Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The thermal regime modifies the response of aquatic keystone species Daphnia to microplastics: Evidence from population fitness, accumulation, histopathological analysis and candidate gene expression

Researchers found that temperature plays a key role in how toxic microplastics are to the water flea Daphnia magna. Microplastic exposure caused increased mortality, reduced reproduction, and slower population growth, with these negative effects becoming much more pronounced at higher temperatures. The study suggests that warming water temperatures due to climate change may amplify the harmful impacts of microplastic pollution on aquatic ecosystems.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polystyrene microplastics on Daphnia magna mortality and reproduction in relation to food availability

Researchers exposed the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna to polystyrene microplastics under varying food availability conditions and found that microplastic impacts on mortality and reproduction were most severe when food was limited. The study suggests that the ecological effects of microplastics on zooplankton are strongly influenced by nutritional status, with food-stressed organisms being more vulnerable to particle ingestion.

2018 PeerJ 160 citations
Article Tier 2

Warming temperatures exacerbate effects of microplastics in a widespread zooplankton species.

This study found that warmer water temperatures made microplastics significantly more harmful to Daphnia (water fleas), reducing their survival and reproduction at 20 and 24 degrees Celsius but not at 12 degrees. The combination of warming temperatures and microplastic pollution was worse than either stressor alone. As climate change warms lakes and rivers, this research suggests that the toxic effects of microplastic pollution on aquatic ecosystems, and the food chains humans depend on, may get worse.

2024 Environmental Pollution 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of nanoplastics and elevated temperature in the freshwater water flea Daphnia magna

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics became more toxic to water fleas (Daphnia magna) at higher temperatures, causing more oxidative stress and a greater drop in reproduction. Warmer conditions increased how much plastic the organisms absorbed and accumulated. The findings suggest that as global temperatures rise, the harmful effects of nanoplastic pollution on aquatic life could get worse, potentially affecting species that are important food sources for fish.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Temperature and clone-dependent effects of microplastics on immunity and life history in Daphnia magna

Eight genetic clones of Daphnia magna were exposed to 500 nm polystyrene microspheres at two temperatures, with microplastics altering phenotypes in half the clones—producing smaller offspring and more offspring at high temperature—while other clones showed no response. The results demonstrate that genetic background and temperature both modulate how individual organisms respond to microplastic exposure.

2019 Environmental Pollution 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term adverse effects of microplastics on Daphnia magna reproduction and population growth rate at increased water temperature and light intensity: Combined effects of stressors and interactions

Researchers investigated how increased water temperature and light intensity affect the long-term toxicity of microplastics to the water flea Daphnia magna. They found that microplastics caused mortality, reduced growth, and decreased reproduction across all conditions, but these effects were significantly worsened by both higher temperature and brighter light. The study suggests that climate change factors may synergistically amplify the harmful impacts of microplastic pollution on freshwater zooplankton.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of polystyrene microplastics on Daphnia magna: A laboratory and a mesocosm study

Laboratory tests and mesocosm experiments with Daphnia magna and polystyrene microplastics found that effects at high concentrations were more related to food dilution than direct toxicity, and population-level effects in mesocosms were minimal. The study emphasizes the importance of using realistic concentrations and multi-species systems to assess microplastic risks.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Warming, temperature fluctuations and thermal evolution change the effects of microplastics at an environmentally relevant concentration

Researchers examined how warming temperatures, daily temperature fluctuations, and thermal evolutionary history influence the effects of microplastics on the water flea Daphnia magna. They found that while microplastics had almost no effect under standard laboratory temperature conditions, exposure under more realistic warming scenarios caused significant changes to reproduction, heart rate, and swimming behaviour. The study suggests that current risk assessments conducted at constant laboratory temperatures may substantially underestimate the ecological impact of microplastic pollution.

2021 Environmental Pollution 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics increases the heat tolerance of Daphnia magna under global warming via hormetic effects

Daphnia magna exposed to microplastics under fluctuating daily temperature conditions (simulating global warming) showed increased heat tolerance compared to control animals, suggesting a complex interaction between thermal stress and microplastic exposure. The study cautions that standard single-temperature risk assessments may underestimate or mischaracterize microplastic effects under climate change.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Elevated temperature enhanced lethal and sublethal acute toxicity of polyethylene microplastic fragments in Daphnia magna

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastic fragments were over 70 times more toxic to water fleas than spherical microplastic beads of similar size, and that elevated water temperatures made the toxicity even worse. At 25 degrees Celsius compared to 20 degrees, the lethal effects of the fragments increased substantially, and the organisms also showed greater reproductive impairment. The study demonstrates that both the shape of microplastics and rising temperatures due to climate change can dramatically amplify their harmful effects on freshwater organisms.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Reproduction and Growth of Freshwater Live Feeds Daphnia magna

Researchers found that microplastic exposure negatively affected reproduction and juvenile growth in Daphnia magna, a key freshwater zooplankton species, with effects worsening at higher concentrations and posing risks for aquatic food chains.

