Papers

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Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with different functional groups on the accumulation and toxicity of Pb on dandelion

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface functional groups significantly altered lead accumulation and toxicity in dandelion plants, with amino-modified particles increasing lead uptake while carboxy-modified particles reduced it.

2022 Chemosphere 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of nanoparticle surface charge in their toxicity

This study examined how surface charge (carboxyl vs. amino functionalization) affects the toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles formed during plastic degradation, noting that nanoparticle toxicity can differ substantially from bulk material. Results highlighted that surface chemistry is a critical determinant of nanoparticle behavior in biological environments.

2024 E3S Web of Conferences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of co-toxicity of lead and nanoplastics on the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in dandelion (Taraxacum asiaticum Dahlst)

Researchers found that nanoplastics and lead co-exposure inhibits flavonoid biosynthesis in dandelions by causing membrane lipid peroxidation and disrupting enzyme activity, with positively charged nanoplastics showing stronger inhibitory effects than negatively charged ones.

2022 Planta 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of cadmium and polystyrene nanoplastics on the growth, antioxidant content, ionome, and metabolism of dandelion seedlings

This study examined how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, and found that the combination worsened the toxic effects on dandelion seedlings beyond what either pollutant caused alone. The findings highlight that nanoplastics can change how heavy metals behave in the environment, potentially increasing the amount of toxic metals that enter the food chain through contaminated plants.

2024 Environmental Pollution 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with different functional groups on rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings: Combined transcriptome, enzymology, and physiology

Researchers exposed rice seedlings to polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface chemistries and found that all types reduced plant growth and photosynthetic ability. The amino-modified (positively charged) nanoplastics caused the most severe damage, reducing shoot growth by over 40% and dry weight by more than 70%. The study revealed that different surface modifications trigger distinct biological responses in the plant, affecting everything from ion transport to protein synthesis.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface charge on seedling establishment of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.)

Researchers compared the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface charges on Chinese cabbage seedlings. The study found that positively charged amino-modified nanoplastics caused more severe phytotoxicity than negatively charged particles, significantly reducing photosynthetic pigment contents during plant growth stages.

2021 Chemosphere 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Differentially charged nanoplastics demonstrate distinct accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Researchers exposed Arabidopsis thaliana plants to positively and negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics and found that charge determined accumulation patterns, with positively charged particles penetrating deeper into root and leaf tissues than negatively charged ones.

2020 Nature Nanotechnology 1121 citations
Article Tier 2

Do nanoplastics impact Pb up-taking by Hordeum vulgare L.?

This study used the RHIZOtest system to investigate how polystyrene nanoplastics affect lead uptake in barley plants, finding that nanoplastics reduced lead bioaccumulation by adsorbing the metal and reducing its bioavailability to roots. At the highest lead concentrations, the adsorption effect was most pronounced.

2024 NanoImpact 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Functional Group Modification on the Toxicity of Nanoplastics

This review examines how different functional group modifications on the surface of nanoplastics influence their toxicity to microorganisms, plants, animals, and human cells. Researchers found that surface charge and specific functional groups significantly alter how nanoplastics interact with biological systems, with positively charged particles generally showing greater toxicity. The study underscores that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics is a critical factor in determining their environmental and health risks.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 65 citations
Article Tier 2

What Is on the Outside Matters—Surface Charge and Dissolve Organic Matter Association Affect the Toxicity and Physiological Mode of Action of Polystyrene Nanoplastics toC. elegans

Researchers investigated how surface charge and organic matter coatings affect the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics to the nematode C. elegans. Positively charged nanoplastics were over 60 times more toxic than negatively charged ones, and organic matter coatings reduced toxicity across all particle types. The findings suggest that surface chemistry plays a critical role in nanoplastic toxicity and should be considered when assessing environmental risks.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 79 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of nanoplastics' surface charge on the formation of protein corona and the subsequent sorption of Cd2 + and Pb2+ ions

Researchers investigated how protein corona formation on positively and negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics affected the subsequent adsorption of cadmium and lead ions, finding that surface charge influenced glycoprotein adsorption but that protein-coated particles from both charge types accumulated similar heavy metal loads in human serum.

2025 Colloids and Surfaces C Environmental Aspects
Article Tier 2

Effect of salinity and humic acid on the aggregation and toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics with different functional groups and charges

Researchers showed that surface charge governs nanoplastic behavior in water — higher salinity caused negatively charged nanoplastics to aggregate while positively charged particles remained stable — and that humic acid (dissolved organic matter) alleviated toxicity to Daphnia, increasing survival from 15% to nearly 100% in some cases.

2018 Environmental Pollution 289 citations
Article Tier 2

Charge-selective polystyrene nanoplastic retention by plant cell walls: Pectin domains dictate differential accumulation in rice seedling roots and shoots

A study of rice seedling roots found that plant cell walls act as a charge-selective barrier to nanoplastics: negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-COOH) accumulated nearly 4.5 times more in shoots than positively charged ones (PS-NH₂), while positive nanoplastics were preferentially retained in root cell walls by binding to pectin. The results are directly relevant to food safety because they show that nanoplastic surface chemistry determines how much plastic penetrates into the edible parts of a major global food crop.

