Papers

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Article Tier 2

Photoaged polystyrene nanoplastics exposure results in reproductive toxicity due to oxidative damage in Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers exposed the roundworm C. elegans to polystyrene nanoplastics that had been aged by sunlight, simulating real-world environmental conditions. The study found that these weathered nanoplastics caused more severe reproductive harm than pristine particles, primarily through increased oxidative stress, suggesting that aging makes plastic particles more toxic to living organisms.

2024 Environmental Pollution 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the effects of aging on the combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and chlordane against Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers studied how environmental aging of polystyrene nanoplastics changes their combined toxicity with the pesticide chlordane in roundworms. They found that photo-aging altered the physical and chemical properties of the nanoplastics, which in turn modified how the two contaminants interacted and their joint toxic effects. The study highlights that the environmental weathering of plastic particles can significantly change how they interact with other pollutants.

2024 Journal of Environmental Sciences 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Multigenerational growth inhibition and oxidative stress of polystyrene micro(nano)plastics on earthworms (Eisenia fetida)

Researchers exposed earthworms to polystyrene nano- and microplastics across two generations, finding both particle types reduced offspring numbers by 23–39%, disrupted reproductive tissue structure, and caused oxidative stress, with nanoplastics producing more severe multigenerational effects.

2025 Environmental Research
Article Tier 2

Aging significantly increases the interaction between polystyrene nanoplastic and minerals

Researchers investigated how environmental aging by UV light and chemical oxidation changes the way polystyrene nanoplastics interact with mineral particles. They found that aging significantly increased the nanoplastics' ability to bind to common minerals like kaolinite and goethite. The study suggests that weathered nanoplastics in the environment may behave very differently from the pristine particles typically used in laboratory studies.

2022 Water Research 115 citations
Article Tier 2

The protective layer formed by soil particles on plastics decreases the toxicity of polystyrene microplastics to earthworms (Eisenia fetida)

Researchers studied how the toxicity of polystyrene microplastics to earthworms changes as the particles age in soil. They found that after 28 days of soil aging, the lethal concentration nearly quadrupled, indicating decreased toxicity over time. The study suggests this is because soil particles form a protective layer on the microplastics, increasing their size and reducing direct contact with and ingestion by earthworms.

2022 Environment International 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Aggregation kinetics of UV irradiated nanoplastics in aquatic environments

Researchers compared the aggregation behavior of fresh versus UV-aged polystyrene nanoplastics under various aquatic conditions. They found that UV aging altered the surface chemistry of nanoplastics, making them more stable in water and less likely to aggregate, which means they could remain suspended and bioavailable for longer periods. The study suggests that weathered nanoplastics may behave very differently from fresh particles in the environment, complicating risk assessments.

2019 Water Research 214 citations
Article Tier 2

UV-B radiation aging changed the environmental behavior of polystyrene micro-/nanoplastics-adsorption kinetics of BDE-47, plankton toxicities and joint toxicities with BDE-47

Researchers examined how UV-B radiation aging changes the behavior and toxicity of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in marine environments. They found that 30 days of UV-B aging increased the surface roughness, hydrophobicity, and pollutant adsorption capacity of the particles, while also increasing their individual toxicity to marine plankton. The study suggests that environmentally aged microplastics may pose different and potentially greater ecological risks than pristine particles.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Seawater Accelerated the Aging of Polystyrene and Enhanced Its Toxic Effects on Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers simulated the aging of polystyrene microplastics in seawater and found that the marine environment accelerated surface erosion, releasing smaller aged particles. When tested on the nematode C. elegans, the aged polystyrene caused greater reductions in movement, vitality, and reproduction compared to virgin particles, driven by increased oxidative stress. The findings suggest that microplastics become more toxic as they weather in ocean conditions.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of UV-exposure on size, morphology, and chemical structure of polystyrene nanospheres in suspension

Researchers investigated how UV exposure changes the size, morphology, and chemical structure of polystyrene nanospheres in suspension, simulating environmental weathering of nanoplastics. The study characterized how UV aging alters particle properties in ways relevant to their biological and environmental fate.

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

Aging Processes Dramatically Alter the Protein Corona Constitution, Cellular Internalization, and Cytotoxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics

Researchers found that aging processes such as UV and ozone exposure dramatically alter how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with blood plasma proteins, form protein coronas, and enter cells. The study suggests that environmentally aged nanoplastics may have different biological effects than pristine particles, which has important implications for accurately assessing the health risks of real-world nanoplastic exposure.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 45 citations
Article Tier 2

UV-aged polystyrene nanoplastics aggravate intestinal barrier damage by overproduction of ROS

Researchers compared the intestinal effects of new versus UV-weathered polystyrene nanoplastics in mice and found that the aged particles caused significantly more damage to the gut lining. The weathered nanoplastics generated higher levels of reactive oxygen species, leading to greater oxidative damage and disruption of the intestinal barrier. The study suggests that nanoplastics that have been exposed to sunlight in the environment may pose greater health risks than freshly produced particles.

2024 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

UV-ageing effects on polystyrene microplastics surface polarity and transport in soils

Researchers found that UV sunlight exposure changes polystyrene microplastics by adding oxygen-containing groups to their surfaces, which makes the particles move differently through soil. The UV-aged particles became smaller and had altered surface charges, affecting how far they could travel through sand and soil. This matters because it shows that weathered microplastics in the environment behave differently than fresh ones, potentially reaching groundwater and other water sources more easily.

