Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Application of freshwater microalgae Scenedesmus sp. for determining the toxicity of polypropylene microplastic particles

Polypropylene microplastics were found to be toxic to the freshwater microalgae Scenedesmus sp. in a dose-dependent manner. Since microalgae form the base of aquatic food chains, their sensitivity to microplastic exposure has cascading implications for freshwater ecosystems.

2021 Repository of Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology University of Zagreb
Article Tier 2

Toxic Effects of Microplastics on Culture Scenedesmus quadricauda: Interactions between Microplastics and Algae

Researchers found that microplastics from multiple polymer types inhibit growth of the freshwater alga Scenedesmus quadricauda and induce oxidative stress, with toxicity varying by polymer type, particle size, and concentration.

2021 Moscow University Biological Sciences Bulletin 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics particle size on the toxicity of the microalgae Scenedesmus sp.

This study tested how particle size affects the toxicity of microplastics to freshwater microalgae (Scenedesmus sp.), finding that smaller particles were more toxic. The size-dependent toxicity of microplastics is important for risk assessment, as environmental samples contain particles of widely varying sizes.

2021 Repository of Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology University of Zagreb
Article Tier 2

Effects of polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics on growth and photosynthetic pigment synthesis by Scenedesmus sp.

Researchers tested the effects of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on the growth and photosynthetic pigments of Scenedesmus microalgae at three concentrations. They found that microplastic exposure negatively impacted both algal growth and chlorophyll production regardless of polymer type, with smaller particles and higher concentrations causing the most pronounced effects. The study also detected several phthalate compounds leaching from the microplastics, raising additional ecological concerns.

2024 Environmental Engineering Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics on cell growth, intracellular products and oxidative stress of Scenedesmus sp.

Researchers exposed freshwater microalgae to PET microplastics, a common plastic found in beverage bottles and textiles. Higher concentrations of PET particles significantly reduced algal growth and disrupted the cells' internal production of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins. The study suggests that PET microplastic pollution in wastewater could harm the tiny organisms that form the foundation of aquatic food webs.

2023 Chemosphere 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of microalga Scenedesmus quadricauda

Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to disrupt the physiology and biochemistry of freshwater microalgae, affecting photosynthesis, growth rates, and oxidative stress markers at environmentally relevant concentrations. The results highlight nanoplastics as a threat to phytoplankton, the base of freshwater food webs.

2022 Environmental Pollution 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the Influence of Size and Concentration on the Ecotoxicity of Microplastics to Microalgae Scenedesmus sp., Bacterium Pseudomonas putida and Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Researchers assessed the ecotoxicity of five common microplastic types on microalgae, bacteria, and yeast, finding that polyvinyl chloride caused the most growth inhibition and that smaller particle sizes generally increased harmful effects.

2022 Polymers 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics and Spirulina sp. microalgae in aquatic systems

Researchers evaluated interactions between polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics and Spirulina microalgae, finding that microplastics inhibited algal growth and pigment production while Spirulina showed limited ability to degrade the plastic surfaces.

2021 Heliyon 121 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction between polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastic and microalgae (Scenedesmus spp.): Effect on the growth, chlorophyll content, and hetero-aggregation

Researchers exposed two types of freshwater microalgae to PET microplastics at various concentrations, finding that higher levels significantly stunted growth, reduced chlorophyll, and caused the algae to cluster around the plastic particles. This "hetero-aggregation" behavior suggests microplastics can physically trap microalgae, potentially disrupting aquatic food webs that depend on algae as a foundation.

2023 Environmental Advances 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of leachates from UV-weathered microplastic on the microalgae Scenedesmus vacuolatus

Researchers studied the effects of chemical leachates from UV-weathered microplastics on the green algae Scenedesmus vacuolatus. The study found that leachates from additive-containing electronic waste plastics caused severe effects, while virgin polymer leachates generally did not, except for polyethylene, whose degradation products reduced algae growth and photosynthetic activity.

2021 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Microparticles on Growth and Physiological Metabolism of Microalgae Scendesmus obliquus

Researchers examined the toxic effects of polystyrene microparticles on the microalga Scenedesmus obliquus, finding that exposure inhibited growth and disrupted photosynthesis and antioxidant defense systems in a concentration-dependent manner.

2023 Sustainability 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on Growth and Lipid Accumulation in Scenedesmus quadricauda

Researchers exposed the microalga Scenedesmus quadricauda to polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene microplastics at 250 mg/L in four size fractions (50–500 µm) and found all MPs suppressed algal growth while increasing lipid accumulation. Polypropylene caused the strongest inhibitory effects and the highest lipid yield—especially at the smallest 50 µm size—suggesting MPs stress-drive lipid overproduction in microalgae.

