Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Uptake of nanopolystyrene particles induces distinct metabolic profiles and toxic effects in Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers exposed the nematode C. elegans to 50 nm and 200 nm nanopolystyrene particles and used metabolomics to show that particles disrupt energy metabolism — reducing TCA cycle intermediates and altering glucose and lactate — while also decreasing locomotion, reproduction, and inducing oxidative stress.

2018 Environmental Pollution 194 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to nanopolystyrene and its 4 chemically modified derivatives at predicted environmental concentrations causes differently regulatory mechanisms in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers found that nanopolystyrene and four chemically modified derivatives caused distinct toxicity patterns in C. elegans nematodes at environmentally predicted concentrations, with surface chemistry significantly influencing the regulatory mechanisms affected.

2022 Chemosphere 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential toxicity of nanopolystyrene on lifespan and aging process of nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers chronically exposed C. elegans to nanopolystyrene across their aging lifespan and found that high concentrations shortened lifespan while lower concentrations still impaired locomotion and elevated intestinal reactive oxygen species in older animals, with nanoplastic exposure progressively suppressing immune genes, antioxidant defenses, and mitochondrial stress responses as worms aged.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 91 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of chronic exposure to nanopolystyrene on nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers chronically exposed C. elegans nematodes to nanopolystyrene across their adult lifespan and found that even low concentrations (≥1 µg/L) impaired locomotion and promoted oxidative stress, while also suppressing immune response genes, antioxidant defenses, and mitochondrial stress response pathways, with high concentrations shortening lifespan.

2020 Chemosphere 67 citations
Article Tier 2

What Is on the Outside Matters—Surface Charge and Dissolve Organic Matter Association Affect the Toxicity and Physiological Mode of Action of Polystyrene Nanoplastics toC. elegans

Researchers investigated how surface charge and organic matter coatings affect the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics to the nematode C. elegans. Positively charged nanoplastics were over 60 times more toxic than negatively charged ones, and organic matter coatings reduced toxicity across all particle types. The findings suggest that surface chemistry plays a critical role in nanoplastic toxicity and should be considered when assessing environmental risks.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Different Toxic Effects of Polystyrene Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers compared the toxicity of 2-μm polystyrene microplastics and 0.1-μm nanoplastics in C. elegans, finding both impaired growth, locomotion, reproduction, and lifespan at 1 mg/L and above, with microplastics causing greater locomotion and reproductive toxicity and nanoplastics inducing stronger oxidative stress.

2025 Journal of Applied Toxicology
Article Tier 2

The toxic differentiation of micro- and nanoplastics verified by gene-edited fluorescent Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers used gene-edited fluorescent C. elegans to demonstrate that nanoplastic toxicity is size- and charge-dependent, with 100 nm positively charged polystyrene particles causing the greatest harm through intestinal accumulation and oxidative stress.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-Dependent Disruption of Lipid Metabolism by Polystyrene Micro- and Nanoplastics in Caenorhabditis elegans Revealed Through Multi-Omics and Functional Genetic Validation

Researchers used the model organism C. elegans to study how polystyrene particles of different sizes affect lipid metabolism, finding that both 100-nanometer and 1-micrometer particles disrupted fat storage and lipid processing. Multi-omics analysis identified four core genes governing the size-dependent metabolic disruption, and elevated levels of specific lipid metabolites confirmed that microplastics can meaningfully interfere with lipid homeostasis.

2026 Toxics
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene (nano)microplastics cause size-dependent neurotoxicity, oxidative damage and other adverse effects inCaenorhabditis elegans

Researchers found that polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics cause neurotoxicity and oxidative damage in the model organism C. elegans, with effects varying by particle size. Smaller nanoscale particles tended to cause more severe toxic responses than larger microplastic particles. The study highlights that the size of plastic particles is an important factor in determining how harmful they are to living organisms.

2018 Environmental Science Nano 422 citations
Article Tier 2

Neuronal damage induced by nanopolystyrene particles in nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans

C. elegans nematodes were chronically exposed to nanopolystyrene particles and found to develop neuronal damage affecting both development and function of the nervous system after long-term exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations. The study provides early evidence that nanoplastics can cause neurological harm in an animal model, raising questions about potential neurotoxicity in other species.

2019 Environmental Science Nano 99 citations
Article Tier 2

The mechanism of oxidative stress induced by nanoplastics in Caenorhabditis elegans: Integrated analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics

Researchers exposed C. elegans nematodes to polystyrene nanoplastics across a concentration range and integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic data to identify disrupted fatty acid and glutathione metabolism as the central drivers of oxidative stress, with the gene gst-4 and specific metabolites serving as key molecular signatures.

2026 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic exposure in soil compromises the energy budget of the soil nematode C. elegans and decreases reproductive fitness

Researchers found that soil exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics significantly reduced reproductive fitness in the nematode C. elegans by compromising energy budgets, decreasing ATP levels, and disrupting mitochondrial function in a concentration-dependent manner.

