Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Toxicity Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics with Cadmium on the Alga Microcystis Aeruginosa

This study tested how microplastics and nanoplastics interact with the heavy metal cadmium to affect the growth of a common freshwater algae, finding that combined exposure was more harmful than either contaminant alone. Nanoplastics adsorbed more cadmium per particle but their smaller size enabled them to penetrate algal cells more easily, with complex effects on cellular toxicity.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics and Cadmium on Growth of Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers examined what happens when polyethylene microplastics and the heavy metal cadmium are both present in freshwater, focusing on their effects on a bloom-forming algae species. Evidence indicates that the combination caused greater stress on the algae than either pollutant alone, though microplastics partially reduced cadmium toxicity by adsorbing some of the metal.

2024 Toxics 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined effects of microplastics and lead on the freshwater algae Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers tested the individual and combined effects of microplastics and lead (Pb) on the growth, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant responses of the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. They found that microplastics alone inhibited growth while low-dose Pb promoted it, but their combination altered toxicity outcomes in complex ways depending on concentration, indicating that co-exposure risks in freshwater cannot be predicted from single-contaminant studies.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced microalgal toxicity due to polystyrene nanoplastics and cadmium co-exposure: From the perspective of physiological and metabolomic profiles

Researchers studied the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and cadmium on the microalga Euglena gracilis and found that co-exposure produced synergistic effects, inhibiting growth by nearly 29%. The organisms activated antioxidant defenses and showed significant disruptions in carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism. The findings suggest that nanoplastics and heavy metals together pose greater risks to aquatic microorganisms than either pollutant alone.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastic stress intensifies Microcystis aeruginosa physiology and toxin risks under environmentally relevant water chemistry conditions

Researchers exposed the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to environmentally relevant concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics, finding both significantly enhanced algal biomass and microcystin toxin production, with nanoplastics additionally promoting extracellular toxin release.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Altered biotoxicity of cadmium to freshwater green algae by different concentrations of polystyrene

Polystyrene microplastics at low concentrations partially reduced cadmium toxicity to freshwater green algae, while higher concentrations exacerbated it, demonstrating that combined pollution effects on algae are concentration-dependent.

2024 Applied and Computational Engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and Cd on submerged plants Ceratophyllum demersum L.

Researchers studied the combined effects of nanoplastics and cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, on the aquatic plant Ceratophyllum demersum. They found that nanoplastics worsened cadmium's harmful effects on plant growth, photosynthesis, and cellular health, reducing growth rates by over 35%. The study suggests that when nanoplastics and heavy metals co-occur in water, their combined impact on aquatic plants may be more severe than either pollutant alone.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular mechanism for combined toxicity of micro(nano)plastics and carbon nanofibers to freshwater microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers tested how microplastics, nanoplastics, and carbon nanofibers affect freshwater algae individually and in combination, finding that the combined effects were significantly worse than either pollutant alone. Nanoplastics combined with carbon nanofibers caused the most severe cellular stress, damaging cell membranes, increasing oxidative stress, and disrupting energy metabolism. Since algae form the base of aquatic food chains, this damage could cascade through ecosystems and affect the safety of water and seafood for humans.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Enhanced Cadmium Toxicity: A Growing Threat to the Sea Grape, Caulerpa lentillifera

Researchers studied how microplastics combined with the heavy metal cadmium affect the sea grape, an ecologically important marine seaweed. They found that microplastics enhanced cadmium accumulation in the seaweed and worsened toxic effects on growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant defenses. The study highlights that microplastics can amplify heavy metal toxicity in marine plants, posing a compounding threat to coastal ecosystems.

2024 Antioxidants 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined toxicity effect of nanoplastics and glyphosate on Microcystis aeruginosa growth

Researchers found that cationic nanoplastics adsorb glyphosate so strongly that co-exposure actually reduces the herbicide's toxicity to algae by sequestering it — but the nanoplastics coated in glyphosate adhere more readily to algal surfaces, potentially concentrating both pollutants further up the food chain.

2018 Environmental Pollution 271 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined toxicity influence of microplastics and nonylphenol on microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers examined the combined toxicity of nonylphenol and several types of microplastics on the freshwater microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The study found that microplastics of different polymer types and sizes interacted with nonylphenol in complex ways, affecting algal growth, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant enzyme activity, demonstrating that co-exposure to microplastics and organic pollutants can produce combined toxic effects.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 252 citations
Article Tier 2

Simultaneous exposure to nanoplastics and cadmium mitigates microalgae cellular toxicity: Insights from molecular simulation and metabolomics

In a surprising finding, researchers discovered that when nanoplastics and cadmium (a toxic metal) were present together at high concentrations, their combined effect on microalgae was actually less toxic than either pollutant alone. The nanoplastics appeared to bind with the cadmium, reducing its ability to enter and damage cells. While this suggests some pollutant interactions may be unexpectedly complex, it does not mean nanoplastics are protective -- the study highlights how much we still need to learn about how plastic pollution interacts with other contaminants.

2024 Environment International 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics increase algal absorption and toxicity of Cd through alterations in cell wall structure and composition

Lab experiments showed that polystyrene nanoplastics made freshwater algae more vulnerable to cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) by altering the structure of their cell walls, allowing more cadmium to enter the cells. This matters for human health because nanoplastics in waterways may increase how much toxic metal accumulates in aquatic food chains that eventually reach our plates.

2024 Water Research 47 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Meta-analysis for systematic review of global micro/nano-plastics contamination versus various freshwater microalgae: Toxicological effect patterns, taxon-specific response, and potential eco-risks

A meta-analysis of 1,071 observations found that nanoplastics cause more severe cell membrane damage than microplastics, while microplastics more strongly inhibit photosynthesis in freshwater microalgae. Among polymer types, polyamide caused the highest growth inhibition, polystyrene induced the most toxin release, and diatoms were the most sensitive algal group while cyanobacteria showed exceptional resilience.

2024 Water Research 36 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined effects of microplastics and the heavy metal cadmium on the marine periphytic ciliate Euplotes vannus

Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics and the heavy metal cadmium on the marine ciliate Euplotes vannus. The study found that microplastics and cadmium together produced joint toxic effects on these single-celled organisms, which play important roles in marine food webs. Evidence indicates that microplastics may increase the bioavailability of heavy metals to marine microorganisms at the base of the food chain.

2022 Environmental Pollution 54 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Ecological risk analysis and prediction of microplastics' effects on Microcystis aeruginosa in freshwater system: a meta-analysis approach

This meta-analysis found that micro- and nanoplastics can both inhibit and stimulate the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa — a harmful algal bloom cyanobacterium — depending on particle size and degradability. Smaller, degradable plastics tend to promote algal growth, suggesting microplastic pollution could worsen toxic algal blooms in freshwater systems used for drinking water.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Promote Microcystin Synthesis and Release from Cyanobacterial Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers discovered that amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics promote both the production and release of microcystin, a harmful toxin, from the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. The nanoplastics inhibited photosynthesis, induced oxidative stress, and damaged cell membranes, which enhanced toxin synthesis and extracellular release. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems could worsen the threat of harmful algal blooms to aquatic ecology and human health.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 232 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Microplastics, Cadmium, and Their Mixtures on Biochemical Biomarkers in the Freshwater Bivalve Corbicula fluminea (Bivalvia, Corbiculidea)

This study evaluated the combined impacts of microplastics and cadmium on biochemical biomarkers in a freshwater organism, finding that co-exposure caused greater oxidative stress and cellular damage than either contaminant alone. Microplastics appear to enhance cadmium bioavailability and toxicity.

2024 Diversity 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

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