Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Exposure to polystyrene microplastics reduces regeneration and growth in planarians

Researchers exposed planarians (Dugesia japonica) to polystyrene microplastics to study effects on regeneration, growth, and stem cell function. The study found that microplastic exposure significantly reduced tissue regeneration and growth rates while increasing oxidative stress markers. The findings suggest that microplastics can impair fundamental biological processes like tissue repair and stem cell function in freshwater organisms.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics altered cellular responses, physiology, behaviour, and regeneration of planarians feeding on contaminated prey

Researchers found that planarians feeding on microplastic-contaminated prey showed altered behavior, impaired physiology, and reduced regeneration capacity, demonstrating that microplastics can transfer through freshwater food chains and harm predatory invertebrates.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Exposure Across Trophic Levels: Effects on the Host Microbiota of Freshwater Organisms

Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects the gut bacteria communities of freshwater organisms including fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. Microplastics—particularly when combined with pesticides—altered gut microbiota composition, which could impair digestion, immunity, and overall health of freshwater species.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamics of interaction and effects of microplastics on planarian tissue regeneration and cellular homeostasis

Microplastic exposure in freshwater planarians disrupted their tissue regeneration capacity and cellular homeostasis, with effects worsening at higher concentrations. Planarians are valued model organisms for studying regeneration, and these findings suggest microplastics can impair fundamental biological repair processes in aquatic invertebrates.

2019 Aquatic Toxicology 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Dietary consumption of polypropylene microplastics alter the biochemical parameters and histological response in freshwater benthic mollusc Pomacea paludosa

Researchers exposed freshwater snails (Pomacea paludosa) to polypropylene microplastics through their diet at three concentrations over 28 days and measured biochemical and tissue-level responses. They found significant changes in antioxidant enzyme activity and histological damage in the digestive gland, with effects worsening at higher concentrations. The study suggests that dietary microplastic exposure can cause oxidative stress and organ damage in freshwater benthic organisms.

2022 Environmental Research 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on Daphnia-associated microbiomes in situ and in vitro

This study investigated how microplastic exposure alters the microbiome associated with Daphnia in freshwater, finding shifts in bacterial community composition that may affect host health and ecological function. The results suggest that microplastics can indirectly harm zooplankton by disrupting their microbial symbionts.

2024
Article Tier 2

Responses of submerged plant Vallisneria natans growth and leaf biofilms to water contaminated with microplastics

Researchers exposed the submerged aquatic plant Vallisneria natans to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics and observed increased antioxidant enzyme activity and cellular organelle damage. The microplastics also altered the microbial community composition on leaf biofilms. The findings indicate that even moderate microplastic concentrations can disrupt plant defense mechanisms and shift the microbial ecology of aquatic environments.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Different effects of nano- and microplastics on oxidative status and gut microbiota in the marine medaka Oryzias melastigma

Researchers compared the effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on oxidative stress and gut microbiota in marine medaka fish. They found that nanoplastics caused more severe oxidative damage and greater disruption to the gut microbial community than larger microplastic particles. The study suggests that particle size plays a critical role in determining the biological impact of plastic pollution on aquatic organisms.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 244 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of microplastics on oxidative stress appearance and activity of antioxidant enzymes in duckweed (Lemna minor L.)

Researchers examined the effects of microplastics on oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activity in ducks, finding that microplastic exposure triggered measurable changes in oxidative balance and enzymatic defenses. The study contributes evidence that microplastic ingestion induces biochemical stress responses in avian species exposed through contaminated aquatic environments.

2024 Repository of the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics induce gut microbiome and metabolome changes in Javanese medaka fish (Oryzias javanicus Bleeker, 1854)

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic exposure altered gut microbiome composition and metabolic profiles in Javanese medaka fish, with effects on amino acid and lipid metabolism pathways suggesting microplastics can disrupt gut health in aquatic organisms.

2022 Toxicology Reports 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics induce intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and disorders of metabolome and microbiome in zebrafish

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found significant intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and disruption of both the gut microbiome and metabolic processes. The microplastics altered the balance of beneficial and harmful gut bacteria and changed the levels of key metabolites involved in energy and amino acid metabolism. The study provides detailed evidence that microplastic ingestion can cause widespread disruption to gut health in aquatic organisms.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 898 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastics on the Activity of Digestive and Oxidative-Stress-Related Enzymes in Peled Whitefish (Coregonus peled Gmelin) Larvae

Researchers exposed peled whitefish larvae to polystyrene microplastics and measured changes in digestive and antioxidant enzyme activity as indicators of stress. They found that microplastic exposure disrupted normal enzyme functions, suggesting impaired digestion and increased oxidative stress even at relatively low concentrations. The study provides evidence that microplastic contamination in freshwater environments may harm the development and survival of commercially valuable fish species during their most vulnerable life stages.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics and the associated plastisphere on physiological, biochemical, genetic expression and gut microbiota of the filter-feeder amphioxus

Researchers exposed filter-feeding amphioxus to weathered microplastics colonized by natural marine biofilms and found significant impacts on physiology, biochemistry, and gut microbiota under starvation conditions. The weathered plastics with their attached microbial communities caused more disruption than pristine particles typically used in lab studies. The findings suggest that real-world microplastic pollution, complete with its biofilm coating, may pose greater risks to marine filter feeders than laboratory experiments usually indicate.

