Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Oxidative Stress in Mussel Mytilus trossulus Induced by Different-Sized Plastics

Researchers exposed mussels to both tiny polystyrene microparticles and larger polyethylene plastic fragments and found that both sizes triggered oxidative stress in the animals. The plastic exposure caused DNA damage, weakened cellular membranes, and destabilized immune cell structures in the mussels' gills and digestive glands. The findings indicate that plastics of any size and polymer type can be harmful to marine filter-feeding organisms.

2024 Journal of Xenobiotics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Determination of bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and their impact on enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidative stress mechanisms

Researchers assessed the bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and measured enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant stress responses after 4 days of exposure to 1 mg/L of 54 nm particles. Nanoplastics accumulated in mussel tissues and triggered significant oxidative stress responses, including altered superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, indicating toxicological effects at environmentally relevant concentrations.

2024 Juraj Dobrila University of Pula Digital Repository
Article Tier 2

The combined effects of phenanthrene and micro-/nanoplastics mixtures on the cellular stress responses of the thick-shell mussel Mytilus coruscus

Scientists exposed thick-shell mussels to a combination of micro- and nanoplastics along with a common pollutant (phenanthrene) to study their combined effects. The mixtures caused more severe immune cell damage, increased oxidative stress, and stronger inflammatory responses than either pollutant alone. Evidence indicates that micro- and nanoplastics can worsen the toxic effects of organic pollutants in marine shellfish.

2023 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological and biochemical responses to caffeine and microplastics in Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to caffeine and microplastics both separately and together to measure their combined effects. The combination caused greater oxidative stress and changes in cell function than either pollutant alone. While focused on mussels, the study is relevant to human health because mussels are widely eaten as seafood and can accumulate both microplastics and chemical contaminants.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of nanoplastics and heavy metal on antioxidant parameters of juvenile tri-spine horseshoe crabs

Researchers found that combined exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and copper ions caused greater oxidative stress in juvenile tri-spine horseshoe crabs than either stressor alone, with antioxidant enzyme levels remaining disrupted even after a seven-day recovery period.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Immunotoxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons and microplastics alone or in combination to a bivalve species: Synergic impacts and potential toxication mechanisms

Marine mussels exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons and microplastics separately and together showed that combined exposure caused greater immune suppression and lysosomal damage than either stressor alone, identifying oxidative stress pathways as a key mechanism of joint toxicity.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Simultaneous exposure to microplastics and heavy metal lead induces oxidative stress, histopathological damage, and immune dysfunction in marine mussel Mytilus coruscus

When marine mussels were exposed to both microplastics and the heavy metal lead together, the combined effect was worse than either pollutant alone. The combination caused more severe tissue damage, higher oxidative stress, and greater immune system disruption, which is concerning because in real ocean environments, microplastics and heavy metals commonly occur together.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Biomarker responses in New Zealand green-lipped mussels Perna canaliculus exposed to microplastics and triclosan

New Zealand green-lipped mussels were exposed to microplastics and triclosan individually and in combination in a 48-hour study, with the combination eliciting greater oxidative stress and immune disruption than either stressor alone.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 113 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and copper on gill tissue structure, metabolism, and immune function of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)

This study found that nanoplastics and copper together caused more damage to crab gill tissue than either pollutant alone, disrupting the animals' antioxidant defenses, metabolism, and immune function. The combined exposure suppressed important detoxification genes that help the crabs cope with environmental stress. Since crabs are a common seafood, these findings raise concerns about how co-occurring pollutants in waterways could affect both aquatic life and the safety of shellfish for human consumption.

2025 Frontiers in Marine Science 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine mussel metabolism under stress: Dual effects of nanoplastics and coastal hypoxia

This study examined how nanoplastics and low oxygen levels together affect marine mussels, finding that both stressors disrupted the animals' internal balance and energy metabolism. The combination of nanoplastics and oxygen-depleted water was more harmful than either stressor alone, damaging cellular defenses against oxidative stress. Since mussels are widely consumed as seafood, these findings raise questions about the safety of shellfish harvested from polluted, oxygen-poor coastal waters.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of polyamide microplastics and the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus on the immune parameters of Mytilus coruscus

When mussels were exposed to nylon microplastics along with harmful Vibrio bacteria, they suffered gill damage, increased oxidative stress, and weakened immune defenses compared to either stressor alone. The combined exposure suppressed key immune enzymes that mussels need to fight infection. Since mussels are widely consumed as seafood, this study raises concerns that microplastic-contaminated shellfish could carry more pathogens and be less safe to eat.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Chronic toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polystyrene nanoplastics (50 nm, 10 µg/L) for 21 days and found genotoxicity in blood cells and overwhelmed antioxidant defenses in gills and digestive glands, with gills showing the most severe tissue-level oxidative damage over time.

