We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Photolytic degradation elevated the toxicity of polylactic acid microplastics to developing zebrafish by triggering mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis
ClearEnhanced reproductive toxicity of photodegraded polylactic acid microplastics in zebrafish
Researchers found that polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, often marketed as biodegradable, became more toxic after being broken down by sunlight. The sun-degraded PLA caused worse reproductive damage in zebrafish than the original material, disrupting hormone levels and egg development. This is concerning because PLA is widely used as an eco-friendly plastic alternative, but its breakdown products may actually pose greater risks to organisms and ecosystems.
Photoaging enhanced the adverse effects of polyamide microplastics on the growth, intestinal health, and lipid absorption in developing zebrafish
Researchers found that polyamide microplastics became significantly more harmful to developing zebrafish after being aged by simulated sunlight, shrinking in size and generating nanoplastic fragments. The aged particles caused greater damage to intestinal health, impaired lipid absorption, and stunted growth compared to unaged microplastics. The study demonstrates that environmental weathering can substantially increase the biological risks posed by microplastics in aquatic ecosystems.
Photo-Oxidative Degradation Mitigated the Developmental Toxicity of Polyamide Microplastics to Zebrafish Larvae by Modulating Macrophage-Triggered Proinflammatory Responses and Apoptosis
Visible light photo-oxidation of polyamide microplastics for 90 days reduced particle size, generated nanoparticles, and significantly mitigated developmental toxicity in zebrafish larvae by modulating macrophage-triggered inflammatory responses and apoptosis — suggesting weathering can reduce but not eliminate MP toxicity.
Assessment on intestinal health from polylactic acid microplastics degradation on rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus): Inflammation regulation by mitochondrial dysfunction
Researchers exposed rare minnow fish to photodegraded polylactic acid microplastics to assess intestinal health effects. The study found that these biodegradable plastic particles induced visible intestinal damage, triggered inflammation through mitochondrial dysfunction, and caused oxidative stress, suggesting that even biodegradable plastics may pose ecological risks after environmental degradation.
Photoaged microplastics induce neurotoxicity via oxidative stress and abnormal neurotransmission in zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio)
This study found that microplastics aged by sunlight were more toxic to zebrafish larvae than fresh microplastics, causing brain damage and abnormal behavior. The sun-aged particles triggered greater oxidative stress and disrupted neurotransmitter systems in the developing fish. This is concerning because most microplastics in the environment have been weathered by sunlight, meaning the real-world health risks may be greater than lab studies using fresh plastics suggest.
Aged polystyrene microplastics exposure affects apoptosis via inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in early life of zebrafish
Zebrafish embryos exposed to UV-aged polystyrene microplastics at environmental concentrations showed more severe developmental problems than those exposed to fresh microplastics. The aged particles caused greater oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage, triggering increased cell death during early development -- suggesting that weathered microplastics in the real environment may be more harmful than the pristine particles typically used in lab studies.
PhotodegradationElevated the Toxicity of PolystyreneMicroplastics to Grouper (Epinephelus moara) throughDisrupting Hepatic Lipid Homeostasis
UV light exposure made polystyrene microplastics more toxic to juvenile fish than either fresh or commercial polystyrene microbeads. Photodegradation reduced particle size, created nanoplastics, and caused surface oxidation, all of which increased harm to fish — suggesting that environmental weathering of plastic pollution may make it more dangerous over time.
Ecotoxicity of polylactic acid microplastic fragments to Daphnia magna and the effect of ultraviolet weathering
Scientists compared the toxicity of biodegradable PLA (polylactic acid) microplastics with conventional polyethylene microplastics on water fleas, a key species in aquatic food chains. The biodegradable PLA microplastics were actually more acutely toxic than conventional ones, partly because their higher density led to greater accumulation in the organisms. UV weathering further increased the toxicity of PLA microplastics, challenging the assumption that biodegradable plastics are automatically safer for the environment.
In-depth comparative immunotoxicity assessment of pristine and aged PLA microplastics in zebrafish larvae: Bioaccumulation and NF-κB signaling insights
Researchers compared the immunotoxic effects of pristine and UV-aged polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics on zebrafish larvae. They found that aged PLA showed greater bioaccumulation and stronger immunotoxic effects, including intensified oxidative stress, suppressed immune function, and activation of the NF-kB inflammatory signaling pathway. The study provides evidence that biodegradable plastics may pose greater ecological risks after environmental weathering than in their original form.
Toxic effects of biodegradable polylactic acid nanoplastics on developing zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Researchers exposed developing zebrafish embryos to polylactic acid (PLA) nanoplastics — marketed as a biodegradable plastic — and found significant toxicity including developmental defects, suggesting biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safe alternatives.
Photo-Aging of Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Microplastics
Researchers investigated the photo-aging of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, finding that UV exposure caused fragmentation that increased total particle numbers while decreasing average particle size. The study provides quantitative data on how biodegradable PLA plastics generate secondary microplastics through photoaging, a previously poorly characterized degradation pathway for this widely used industrial bioplastic.
Multiple endpoints of polylactic acid biomicroplastic toxicity in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic microparticles for 30 days and found accumulation in liver, brain, gills, and tissue, along with social behavior disruption, cholinergic changes, oxidative imbalance, and altered pigmentation — challenging the assumption that biodegradable bioplastics are environmentally benign.
