Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Evaluation of potential toxicity of polyethylene microplastics on human derived cell lines

Researchers tested the toxic effects of two sizes of polyethylene microplastics on human cell lines representing different tissue types. They found that microplastic exposure triggered inflammatory responses and caused cellular damage, with effects varying depending on particle size and cell type. The findings suggest that microplastics commonly encountered in everyday life could pose health risks when they interact with human tissues.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 168 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nano-plastics induce inflammation and cell death in human cells.

Human cell cultures exposed to micro- and nano-plastics (MNPLs) showed elevated inflammation markers and cell death, with effects varying by particle type and concentration. The study developed a novel extraction and staining technique to identify individual plastic types in complex mixtures, advancing methods for assessing human cellular toxicity.

2025 Frontiers in immunology
Article Tier 2

Size- and polymer-dependent toxicity of amorphous environmentally relevant micro- and nanoplastics in human bronchial epithelial cells

This study examined how the size and type of plastic particles affect their toxicity to human lung cells. Researchers tested environmentally relevant micro- and nanoplastics with irregular shapes, rather than the uniform spheres typically used in lab studies, to better mimic real-world exposure. The findings contribute to a growing understanding that particle size and polymer composition both matter when assessing the potential health risks of inhaling airborne plastic particles.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

An assessment of the toxicity of polypropylene microplastics in human derived cells

Researchers assessed the toxicity of polypropylene microplastics on human-derived cell lines and found that the particles triggered inflammatory responses and oxidative stress at concentrations relevant to environmental exposure. The microplastics also affected cell viability and caused measurable changes in immune-related gene expression. The study raises concerns about potential health effects from chronic human exposure to one of the most commonly produced plastic types.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 621 citations
Article Tier 2

Immune and inflammatory responses of human macrophages, dendritic cells, and T-cells in presence of micro- and nanoplastic of different types and sizes

Scientists tested how different types and sizes of micro- and nanoplastics affect key human immune cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells, and T-cells. Smaller particles and those with amino surface modifications triggered the strongest immune responses, including increased inflammation markers and changes in immune cell activation. These findings suggest that inhaled or ingested micro- and nanoplastics could disrupt the human immune system, potentially contributing to chronic inflammation.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Current Insights into Potential Effects of Micro-Nanoplastics on Human Health by in-vitro Tests

This review summarizes current evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics may affect human health, based on in-vitro laboratory studies. The research indicates that these tiny plastic particles can cause oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in human cells, and that their effects vary depending on size, shape, polymer type, and chemical additives present.

2021 Frontiers in Toxicology 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of the polymer type on the impact of microplastic particles

Researchers compared cellular toxicity of microparticles made from polystyrene, polyethylene, PVC, PLA, and cellulose acetate in murine macrophages and epithelial cells, finding that polymer type influences cytotoxicity and uptake behavior. All particle types were ingested by macrophages, but their surface chemistry and charge affected the degree of cellular damage.

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

Relationship Between Particle Properties and Immunotoxicological Effects of Environmentally-Sourced Microplastics

Researchers exposed human macrophages to environmentally collected and weathered microplastic particles from the North Pacific Gyre and French coast to assess immunotoxicity, finding that particle physicochemical properties including polymer type and surface chemistry correlated with different cytokine response profiles. Multi-dimensional analysis revealed that surface area and hydrophobicity were key predictors of macrophage immune activation.

2022 Frontiers in Water 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Are all nanoplastics equally neurotoxic? Influence of size and surface functionalization on the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in human neuronal cells

Researchers tested four types of polystyrene nanoplastics on human neuronal cells and found that toxicity varied dramatically depending on particle surface chemistry. Particles with amine surface groups were the most harmful, significantly reducing cell survival and causing visible damage to cell structures, while unmodified particles showed minimal toxicity, suggesting that surface properties matter as much as size when assessing nanoplastic risks.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The Immunotoxic Effects of Environmentally Relevant Micro- and Nanoplastics

Researchers characterized the immunotoxic effects of over 20 types of micro- and nanoplastic particles on macrophages and dendritic cells, finding that physicochemical properties such as size, shape, polymer type, and surface oxidation strongly influence immune cell responses.

2025
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics affect the inflammatory cytokine release by primary human monocytes and dendritic cells

Researchers exposed primary human immune cells to nanoplastics of different shapes, sizes, and polymer types and measured their inflammatory responses. Irregular PVC fragments triggered the strongest release of inflammatory signaling molecules, and fragment-shaped particles consistently provoked more inflammation than spherical ones. The findings indicate that the type and shape of nanoplastics matter significantly for immune responses, and that studies using only smooth spherical particles may underestimate the real-world inflammatory potential of plastic pollution.

2022 Environment International 148 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of the polymer type on the impact of microplastic particles

Researchers compared the cellular effects of polystyrene, polyethylene, PVC, and PLA microparticles on murine macrophages and epithelial cells, assessing uptake and cytotoxicity. All polymer types were ingested by macrophages, but the degree of cytotoxicity varied by polymer composition.

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

Microplastics and nanoplastics: Size, surface and dispersant – What causes the effect?

