Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Responses of submerged macrophytes to different particle size microplastics and tetracycline co-pollutants at the community and population level

Researchers set up outdoor experimental ponds to study how microplastics of different sizes combined with the antibiotic tetracycline affect communities of underwater aquatic plants. Smaller microplastics caused more harm to plant diversity and growth, and the combined exposure with antibiotics created worse effects than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that microplastic pollution could amplify the damage antibiotics cause to freshwater plant ecosystems.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of enrofloxacin and microplastics on submerged plants and epiphytic biofilms in high nitrogen and phosphorus waters

Researchers studied the combined effects of the antibiotic enrofloxacin and microplastics on the submerged plant Myriophyllum verticillatum in nutrient-rich water. The study found that while microplastics alone had little effect, their combination with enrofloxacin produced synergistic toxic effects, reducing the plant's ability to absorb nitrogen and phosphorus and decreasing photosynthetic pigment content.

2022 Chemosphere 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics and their combined effects with sulphamethoxazole on the free-floating aquatic plant Lemna major

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole on free-floating freshwater organisms, examining how co-exposure to these two pollutants interacts compared to individual exposures. Nanoplastics altered the bioavailability and toxicity of the antibiotic, demonstrating complex mixture effects in aquatic systems.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Higher toxicity induced by co-exposure of polystyrene microplastics and chloramphenicol to Microcystis aeruginosa: Experimental study and molecular dynamics simulation

Researchers studied what happens when the antibiotic chloramphenicol and polystyrene microplastics are present together in water containing blue-green algae. The study found that the combined exposure was more toxic to the algae than either pollutant alone, disrupting photosynthesis and gene expression. The findings suggest that microplastics and antibiotics may interact in ways that amplify their harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Joint effects of microplastics and ciprofloxacin on their toxicity and fates in wheat: A hydroponic study

Researchers found that microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin jointly affected wheat growth in hydroponic conditions, with microplastics altering ciprofloxacin uptake and toxicity while the antibiotic influenced microplastic accumulation in plant tissues.

2022 Chemosphere 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Press perturbations of microplastics and antibiotics on freshwater micro-ecosystem: Case study for the ecological restoration of submerged plants

Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and the antibiotic sulfanilamide on freshwater micro-ecosystems involving submerged plants, water, and sediment. The study found synergistic negative effects on ecosystem structure and function, including reduced plant diversity and disrupted nutrient cycling, highlighting concerns about the combined pollution impact on freshwater ecological restoration efforts.

2022 Water Research 65 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

Single and combined toxicity effects of microplastics and perfluorooctanoic acid on submerged macrophytes and biofilms

Researchers tested the combined effects of four common microplastic types and PFOA (a forever chemical) on aquatic plants and their associated biofilms. The pollutants together caused more damage to plant growth, photosynthesis, and microbial communities than either pollutant alone. Since microplastics and PFOA frequently co-occur in the environment, their combined toxic effects on aquatic ecosystems could have downstream consequences for water quality and human exposure.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Do microplastics influence the long-term effects of ciprofloxacin on the polychaete Hediste diversicolor? An integrated behavioral and biochemical approach

Researchers investigated long-term combined effects of ciprofloxacin and microplastics on the polychaete Hediste diversicolor, finding that co-exposure produced distinct behavioral and biochemical responses compared to individual contaminant exposure in estuarine organisms.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics and their combined effects with sulphamethoxazole on the free-floating aquatic plant Lemna major

Researchers examined the combined effects of nanoplastics and the antibiotic sulphamethoxazole on free-floating algae, assessing whether nanoplastics alter antibiotic toxicity. The co-exposure produced greater inhibitory effects on algal growth than either substance alone.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Cascading effects of microplastic-pollutant co-exposure in coastal wetland soil-plant-microbe systems: Mitigation potential through nutrient management

This study examined how the co-exposure of microplastics with two common pollutants—a flame retardant (TCPP) and an antibiotic (oxytetracycline)—affects coastal wetland soil-plant-microbe systems. The combined exposures produced cascading harmful effects on plant health and microbial communities that exceeded single-contaminant impacts, and nutrient management partially offset the damage.