2025 Environmental Challenges 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Randomly-shaped nanoplastics induced stronger biotoxicity targeted to earthworm Eisenia fetida species: Differential effects and the underlying mechanisms of realistic and commercial polystyrene nanoplastics

Researchers compared the toxicity of commercially produced spherical nanoplastics with irregularly shaped nanoplastics that more closely resemble what is found in the real environment, testing both on earthworms. The randomly shaped particles were significantly more toxic, causing greater oxidative stress, DNA damage, and tissue injury at lower concentrations. The findings suggest that most lab studies using uniform spherical particles may underestimate the actual environmental risks of nanoplastic pollution.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Ultraviolet-induced photodegradation elevated the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics on human lung epithelial A549 cells

Researchers found that UV-induced photodegradation significantly increased the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics on human lung epithelial cells. The degraded nanoplastics caused greater cell death, stronger oxidative stress, more severe membrane damage, and intensive mitochondrial dysfunction compared to non-degraded particles, suggesting that weathered nanoplastics in the environment may pose greater health risks than pristine ones.

2021 Environmental Science Nano 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of UV Aging on the Toxicity and Bioavailability of Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)-Traceable Core–Shell Polystyrene Nanoplastics in an In Vitro Triculture Small Intestinal Epithelium Model

Researchers developed gold-core polystyrene nanoplastics traceable by mass spectrometry to study how UV aging affects nanoplastic toxicity and uptake in a human intestinal cell model. The study found that UV aging altered the surface properties and biological behavior of nanoplastics, highlighting the importance of studying environmentally realistic, weathered particles rather than only pristine laboratory materials.

2025 Toxics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging Significantly Affects Mobility and Contaminant-Mobilizing Ability of Nanoplastics in Saturated Loamy Sand

Researchers studied how aging from UV light and ozone exposure affects the mobility of nanoplastics in soil and found that aged particles traveled much farther through the soil column than pristine ones. The aged nanoplastics also carried more chemical contaminants with them as they moved. The findings suggest that weathered nanoplastics in the environment may pose greater risks for groundwater contamination than previously assumed.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 424 citations
Article Tier 2

Amplification of benzo[a]pyrene toxicity persistence in earthworms by polystyrene nanoplastics: From organismal health to molecular responses

This study found that nanoplastics can make a common cancer-causing pollutant (benzo[a]pyrene) more persistent and toxic in soil. Earthworms exposed to the pollutant carried on nanoplastics showed greater oxidative damage than those exposed to the pollutant alone. This matters because nanoplastics in the environment may act as carriers that amplify the harmful effects of other toxic chemicals.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Cytotoxicity of UV-degradated polystyrene nanoplastics in co-culture model of inflammatory bowel disease.

Researchers studied the cytotoxicity of UV-degraded polystyrene nanoplastics in a co-culture model of intestinal cells, mimicking the inflammatory bowel disease environment. Aged nanoplastics showed greater toxicity in inflamed gut cell models, suggesting IBD patients may be at higher risk from nanoplastic exposure.

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

Microplastics - Back to Reality: Impact of Pristine and Aged Microplastics in Soil on Earthworm Eisenia fetida under Environmentally Relevant Conditions

Researchers compared the effects of new versus sunlight-aged polyethylene microplastics on earthworms at real-world contamination levels, finding that aged particles caused more harm. The aged microplastics accumulated more in earthworm guts, caused greater tissue damage, and shifted gut bacteria away from beneficial species toward harmful ones. This is significant because most microplastics in the environment have been aged by sunlight, meaning their actual impact on soil health and the food chain may be worse than lab studies using fresh plastics suggest.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Photoaging of polystyrene microspheres causes oxidative alterations to surface physicochemistry and enhances airway epithelial toxicity

Researchers aged polystyrene microplastics with UV light and then tested their effects on human lung cells. They found that UV-weathered particles caused more pronounced biological responses than fresh ones, including cell cycle disruption, altered cell shape, and impaired wound healing. The study suggests that environmental aging of airborne microplastics may increase their potential to harm respiratory tissues.

2023 Toxicological Sciences 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Aged polystyrene microplastics cause reproductive impairment via DNA-damage induced apoptosis in Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers found that sunlight-aged polystyrene microplastics caused significantly more reproductive damage than fresh microplastics in a laboratory worm model. The aged particles triggered DNA damage and programmed cell death in reproductive tissue through a specific signaling pathway. This matters because microplastics in the real environment are typically weathered by sunlight, making them potentially more harmful to fertility than laboratory studies using new plastics would suggest.

2024 Chemosphere 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Aged Biodegradable Nanoplastics Enhance Body Accumulation Associated with Worse Neuronal Damage in Caenorhabditis elegans

Scientists studied how UV-aged biodegradable nanoplastics from common biodegradable plastics (PBS and PBAT) affect tiny worms used as a model organism. They found that after sun exposure, these nanoplastics became smaller and accumulated more in the worms' bodies, causing worse nerve damage than fresh particles. This suggests that as biodegradable plastics break down in the environment, they may actually become more harmful to nervous systems over time.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential toxicity of nanopolystyrene on lifespan and aging process of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers chronically exposed C. elegans to nanopolystyrene across their aging lifespan and found that high concentrations shortened lifespan while lower concentrations still impaired locomotion and elevated intestinal reactive oxygen species in older animals, with nanoplastic exposure progressively suppressing immune genes, antioxidant defenses, and mitochondrial stress responses as worms aged.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 91 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced hepatic metabolic perturbation of polystyrene nanoplastics by UV irradiation-induced hydroxyl radical generation

Researchers found that ultraviolet light exposure changes the surface properties of polystyrene nanoplastics, making them more toxic to mouse livers than untreated particles. The UV-altered nanoplastics caused greater disruption to liver metabolism, triggering increased oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. The study highlights that environmental weathering can make nanoplastics more harmful over time, which means laboratory studies using pristine particles may underestimate real-world health risks.

2023 Journal of Environmental Sciences 17 citations