2023 Environment International 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms

Researchers examined how microplastic exposure across trophic levels affects the gut microbiota of freshwater organisms, finding that microplastics alter microbial community composition and that effects can transfer through food web interactions.

2022 Environmental Microbiome 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Changes in life-history traits, antioxidant defense, energy metabolism and molecular outcomes in the cladoceran Daphnia pulex after exposure to polystyrene microplastics

Researchers exposed the freshwater zooplankton Daphnia pulex to polystyrene microplastics and observed dose-dependent effects on survival, antioxidant capacity, and energy metabolism. The study found that microplastics accumulated in the digestive tract, caused lipid oxidative damage, disrupted sugar and fat metabolism, and activated DNA repair mechanisms while inhibiting lipid metabolism pathways.

2022 Chemosphere 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Effect of Polyethylene Microplastics in the Freshwater Leech Erpobdella johanssoni (Annelida, Hirudinida) Through Integrated Biomarkers and Histopathological Analysis

Researchers exposed freshwater leeches to polyethylene microplastics at concentrations found in the environment and observed signs of oxidative damage and tissue injury even at the lowest doses tested. The leeches showed increased levels of stress-related enzymes and structural damage to muscle, reproductive, and body wall tissues in a dose-dependent manner. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may be harming freshwater invertebrates more broadly than previously recognized.

2025 Animals 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on Daphnia -associated microbiomes in situ and in vitro

Researchers examined how microplastics affect the microbiome of Daphnia, a keystone freshwater organism, through both field sampling and controlled laboratory experiments. Using DNA sequencing techniques, they found that microplastic exposure altered the composition of bacterial communities associated with Daphnia. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may disrupt the beneficial microbial relationships that support the health of important freshwater species.

2024 The ISME Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in market bivalves from South Korea

Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene microplastics on the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna, a key species in aquatic food webs. They found that microplastic exposure impaired reproduction, reduced growth, and caused oxidative stress even at relatively low concentrations. The study highlights that these tiny plastic particles can harm small freshwater organisms that play a critical role in maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems.

2018 Environmental Pollution 475 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi stress system: Microplastics in freshwater and their effects on host microbiota

This study examined how combined exposure to microplastics and organic chemical pollutants affects freshwater organisms through a multi-stress approach, focusing on gut microbiome changes as an indicator. Microplastic exposure in combination with other pollutants altered microbiome composition more than either stressor alone, with potential consequences for host fitness and disease resistance.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics exposure on mussel (Mytilus edulis) gut microbiota

Researchers exposed marine mussels (Mytilus edulis) to microplastics and analyzed changes to their gut microbiota, finding significant shifts in microbial community composition that could affect digestion, immunity, and overall health.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 111 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene Microplastics Affected Survival Rate, Food Intake and Altered Oxidative Stress Parameters in Freshwater Snail Indoplanorbis exustus

Researchers exposed freshwater snails to various concentrations of low-density polyethylene microplastics and measured the effects on survival and physiology. The study found significant increases in oxidative stress markers and lipid peroxidation, along with reduced food intake and body weight, at higher concentrations. Evidence indicates that microplastics cause broad physiological impairment in freshwater invertebrates, and affected snails failed to recover even after exposure ended.

2023 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 7 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Is microplastic an oxidative stressor? Evidence from a meta-analysis on bivalves

Microplastics induce time-dependent oxidative stress in bivalves, with antioxidant enzymes (GPx, GST, SOD) increasing during short-term exposure but declining after long-term exposure, while glutathione levels and catalase activity remained elevated throughout and may serve as reliable biomarkers of sublethal microplastic effects.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 199 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of long-term polystyrene microplastic exposure on gut microbiota, antioxidant capacity, and digestive enzyme activities in Thamnaconus septentrionalis

Researchers exposed filefish (Thamnaconus septentrionalis) to 1 and 5 µm polystyrene microplastics for 30 days and examined gut microbiota, antioxidant capacity, and digestive enzymes. Both particle sizes disrupted gut microbial diversity and reduced antioxidant defenses, with smaller particles generally causing more pronounced effects.

2025 Israeli Journal of Aquaculture - Bamidgeh
Article Tier 2

Adaptive gut microbiota dysbiosis coupled with altered fatty acid metabolism in apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata): A potential strategy against polystyrene microplastic stress

Researchers exposed apple snails to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found that higher concentrations reduced food intake and weight gain while causing oxidative stress in intestinal tissues. The microplastics also significantly altered the snails' gut microbiome composition and disrupted fatty acid metabolism. The study suggests that freshwater snails may adapt to microplastic stress through changes in their gut bacteria and metabolic pathways, though at a cost to their overall health.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations