanoplastics and microcystin-LR to sulfate-reducing bacteria and the underlying mechanisms

Researchers exposed freshwater aquaculture microcosms to polyethylene nanoplastics and the algal toxin microcystin-LR, finding that nanoplastics strongly adsorb the toxin and that combined exposure disrupts sulfur cycling bacteria more severely than either contaminant alone, raising ecological concerns for aquaculture water quality.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Microcystins by Virgin and Weathered Microplastics in Freshwater Matrices

Researchers studied whether microplastics can absorb two types of harmful water contaminants: PFAS (so-called forever chemicals) and microcystin toxins produced by algae. They found that weathered microplastics adsorbed significantly more of these pollutants than pristine ones, and that environmental water conditions influenced the absorption process. The study suggests that microplastics in freshwater may concentrate and transport multiple types of dangerous chemicals simultaneously.

2023 Polymers 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Can Microplastics Accumulate Toxic dye in Water? An adsorption-desorption Study under Different Experimental Conditions

Researchers investigated the adsorption and desorption of the toxic dye Rhodamine B on polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride microplastics under different experimental conditions. Results showed fast and substantial adsorption of the dye onto all three plastic types, with adsorption coefficients ranging from approximately 1,500 to 2,000, indicating microplastics can act as carriers of toxic dyes in aquatic environments.

2024 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions of microplastics with contaminants in freshwater systems: a review of characteristics, bioaccessibility, and environmental factors affecting sorption

This review examined how microplastics act as vectors for environmental contaminants in freshwater systems, analyzing the characteristics, bioaccessibility, and environmental factors that influence pollutant sorption onto plastic particles and their potential transfer to organisms including humans.

2023 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A 11 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

Understanding the Risks of Diffusion of Cyanobacteria Toxins in Rivers, Lakes, and Potable Water

This review covers the health risks of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) toxins found in rivers, lakes, and drinking water, which can damage the liver and nervous system in humans. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because microplastics in water can interact with cyanobacteria and their toxins, potentially serving as carriers that concentrate these harmful substances. The paper discusses various water treatment methods for removing cyanotoxins, many of which are also applicable to microplastic removal.

2023 Toxins 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics can act as vector of the biocide triclosan exerting damage to freshwater microalgae

Researchers evaluated the ability of seven types of microplastics — including LDPE, polyamide, PET, POM, PP, PS, and biodegradable PLA — to sorb and desorb the antimicrobial biocide triclosan (TCS), then tested the effects of TCS-loaded microplastics on the freshwater cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. They found that microplastics can act as effective vectors for TCS, delivering it to primary producers and causing greater damage than either contaminant alone.

2020 Chemosphere 69 citations