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.
Photoaging of biodegradable nanoplastics regulates their toxicity to aquatic insects (Chironomus kiinensis) by impairing gut and disrupting intestinal microbiota
This study found that biodegradable PLA nanoplastics become more toxic after aging in sunlight, causing worse gut damage, oxidative stress, and disruption of gut bacteria in aquatic insects than fresh particles. The aging process made the particles smaller and more chemically reactive, enhancing their harmful effects. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer -- once they break down into nanoplastics in the environment, they may actually pose greater health risks.
Comparative toxicity of beach mesoplastics from South Spain: An in vitro approach
Researchers collected mesoplastic debris from five beaches in southern Spain and tested their toxicity on fish liver cells in the laboratory. They found that plastics subjected to simulated sunlight degradation generally released more harmful chemicals and showed greater toxicity, including increased DNA damage and oxidative stress. The study indicates that photodegraded beach plastics may pose a greater risk to marine organisms than intact plastic debris.
Impact of virgin and weathered microplastics on zebrafish: Bioaccumulation, developmental toxicity and molecular pathway disruptions
Researchers compared the effects of brand-new versus environmentally weathered microplastics on zebrafish larvae and found that weathered particles were far more toxic, causing 80% mortality compared to 20% for new plastics. The weathered microplastics triggered more severe disruptions to oxidative stress pathways, cell death signaling, and DNA repair mechanisms. The study emphasizes that laboratory tests using only pristine microplastics may significantly underestimate the real-world dangers of plastic pollution.
Plastic food? Energy compensation of zebrafish (Danio rerio) after long-term exposure to polylactic acid biomicroplastics
Zebrafish exposed to biodegradable PLA (polylactic acid) microplastics for 90 days accumulated more plastic in their guts than fish exposed to conventional PET plastic, and suffered more intestinal damage. Although the fish partially compensated by using the PLA breakdown products for energy, the study shows that bio-based plastics still carry meaningful ecological risks for aquatic organisms that can enter our food chain.
UV aging may enhance adsorption capacity of Poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) to heavy metals and toxicity to zebrafish
Researchers found that a biodegradable plastic called PBAT, when aged by UV sunlight, absorbed significantly more heavy metals like copper and lead than fresh PBAT. When zebrafish were exposed to these aged, metal-laden particles, they suffered greater toxic effects than from either the plastic or metals alone. This suggests that biodegradable plastics marketed as eco-friendly may actually become more dangerous over time by concentrating toxic metals from the environment.
Aged polylactic acid microplastics exacerbate lipid metabolism disorders and cardiac dysfunction via PPARγ activation in zebrafish: A comparative study with polymers and oligomers
Researchers compared the toxicity of polylactic acid microplastics at different degradation stages—polymers, oligomers, and aged polymers—in zebrafish larvae, finding that aged PLA most severely disrupted lipid metabolism and cardiac function through PPARγ activation.
Photodegradation Elevated the Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics to Grouper (Epinephelus moara) through Disrupting Hepatic Lipid Homeostasis
Researchers compared the toxicity of pristine, UV-photodegraded, and commercial polystyrene microplastics in juvenile grouper fish. The study found that photodegradation significantly elevated the toxicity of microplastics by disrupting hepatic lipid homeostasis, suggesting that weathered microplastics in the environment may be more harmful than their pristine counterparts.
Photodegradation Controls of Potential Toxicity of Secondary Sunscreen-Derived Microplastics and Associated Leachates
Researchers studied how sunlight breaks down microplastics from sunscreen products and whether this makes them more or less toxic. They found that sunlight aging caused chemical changes on the plastic surfaces and released harmful compounds into the water, increasing toxicity to aquatic organisms. This is relevant because sunscreen microplastics are commonly washed into oceans and lakes, where sun exposure could make them more dangerous over time.
Treatment of polyethylene microplastics degraded by ultraviolet light irradiation causes lysosome-deregulated cell death
Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics degraded by ultraviolet light were more toxic to cells than pristine microplastics, triggering a type of cell death linked to lysosome dysfunction. UV exposure changed the surface chemistry of the particles, making them more reactive and harmful to cellular structures. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in the environment may pose greater health risks than newly produced plastic particles.
Increased adsorption of diflubenzuron onto polylactic acid microplastics after ultraviolet weathering can increase acute toxicity in the water flea (Daphnia magna)
Researchers found that UV-weathered biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics absorbed significantly more of the pesticide diflubenzuron than conventional PET microplastics, leading to greater toxicity in water fleas. The weathering process created more surface cracks and functional groups on the biodegradable plastic, increasing its ability to carry harmful chemicals. The study challenges the perception that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer, showing they may actually enhance pesticide toxicity in aquatic environments after environmental aging.
Comparison of reproductive toxicity between pristine and aged polylactic acid microplastics in Caenorhabditis elegans
This study compared the effects of new versus UV-aged biodegradable PLA microplastics on reproductive health using a worm model, finding that aged particles caused significantly more reproductive damage and DNA injury. The results suggest that biodegradable plastics become more toxic as they weather in the environment, which matters because these aged particles are what organisms, including humans, are most likely to encounter.