2025 Fermentation 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on freshwater and marine microalgae

This book chapter reviews the effects of microplastics on freshwater and marine microalgae, covering how different plastic types and sizes affect algal growth, photosynthesis, and reproduction. Microalgae form the base of aquatic food webs, so plastic-induced disruption to algal communities could have cascading effects throughout ecosystems.

2020 IWA Publishing eBooks 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of polystyrene microplastics in freshwater algae Scenedesmus obliquus: Effects of particle size and surface charge

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and surface charges affect the freshwater algae Scenedesmus obliquus. The study found that smaller 1-micrometer particles caused greater oxidative stress, reduced photosynthetic effectiveness, and decreased membrane integrity compared to larger 12-micrometer particles, with effects being dose-dependent.

2022 Toxicology Reports 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Implication of microplastic toxicity on functioning of microalgae in aquatic system

This review examined how microplastics interact with and affect microalgae, which serve as primary producers in aquatic ecosystems. Researchers analyzed the toxic effects of both single and mixed plastic particles on microalgae cells, including impacts on photosynthesis, growth, and cellular function. The study highlights that microplastic toxicity to microalgae could have cascading effects throughout aquatic food webs.

2022 Environmental Pollution 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics exposure on the photosynthesis system of freshwater algae

Researchers investigated how polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect the photosynthesis system of freshwater algae and found that both types reduced chlorophyll content and impaired photosynthetic efficiency. The damage was concentration-dependent and worsened over the growth period. The study highlights that microplastic pollution in freshwater can harm algae, which form the base of aquatic food chains.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 416 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nano-plastics and microalgae in aquatic environment: Influence factor, interaction, and molecular mechanisms.

This review examined the interactions between micro/nanoplastics and microalgae in aquatic environments, summarizing how plastic particle size, surface chemistry, and co-pollutants influence algal toxicity through oxidative stress, photosynthesis inhibition, and gene expression changes.

2024 The Science of the total environment
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Evaluating physiological responses of microalgae towards environmentally coexisting microplastics: A meta-analysis

A meta-analysis of 52 studies found that microplastics inhibit microalgal growth and photosynthesis and induce oxidative damage, though microalgae can recover over time. Cyanobacteria are more vulnerable than green algae, and the relative size of microplastics to algal cells governs the mechanism of impact, while aged versus pristine microplastics have opposite effects on extracellular polymeric substance and microcystin production.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic interactions with freshwater microalgae: Hetero-aggregation and changes in plastic density appear strongly dependent on polymer type

Researchers studied interactions between microplastics and freshwater microalgae, finding that microplastics can physically attach to algal cells to form hetero-aggregates, altering both particle behavior and algal physiology.

2016 Environmental Pollution 704 citations
Article Tier 2

Microalgae–microplastics interactions at environmentally relevant concentrations: Implications toward ecology, bioeconomy, and UN SDGs

This study investigated how microalgae interact with microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations, examining growth inhibition, aggregation, and photosynthetic effects, with implications for aquatic ecosystem function and the feasibility of microalgae-based bioremediation.

2023 Water Research 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of contaminant-spiked polyethylene-type microplastics on the growth and primary production of the freshwater phytoplankton species Scenedesmus armatus and Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics spiked with amoxicillin or other contaminants inhibited the growth and photosynthesis of freshwater phytoplankton species Scenedesmus armatus and Microcystis aeruginosa. The combined contaminant-carrying microplastics caused greater toxicity to primary producers than either MPs or antibiotics alone.

2022 Environmental and Experimental Botany 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Concentration dependent toxicity of microplastics to marine microalgae

A dose-response study of microplastic effects on marine microalgae found concentration-dependent toxicity across multiple species, with higher MP concentrations reducing growth rates, photosynthesis efficiency, and chlorophyll content, confirming that microplastics pose risks to the base of marine food webs.

2025 Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Polyethylene Microplastics on Growth and Antioxydant Response of Oscillatoria Princeps and Chlorella Pyrenoidosa

Researchers exposed two freshwater algae species to polyethylene microplastics of different sizes and found that the particles disrupted photosynthesis and altered antioxidant enzyme activity. Smaller microplastics generally caused more pronounced effects, and the two species responded differently to the stress. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in freshwater environments could impair the growth of organisms at the base of aquatic food webs.

2024 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the Interaction Among Microalgae Spirulina sp, Plastics Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polypropylene in Freshwater Environment

This study examined interactions between the microalga Spirulina sp. and two common plastics (PET and polypropylene) in freshwater, assessing how plastic degradation and algal growth affect each other in a simulated aquatic environment.

2019 Journal of Ecological Engineering 142 citations