2025 Journal of Cleaner Production
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

Lower concentration polyethylene microplastics can influence free-floating macrophyte interactions by combined effects of many weak interactions: A nonnegligible ecological impact

Researchers experimentally assessed the effects of lower concentrations of polyethylene microplastics (25-100 mg/L) on free-floating macrophytes Spirodela polyrhiza and Lemna minor, finding that even low concentrations significantly influenced macrophyte community interactions through cumulative weak effects.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of contaminant-spiked polyethylene-type microplastics on the growth and primary production of the freshwater phytoplankton species Scenedesmus armatus and Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics spiked with amoxicillin or other contaminants inhibited the growth and photosynthesis of freshwater phytoplankton species Scenedesmus armatus and Microcystis aeruginosa. The combined contaminant-carrying microplastics caused greater toxicity to primary producers than either MPs or antibiotics alone.

2022 Environmental and Experimental Botany 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Aged polyethylene microplastics modulate herbicide and antibiotic bioavailability and plant responses: a case study with glyphosate and tetracycline

Researchers generated experimental data on how aged polyethylene microplastics affect the behavior of the herbicide glyphosate and the antibiotic tetracycline in hydroponic plant growth systems. The dataset includes measurements of pollutant sorption, plant photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant enzyme activity in rapeseed plants exposed to various combinations of microplastics and chemicals. The study suggests that microplastics can modulate how other environmental contaminants interact with plants.

2026 RepOD
Article Tier 2

Effects of heavy metals on the adsorption of ciprofloxacin on polyethylene microplastics: Mechanism and toxicity evaluation

Researchers studied how heavy metals in water affect the ability of polyethylene microplastics to absorb the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. They found that heavy metals competed with the antibiotic for binding sites on the microplastic surface, changing how much of each pollutant the plastic could carry. This is important because it shows microplastics in real-world environments may transport different combinations of pollutants, potentially delivering both antibiotics and heavy metals into the food chain.

2023 Chemosphere 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of microplastics and pharmaceutical and personal care products on algae: A critical review

This review examines how microplastics and pharmaceutical or personal care product residues interact when they co-occur in aquatic environments and affect algae. Researchers found that the combined effects can be either antagonistic or synergistic depending on factors like microplastic size, charge, and the type of chemical involved. The study identifies the type of pharmaceutical compound and the species of algae as the most important factors determining whether these pollutant combinations cause greater or lesser harm.

2024 Environmental Pollution 8 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

Co-Exposure to Glyphosate and Polyethylene Microplastic Affects Their Toxicity to Chlorella vulgaris: Implications for Algal Health and Aquatic Risk

Researchers assessed the individual and combined toxicity of polyethylene microplastics and glyphosate to the microalga Chlorella vulgaris in acute and chronic exposures. The combination caused greater toxicity than either contaminant alone, particularly at chronic exposure durations, indicating synergistic effects relevant to agricultural runoff contamination.

2025 Molecules
Article Tier 2

Coupling polyethylene microplastics with other pollutants: Exploring their combined effects on plant health and technologies for mitigating toxicity

This review summarizes how polyethylene microplastics interact with other common soil pollutants like heavy metals and antibiotics in agricultural fields. Microplastics can absorb these pollutants and carry them into plants, making the combined exposure more harmful than either pollutant alone. The findings raise concerns about the safety of crops grown in microplastic-contaminated soil.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate and effects of microplastics in combination with pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors in freshwaters: Insights from a microcosm experiment

Researchers conducted a microcosm experiment exposing moss and caddisflies to microplastics combined with pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors, finding that microplastics can alter the fate and biological effects of co-occurring chemical contaminants in freshwater ecosystems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on the toxicity of the pharmaceuticals procainamide and doxycycline on the marine microalgae Tetraselmis chuii

Researchers investigated whether the presence of microplastics influences the toxicity of two pharmaceuticals, procainamide and doxycycline, on the marine microalga Tetraselmis chuii. They found that microplastics alone had limited effects, but when combined with pharmaceuticals, the mixture interactions varied depending on the drug and the measured endpoint. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and pharmaceutical pollutants in marine environments may produce unpredictable combined effects on primary producers.

2018 Aquatic Toxicology 293 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the toxic mechanisms of microplastics in aquatic ecosystem: A case study on Vallisneria natans and Myriophyllum verticillatum

Researchers exposed two submerged aquatic plant species (Vallisneria natans and Myriophyllum verticillatum) to PVC, polystyrene, and polyethylene microplastics at three concentrations, finding that all three types significantly inhibited photosynthesis and growth and triggered oxidative stress, with effects varying by plastic type and plant species.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations