Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The influence of microplastics on the toxic effects and biodegradation of bisphenol A in the microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics inhibited the biodegradation of bisphenol A (BPA) by the microalga Chlorella vulgaris, with combined exposure showing greater toxicity than either contaminant alone due to BPA adsorption onto microplastic surfaces.

2022 Research Square (Research Square) 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Algal EPS modifies the toxicity potential of the mixture of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) and triphenyl phosphate in freshwater microalgae Chlorella sp.

Researchers found that a natural substance produced by algae (extracellular polymeric substances, or EPS) can reduce the toxic effects of nanoplastics combined with a flame retardant chemical in freshwater. The EPS coated the nanoplastics and reduced their ability to harm algal cells. This natural protective mechanism could play an important role in how aquatic ecosystems buffer against the combined threat of microplastics and chemical pollutants.

2024 Chemosphere 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of benzophenone-3 additive in chronic toxicity of polyethylene microplastic fragments to Daphnia magna

Researchers studied how the UV-filter additive benzophenone-3 in polyethylene microplastics affects chronic toxicity in the water flea Daphnia magna. Surprisingly, daphnids exposed to microplastics containing BP-3 had higher survival rates than those exposed to plain microplastics, likely because BP-3 leachate altered the organisms' light-seeking behavior, reducing their microplastic intake. However, both BP-3-containing microplastics and BP-3 alone negatively affected reproduction, suggesting the additive introduces distinct toxicity concerns.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Hetero-Aggregation of Nanoplastics with Freshwater Algae and the Toxicological Consequences: The Role of Extracellular Polymeric Substances

Researchers studied how polystyrene and polylactic acid nanoplastics hetero-aggregate with the alga Chlorella vulgaris, finding that extracellular polymeric substances released by algae strongly influenced aggregation behavior and that aggregation altered the toxicity of nanoplastics.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Algal extracellular polymeric substances (algal-EPS) for mitigating the combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and nano-TiO2 in Chlorella sp.

This study found that algal extracellular polymeric substances can coat both polystyrene nanoplastics and titanium dioxide nanoparticles and reduce their combined toxic effects on the green alga Chlorella, suggesting that natural organic matter in marine environments can buffer combined nanoparticle toxicity.

2023 Nanotoxicology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics leachate may play a more important role than microplastics in inhibiting microalga Chlorella vulgaris growth at cellular and molecular levels

Researchers found that chemical compounds leaching from aged microplastics may be more harmful to algae than the microplastic particles themselves. UV-weathered polyethylene and PVC released substances that inhibited algae growth, caused oxidative stress, and altered gene expression more severely than direct particle exposure. The study suggests that the chemicals released by degrading microplastics deserve more attention as a source of aquatic toxicity.

2023 Environmental Pollution 41 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of algal EPS in reducing the combined toxicity of BPA and polystyrene nanoparticles to the freshwater algae Scenedesmus obliquus

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and the industrial chemical BPA affect freshwater algae when combined, and whether the algae's own protective secretions could reduce the damage. Carboxylated nanoplastics were the most toxic form, and the algae's natural exopolymeric substances helped buffer the combined toxicity. The findings suggest that biological interactions in real waterways may partially mitigate some harmful effects of nanoplastic pollution.

2023 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent adsorption of waterborne Benzophenone-3 on microplastics and its desorption under simulated gastrointestinal conditions

Researchers studied how the UV filter Benzophenone-3 adsorbs onto microplastics of different sizes and found that smaller particles bound more contaminant per unit mass; simulated gastrointestinal conditions caused significant desorption, suggesting microplastics could enhance chemical exposure in organisms that ingest them.

2021 Chemosphere 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polyethylene microplastic biodegradation by algae on their sorption properties and toxicity

Researchers studied how algal biodegradation of high-density polyethylene microplastics changes their ability to adsorb UV filter chemicals. The study found that biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces altered their sorption properties through multiple mechanisms, and that high concentrations of these microplastics inhibited algal growth and reduced protein and chlorophyll levels.

2024 Chemosphere 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Additives and biofilm formation on microplastics : insights from benzophenone-3 in polyethylene

Researchers investigated how the UV-filter additive benzophenone-3 (BP-3) embedded in polyethylene microplastics affects biofilm formation and environmental aging in freshwater. BP-3-containing MPs developed different biofilm communities and aged differently compared to pristine MPs, demonstrating that additives significantly shape the environmental behavior of microplastics.

2025 Repository of the University of Ljubljana (University of Ljubljana)
Article Tier 2

Leaching behavior of fluorescent additives from microplastics and the toxicity of leachate to Chlorella vulgaris

Researchers studied how fluorescent chemical additives leach from polyurethane sponge microplastics into different water environments. They found that the amount of additives released increased with higher pH and longer leaching times, with basic and saline waters extracting the most chemicals. The leachate reduced photosynthetic efficiency in the green alga Chlorella vulgaris, suggesting that chemicals leaching from microplastics may pose ecological risks to aquatic organisms.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 324 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics attenuated the impact of perfluorobutanoic acid on Chlorella sorokiniana: Hetero-aggregation, bioavailability, physiology, and transcriptomics

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics interact with PFBA (a type of forever chemical) when both are present around green algae. Surprisingly, the microplastics actually reduced the toxic effects of PFBA on the algae by binding to the chemical and making it less available, showing that pollutant interactions in the environment can be more complex than expected.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro-polyethylene particles reduce the toxicity of nano zinc oxide in marine microalgae by adsorption

Researchers discovered that polyethylene microplastic particles reduced the toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles to marine microalgae by adsorbing the nanoparticles onto their surface, revealing that microplastics can modify the bioavailability of co-occurring contaminants.

2021 Environmental Pollution 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined toxicity assessment of primary or UV-aged microplastics and adsorbed organic pollutants on microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers investigated the single and combined toxicity of polyamide microplastics with the pollutants sulfamethoxazole and dicamba on the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa. They found that UV-aged microplastics caused different toxic effects than pristine ones, and that microplastics altered the bioavailability and toxicity of the co-occurring pollutants. The study suggests that environmental aging of microplastics changes their interactions with other contaminants, potentially affecting aquatic organisms in complex ways.

2022 Environmental Pollution 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the Single and Combined Effects of BMDM and PS Microplastics on Chlorella sp.: Physiological and Transcriptomic Insights

Researchers exposed the alga Chlorella sp. to a UV-absorber chemical (BMDM) and polystyrene microplastics individually and in combination, finding that combined exposure produced an antagonistic effect—less total cellular and gene expression disruption than either stressor alone.

2025 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Distinct Effect of Benzophenone-3 Additive Leaching from Polyethylene Microplastics on Daphnia magna Population Dynamics

This study found that chemical additives leaching from polyethylene microplastics — specifically the UV stabilizer benzophenone-3 — caused significantly more harm to water flea (Daphnia magna) populations than the microplastic particles themselves. Leachate from the plastic delayed development and stunted growth, resulting in a population nearly 15 times smaller after 18 days compared to controls. The plastic particles alone did not cause significant population decline. This highlights that the hidden chemicals inside plastics may pose a greater ecological risk than the physical particles, a concern for aquatic food webs that ultimately link to human seafood consumption.

2025 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Low-concentration PVC microplastics alleviate the physiological toxicity of nortriptyline to Chlorella vulgaris and enhance its drug removal capacity

Low-concentration PVC microplastics were found to unexpectedly reduce the toxicity of the antidepressant nortriptyline to the green alga Chlorella vulgaris, while simultaneously enhancing the alga's ability to remove the drug from solution, suggesting complex interaction effects.

2025 Environmental Engineering Research
Article Tier 2

The utilization of exopolysaccharide (EPS) from microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in microplastic removal

Researchers investigated whether exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by Chlorella vulgaris microalgae can facilitate the removal of polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics from aquatic systems, while also examining microplastic effects on algal growth. The study demonstrates that EPS functions as a bioflocculant capable of binding microplastics, with implications for biologically-based water treatment.

2024 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Ingestion and contact with polyethylene microplastics does not cause acute toxicity on marine zooplankton

Researchers tested polyethylene microplastics, including particles spiked with the UV filter benzophenone-3, on a range of marine zooplankton and found no acute toxicity at the concentrations tested. The study suggests that short-term exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of virgin polyethylene microplastics may not cause immediate lethal effects on marine zooplankton, though chronic and sub-lethal impacts were not assessed.

2018 Journal of Hazardous Materials 218 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effect of polystyrene microplastics and dibutyl phthalate on the microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers investigated the combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics and the plasticizer dibutyl phthalate on the microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa. They found that smaller microplastics were more toxic than larger ones, and the interaction between microplastics and the plasticizer ranged from additive to antagonistic depending on concentration. At higher microplastic levels, the particles actually reduced the bioavailability of the plasticizer, partially offsetting its toxic effects.

2019 Environmental Pollution 201 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics do not increase bioaccumulation or toxicity of nonylphenol and 4-MBC to marine zooplankton

Marine zooplankton (copepods and sea urchin larvae) were exposed to polyethylene microplastics and two model hydrophobic chemicals (nonylphenol, 4-MBC) alone and in combination, and while both species actively ingested MPs, the microplastics did not increase bioaccumulation or toxicity of either chemical. The study challenges the vector hypothesis for these compounds, suggesting that microplastic ingestion does not always enhance chemical uptake.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 70 citations
Article Tier 2

The combined toxicity influence of microplastics and nonylphenol on microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Researchers examined the combined toxicity of nonylphenol and several types of microplastics on the freshwater microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The study found that microplastics of different polymer types and sizes interacted with nonylphenol in complex ways, affecting algal growth, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant enzyme activity, demonstrating that co-exposure to microplastics and organic pollutants can produce combined toxic effects.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 252 citations
Article Tier 2

An ecotoxicological approach towards the understanding of the impacts of micro- and nanoplastics in the marine environment

This PhD thesis investigated how micro- and nanoplastics affect marine microalgae and associated microbial consortia, examining how extracellular polymeric substances mediate plastic-biota interactions and how these effects cascade to higher trophic levels in marine food webs.

2025 Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University)
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effect of microplastic fragments and benzophenone‐3 additives on lethal and sublethal Daphnia magna toxicity

Researchers assessed the combined effects of polyethylene microplastic fragments and the UV-filter additive benzophenone-3 on the water flea Daphnia magna. They found that microplastic fragments were significantly more acutely toxic than the dissolved additive alone, and the combination produced synergistic lethal and sublethal effects. The study highlights that microplastic particles carrying chemical additives may pose greater risks to aquatic invertebrates than either stressor in isolation.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 120 citations