2021 Chemosphere 70 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of different types of microplastic and acute cadmium exposure on the Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819)

This study examined how different types of microplastics, alone and combined with cadmium, affect Mediterranean mussels that are widely consumed as seafood. Exposure to microplastics and cadmium caused oxidative stress, tissue damage, and neurotoxicity in the mussels, with combined exposure being worse than either pollutant alone. The health risk calculations for human consumers exceeded safety limits, suggesting that microplastic-contaminated mussels could pose a real food safety concern.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of antioxidant capacity and digestive enzyme activities in Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to nanoplastics under different patterns of hypoxia

Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics under hypoxic conditions showed compounded antioxidant impairment and digestive enzyme disruption compared to nanoplastic exposure alone. The study highlights that hypoxia, an increasingly common marine stressor, can amplify the toxicity of nanoplastic contamination.

2022 Marine Environmental Research 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and PCB77 induced oxidative stress, histopathological damage and intestinal microbiota disruption in white hard clam Meretrix lyrata

Researchers exposed white hard clams to nanoplastics and a type of industrial pollutant called PCB77, both individually and together, and found that the combination caused more severe damage than either pollutant alone. The clams showed increased oxidative stress, tissue damage in their gills and digestive glands, and significant disruption of their gut bacteria. The findings suggest that nanoplastics may worsen the toxic effects of other environmental contaminants in shellfish.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics on the feeding behavior, oxidative stress, and accumulation of diarrhetic shellfish toxins in the mussel Mytilus unguiculatus

Polystyrene micro/nanoplastics altered feeding behavior and induced oxidative stress in mussels (Mytilus unguiculatus) and — critically — increased accumulation of diarrhetic shellfish toxins in mussel tissue, raising concerns about combined microplastic-algal toxin food safety risks.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Multilevel toxicity assessment of polypropylene microplastics and pyrene on mussels: DNA damage, oxidative stress, and physiological effects

An integrative study exposed Mediterranean mussels to polypropylene microplastics and pyrene for 7 and 14 days, finding combined exposure caused greater DNA damage, oxidative stress, and physiological impairment than either pollutant alone in heavily polluted coastal conditions.

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

Combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and norfloxacin on antioxidant and immune genes in mussels

Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic norfloxacin on mussels, focusing on genes related to antioxidant defense and immune function. They found that the mixture of both contaminants produced more severe disruptions to gene expression than either substance alone, indicating a synergistic toxic effect. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of nanoplastics and antibiotics in marine environments may pose compounding risks to shellfish health.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolated and combined toxicity of PVC microplastics and copper on Pinctada fucata martensii: Immune, oxidative, and metabolomics insights

Researchers studied the individual and combined toxic effects of PVC microplastics and copper on pearl oysters over 13 days. They found that combined exposure caused more severe immune suppression, oxidative damage, and metabolic disruption than either pollutant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics and heavy metals can interact to amplify their harmful effects on marine organisms.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastic and copper oxide nanoparticle in Artemia salina: Single and combined effects on stress responses

Researchers tested polystyrene nanoplastics and copper oxide nanoparticles individually and in combination in brine shrimp (Artemia salina) and found synergistic toxicity — the combined exposure caused greater growth inhibition, oxidative stress, and cholinesterase disruption than either contaminant alone.

2024 Marine Environmental Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

The response of the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819) exposed to copper-doped zinc nanoparticles

This study is not about microplastics; it examines how copper-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles affect the physiology and biochemistry of Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) used as marine pollution bioindicators.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of environmental predominant microplastics and ZnO nanoparticles in freshwater snail Pomaceae paludosa

Researchers assessed the toxic effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles and polypropylene microplastics, both individually and combined, on the freshwater snail Pomeacea paludosa over 28 days. The study found that combined exposure caused more severe oxidative stress, disrupted antioxidant and digestive enzyme activity, and led to tissue damage and DNA damage compared to individual pollutant exposure. Evidence indicates that microplastics interacting with nanoparticles can amplify toxic effects in freshwater organisms.

2023 Environmental Pollution 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of nanoplastics on Mytilus galloprovincialis after individual and combined exposure with carbamazepine

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polystyrene nanoplastics alone and combined with the pharmaceutical carbamazepine, finding that nanoplastics at even low concentrations trigger oxidative damage, cholinesterase inhibition, and genotoxicity, while combined exposure altered gene expression differently than single-contaminant exposures.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 377 citations
Article Tier 2

Immunotoxicity and oxidative damage in Litopenaeus vannamei induced by polyethylene microplastics and copper co-exposure

Researchers found that when polyethylene microplastics carrying copper were injected into white shrimp, the combined exposure was significantly more harmful than either pollutant alone. The shrimp experienced suppressed immune function, increased oxidative stress, and severe damage to muscles, liver, and gills. Since shrimp are widely consumed seafood, these findings raise questions about how microplastic-bound metals in marine environments could affect both shellfish health and food safety.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 10 citations