2022 Environmental Pollution 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Neurodevelopmental Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics inCaenorhabditis elegansand the Regulating Effect of Presenilin

C. elegans exposed to 25, 50, and 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics showed size-dependent neurodevelopmental toxicity — including reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial damage, and inhibited dopamine production — with smaller particles (25 nm) paradoxically showing weaker effects than the 50 nm size.

2020 ACS Omega 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmentally persistent free radicals on photoaged nanopolystyrene induce neurotoxicity by affecting dopamine, glutamate, serotonin and GABA in Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers found that when polystyrene nanoplastics age under sunlight, they generate environmentally persistent free radicals on their surface that make them significantly more toxic to the nervous system. Using the model organism C. elegans, they showed that aged nanoplastics disrupted movement and reduced levels of key neurotransmitters including dopamine, serotonin, and GABA. The study suggests that weathered nanoplastics in the environment may pose greater neurological risks than freshly produced particles.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochemical and physiological effects of multigenerational exposure to spheric polystyrene microplastics in Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers found that multigenerational exposure of C. elegans to polystyrene microplastics at low concentrations triggered oxidative stress, increased detoxification enzyme activity, and caused accumulating physiological effects across five consecutive generations.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity induction of nanopolystyrene under microgravity stress condition in Caenorhabditis elegans.

This study used Caenorhabditis elegans to examine how nanopolystyrene exposure interacts with microgravity stress, finding that nanoplastic exposure amplified the toxicity of simulated weightlessness. The combined stress increased oxidative damage and triggered mitochondrial stress responses, suggesting that nanoplastics can worsen the effects of other environmental stressors.

2020 The Science of the total environment
Article Tier 2

Metabolomics-based analysis in Daphnia magna after exposure to low environmental concentrations of polystyrene nanoparticles

Daphnia magna exposed to low environmental concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics (as low as 3.2 micrograms per liter) showed significant metabolic disruptions detectable by metabolomics analysis. Carboxylate-functionalized particles caused distinct metabolic responses compared to amine-functionalized particles, suggesting surface chemistry drives differential toxicity.

2023 Environmental Science Nano 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative evaluation of molecular mechanisms triggered by differently functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics in human colon cell lines

Researchers compared molecular mechanisms triggered by differently functionalized micro- and nanoplastics in human cells, assessing how surface chemistry affects cellular responses. Surface functionalization significantly altered the toxicity profile of particles, with some coatings increasing and others decreasing inflammatory and oxidative responses.

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

A Multisystemic Approach Revealed Aminated Polystyrene Nanoparticles-Induced Neurotoxicity.

Aminated polystyrene nanoparticles caused neurotoxicity in multiple model systems, including effects on neuronal cell viability, oxidative stress markers, and behavioral changes in exposed organisms, demonstrating that surface charge of nanoplastics influences their capacity to damage nervous tissue.

2024 Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)
Article Tier 2

Comparative evaluation of molecular mechanisms triggered by differently functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics in human colon cell lines

Researchers compared molecular and cellular mechanisms triggered by differently surface-functionalized micro- and nanoplastics in human intestinal and liver cells, finding that surface chemistry strongly determines biological effects. Functionalized particles elicited distinct patterns of oxidative stress, inflammation, and membrane damage compared to unfunctionalized particles.

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

Nanopolystyrene-induced microRNAs response in Caenorhabditis elegans after long-term and lose-dose exposure

C. elegans nematodes were exposed to 100 nm nanopolystyrene at 1 μg/L (predicted environmental concentration) and 7 microRNAs were found to be dysregulated in a dose-dependent manner, with functional analysis linking specific miRNAs to the regulation of nanoplastic toxicity responses. The study reveals a previously uncharacterized microRNA-mediated molecular mechanism underlying nanoplastic toxicity.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics enhance florfenicol toxicity by disturbing detoxification and metabolic processes in nematodes

Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics affect the toxicity of the antibiotic florfenicol in the nematode C. elegans. They found that nanoplastics with different surface charges and sizes enhanced the antibiotic's harmful effects by disrupting detoxification and metabolic pathways. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination may amplify the risks of co-occurring pollutants in the environment.

2025 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 1 citations
Article Tier 2

GC–MS metabolomics coupled with multi-biomarker analysis reveal toxic effects of functionalized nanoplastics in Paphia undulata

Researchers used combined metabolomics and multi-biomarker analyses to investigate how pristine, carboxylated, and aminated polystyrene nanoplastics accumulated in and affected the marine clam Paphia undulata. Surface-modified NPs showed greater bioaccumulation and distinct metabolic disruption patterns compared to pristine PS, highlighting surface chemistry as a key driver of nanoplastic toxicity.

2025 Journal of Chromatography B
Article Tier 2

Brain lipidomics identifies mitochondrial redox dysfunction and metabolic trade-offs associated with Parkinson’s disease-like pathology induced by Nanoplastics exposure

Using high-resolution lipidomics in Drosophila chronically exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics, researchers found dose-dependent remodeling of mitochondrial membrane lipids—particularly cardiolipins—along with increased fat storage molecules and signs of Parkinson's disease-like metabolic dysfunction.

2025