2026 Eco-Environment & Health
Article Tier 2

Influence of nanoplastic surface charge on eco-corona formation, aggregation and toxicity to freshwater zooplankton

Researchers examined how surface charge and natural organic matter influence the stability and toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics to freshwater zooplankton. They found that positively charged nanoplastics were significantly more toxic than negatively charged ones, and that natural organic matter formed an eco-corona on the particles that reduced their toxicity. The study highlights that both particle surface properties and environmental conditions play critical roles in determining nanoplastic impacts on aquatic organisms.

2019 Environmental Pollution 242 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of foliar-applied polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface charges on tetracycline accumulation, phytotoxicity, and the endophytic microbiota in Chrysanthemum coronarium L.

Researchers applied polystyrene nanoplastics of different surface charges to chrysanthemum leaves and found that positively charged particles most strongly reduced antibiotic (tetracycline) uptake, suppressed iron absorption and chlorophyll production, and increased oxidative damage — while also reshaping the plant's internal microbiome — demonstrating that atmospheric nanoplastic deposition can alter both contaminant bioavailability and plant health.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Effect of functional groups of polystyrene nanoplastics on the neurodevelopmental toxicity of acrylamide in the early life stage of zebrafish

This zebrafish study found that nanoplastics with different surface coatings altered the neurodevelopmental toxicity of acrylamide, a common food contaminant formed during cooking. Positively charged nanoplastics worsened brain development problems by increasing acrylamide absorption, while negatively charged ones had a partially protective effect. The findings show that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics matters greatly for how they interact with other environmental contaminants to affect brain development.

2024 Aquatic Toxicology 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Competitive adsorption of lead and cadmium onto nanoplastics with different charges: Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy study

Researchers investigated how nanoplastics with different surface charges compete to adsorb the heavy metals lead and cadmium, finding that negatively charged nanoplastics bound more of both metals and that lead consistently outcompeted cadmium for binding sites. These results reveal that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics shapes their capacity to carry toxic metals through the environment, with implications for combined heavy-metal and nanoplastic risk in aquatic ecosystems.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Functionalized nanoplastics alter physiology and toxin production in Alexandrium pacificum through surface charge effects

Researchers tested how surface-modified nanoplastics affect the harmful algae species Alexandrium pacificum, which produces paralytic shellfish toxins. They found that amino-modified nanoplastics had greater bioavailability to the algae and altered the composition of toxins produced, while all nanoplastic types impaired photosynthesis and triggered oxidative stress. The study suggests that nanoplastic surface chemistry plays a critical role in determining how these particles interact with and affect marine microorganisms.

2026 Sustainable Horizons
Article Tier 2

Investigating the toxicities of different functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics on Daphnia magna

Researchers compared the toxicity of plain and surface-modified polystyrene nanoplastics on Daphnia water fleas, finding that unmodified particles were most lethal by activating stress kinase pathways, while surface-functionalized particles were less toxic — largely because positively charged particles aggregated rapidly in water and reduced their effective exposure concentration.

2019 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Roles of polystyrene micro/nano-plastics as carriers on the toxicity of Pb2+ to Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Researchers found that nano-sized polystyrene plastics intensified lead toxicity to green algae by facilitating internalization of absorbed lead, while micro-sized plastics reduced lead bioavailability through competitive adsorption, revealing size-dependent carrier effects.

2022 Chemosphere 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Hazard assessment of nanoplastics is driven by their surface-functionalization. Effects in human-derived primary endothelial cells

Researchers tested three types of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface coatings on human blood vessel cells and found that the surface chemistry dramatically affected their toxicity. Positively charged nanoplastics were the most harmful, killing cells, while all types caused DNA damage and oxidative stress. This study shows that as plastics break down in the environment and their surface properties change, their potential to harm the cardiovascular system may change in unpredictable ways.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Charge-specific impacts of polystyrene nanoplastics on acidogenesis and biofilm adaptation in Ethanoligenens harbinense

Positively and negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics had different effects on acidobacteria (a major group of soil bacteria), with charge-specific impacts on community composition and activity. The findings indicate that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics, not just their size, determines ecological impact.

2025 Bioresource Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Surface functionalization and size of polystyrene microplastics concomitantly regulate growth, photosynthesis and anti-oxidant status of Cicer arietinum L.

Researchers found that both the size and surface functionalization of polystyrene microplastics jointly affected chickpea seedling growth and photosynthesis, with aminated and smaller particles causing greater oxidative stress and growth inhibition, demonstrating that microplastic surface chemistry is a key determinant of phytotoxicity.

2022 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Cytotoxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with different surface functionalization on human HepG2 cells

Researchers exposed human liver (HepG2) cells to 50 nm polystyrene nanoparticles with three different surface chemistries and found that amino-functionalized particles caused the greatest cytotoxicity and oxidative stress, demonstrating that surface charge and chemistry — not just particle size — determine nanoplastic harm to human cells.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 211 citations