2022 Fishes 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Mediated food and hydrodynamics on the ingestion of microplastics by Daphnia magna

This study investigated how food availability and water flow affect microplastic ingestion by Daphnia magna, finding that hydrodynamic conditions and food presence significantly influenced the rate at which these zooplankton took up microplastic particles.

2019 Environmental Pollution 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Plastic Particles Result in Adverse Outcomes for Hyalella azteca When Exposed at Elevated Temperatures

Experiments with the amphipod Hyalella azteca showed that polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics caused greater adverse effects at elevated water temperatures, suggesting that climate warming could amplify the ecotoxicological impacts of plastic pollution.

2024 Water
Article Tier 2

Local thermal adaption mediates the sensitivity of Daphnia magna to nanoplastics under global warming scenarios

Researchers investigated how local thermal adaptation in water fleas (Daphnia magna) affects their sensitivity to polystyrene nanoplastics under different temperature regimes. They found that populations adapted to warmer environments showed different vulnerability to nanoplastic toxicity compared to cold-adapted populations, particularly under fluctuating temperatures. The study suggests that evolutionary history and temperature variability are important factors when assessing the ecological risks of nanoplastics under climate change scenarios.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by Daphnia magna and its enhancement on algal growth

Researchers examined microplastic ingestion by the freshwater zooplankton Daphnia magna and its downstream effects on algal growth, finding that the organisms readily ingested microparticles. The study also observed that microplastic exposure indirectly enhanced algal growth, possibly by reducing grazing pressure, suggesting that plastic pollution could alter freshwater food web dynamics.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 398 citations
Article Tier 2

Increase in temperature increases ingestion and toxicity of polyamide microplastics in Nile tilapia

Researchers found that higher water temperatures caused Nile tilapia fish to swallow significantly more microplastics and suffer worse health effects, including blood abnormalities, gill damage, and intestinal injury. At the highest temperature tested, fish ingested over three times more plastic particles than at normal temperatures. This study suggests that as climate change warms waterways, fish may accumulate more microplastics, increasing the risk of human exposure through seafood.

2023 Chemosphere 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and natural particles on the aquatic invertebrate Daphnia magna under different dietary quality scenarios

Researchers exposed Daphnia magna to both natural particles—including sediment, algae, and biofilm—and polystyrene microplastics to compare their effects, finding that natural particles caused similar or greater harm than microplastics at equivalent concentrations, highlighting the need for environmental context in MP toxicity studies.

2025 Oecologia
Article Tier 2

Is the development of Daphnia magna neonates affected by short-term exposure to polyethylene microplastics?

Daphnia magna neonates ingested polyethylene microplastics within the first 24 hours of exposure but showed no significant effects on mobility or molting, though food availability was a more powerful driver of development than microplastic concentration. The study highlights the importance of accounting for feeding regime when interpreting microplastic toxicity tests.

2020 Journal of Environmental Science and Health Part A 31 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Meta-analysis reveals temperature increase exacerbates microplastic toxicity in freshwater invertebrates

This meta-analysis pools data from multiple studies to show that rising temperatures make microplastics more toxic to freshwater invertebrates. The combined stress of warming water and plastic pollution caused greater harm to growth, reproduction, and survival than either stressor alone, suggesting that climate change will worsen the ecological and health impacts of microplastic contamination.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 1 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

Effects of microplastics mixed with natural particles on Daphnia magna populations

Researchers exposed populations of the freshwater organism Daphnia magna to polystyrene microplastics mixed with natural particles over 50 days and found significant population-level declines. Population sizes dropped by 28 to 42 percent compared to controls, with changes in population structure and stress-induced resting egg production. The study demonstrates that microplastics cause harmful effects at the population level, not just in individual organisms.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of global warming and microplastic exposure from individual to populational levels of a benthic copepod

This study assessed the combined effects of global warming and microplastic exposure on freshwater and marine organisms across individual and population levels, examining how climate and plastic pollution interact as co-occurring stressors. Results showed that warming conditions modified microplastic toxicity in ways that suggest climate change will alter the ecological risk of plastic pollution in aquatic systems.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and thermal stress on the freshwater mussel Dreissena polymorpha

Freshwater mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) exposed simultaneously to elevated temperature and microplastics showed greater immune suppression and oxidative stress than mussels exposed to either stressor alone, suggesting climate change warming will amplify microplastic toxicity in freshwater ecosystems.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation kinetics of polystyrene nano- and microplastics in the waterflea Daphnia magna and trophic transfer to the mysid Limnomysis benedeni

Researchers investigated the accumulation kinetics of polystyrene particles ranging from 26 nm to 4800 nm in Daphnia magna and their subsequent transfer to the mysid Limnomysis benedeni. Smaller particles accumulated more efficiently in Daphnia, and trophic transfer to mysids was demonstrated, confirming that nano- and microplastics move through aquatic food chains with size-dependent efficiency.

2024 Environmental Pollution 6 citations