Researchers reviewed how the size, surface properties, and dispersants of micro- and nanoplastic particles influence their toxic effects. They found that smaller particles and certain surface modifications can significantly alter toxicity, and that dispersants used in laboratory studies may introduce confounding effects. The study emphasizes the need for standardized testing protocols that account for these variables to accurately assess plastic particle risks to human health.

2022 Toxicology in Vitro 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity in vitro reveals potential impacts of microplastics and nanoplastics on human health: A review

This review summarizes laboratory cell-culture studies examining the potential health impacts of microplastics and nanoplastics on human cells. Researchers found evidence that these particles can cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and disruption to normal cell functions across multiple cell types. The study suggests that while more research is needed, the in vitro evidence indicates microplastics and nanoplastics have the potential to affect human health through several biological pathways.

2021 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 119 citations
Article Tier 2

A rapid review and meta-regression analyses of the toxicological impacts of microplastic exposure in human cells

Researchers conducted a systematic review and statistical analysis of studies examining the effects of microplastic exposure on human cells in the laboratory. They found evidence that microplastics can cause cell damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress, with smaller particles and higher doses generally producing stronger effects. The study provides the first pooled estimate of dose-response thresholds for microplastic toxicity in human cells, helping to frame the potential health risks of daily exposure.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 198 citations
Article Tier 2

Nominally identical microplastic models differ greatly in their particle-cell interactions

This study found that microplastic particles described by the same nominal characteristics such as size and polymer type can differ greatly in their cellular uptake and biological interactions depending on manufacturer and preparation method. These differences in particle-cell interactions underscore the difficulty of comparing results across studies using nominally identical plastic models.

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

Unseen Hazards—Toxicological Effects and Human Health Impacts of Nanoplastics and Microplastics

This review covers the toxicological effects of microplastics and nanoplastics in humans, examining exposure routes (oral, inhalation, dermal), tissue distribution, and mechanisms of harm including oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption. It emphasises the importance of particle size, polymer type, and adsorbed chemical additives in determining toxicity.

2025 Applied Sciences
Article Tier 2

Unravelling the knot: Microplastic properties and their correlation with the cellular response

Researchers correlated the physico-chemical properties of microplastic particles -- including surface chemistry, size, and surface charge density -- with cellular uptake and biological responses in model cell lines, finding that macrophages engulfed significantly more particles than epithelial cells, and that uptake and downstream inflammatory effects were size- and surface charge-dependent.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics: key influencing factors, limitations, and future perspectives

This review systematically analyzed how the physicochemical properties of micro- and nanoplastics — including size, shape, surface charge, and polymer type — determine their toxicological impacts across biological systems. The authors argue that property-based frameworks are essential for predicting MNP health risks and designing relevant research.

2025 Archives of Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Pulmonary Toxicity of Polystyrene, Polypropylene, and Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics in Mice

Researchers tested the lung toxicity of three common microplastic types (polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride) in mice and found that all three caused pulmonary inflammation, but through different mechanisms. Polyvinyl chloride produced the most severe inflammatory response, while polystyrene and polypropylene showed distinct patterns of immune activation. The study suggests that the type of plastic inhaled matters for understanding respiratory health risks from airborne microplastics.

2022 Molecules 84 citations
Article Tier 2

99 The Relative Toxicity and Bioreactivity of Ambient Microplastic Pollution to Human Alveolar Lung Epithelial Cells with and Without Urban PM2.5

This lab study exposed human lung cells to microplastic particles (polypropylene and polyamide) at sizes found in real-world air pollution, finding that both types caused cell death while urban air pollution particles (PM2.5) triggered inflammatory responses instead. The two types of harm worked through different mechanisms and didn't reliably combine when mixed, suggesting that microplastics in inhaled air pose a distinct and understudied risk to the respiratory system beyond conventional air pollution.

2023 Annals of Work Exposures and Health 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative Analysis of the Toxicity of Micro‐ and Nanoplastics along with Nanoparticles on the Ecosystem

This comparative review analyzes the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics across biological systems, examining how particle size, shape, surface chemistry, and polymer type influence toxic potency. The authors synthesize findings from in vitro, in vivo, and ecological studies to support comparative risk assessment.

2024
Article Tier 2

The effects of concentration, duration of exposure, size and surface function of polymethyl methacrylate micro/nanoplastics on human liver cells

Researchers tested the effects of polymethyl methacrylate micro- and nanoplastics on human liver cells, varying the particle concentration, exposure duration, size, and surface chemistry. They found that smaller particles and those with specific surface modifications caused greater cellular damage, including reduced viability and increased oxidative stress. The study suggests that the physical and chemical properties of microplastics play a critical role in determining their potential toxicity to human tissues.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nanoplastics and human health: A review of the evidence, consequences, and toxicity assessment

This review summarizes evidence that micro and nanoplastics have been found in multiple human organs and body fluids, where they can alter cell shape, damage mitochondria, reduce cell survival, and cause oxidative stress. The health effects depend heavily on the size, shape, and chemical makeup of the particles, with smaller nanoplastics generally posing the greatest risk because they penetrate deeper into tissues. The review provides a framework for assessing how dangerous different types of plastic particles are to human health.

2025 Food and Chemical Toxicology 9 citations