Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Toward Synthesis-derived Applications of Silver Nanoparticles

This review covers the synthesis, properties, and applications of silver nanoparticles, including their antimicrobial uses and environmental risks. While not directly about microplastics, silver nanoparticles are often associated with textile and plastic products and can co-contaminate aquatic environments.

2020 Preprints.org 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying mechanical abrasion of AgNP nanocomposites: influence of AgNP content on abrasion products and rate of microplastic production

When silver nanoparticle (AgNP) composite plastics are abraded — mimicking normal use wear — they release microplastic fragments that still contain embedded silver nanoparticles, with release rate depending on how much AgNP was incorporated. This matters because silver nanoparticles have known antimicrobial and potentially toxic properties, so products designed with AgNPs for their antibacterial benefits may inadvertently create a combined microplastic-nanomaterial pollution hazard.

2024 Environmental Science Nano 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Oral Delivery of Silver Nanoparticles – a Review

This review covers the oral delivery of silver nanoparticles, examining their behavior in the gastrointestinal tract and potential medical applications. The paper is focused on nanoparticle pharmacology rather than environmental microplastics.

2021 Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Metal-Based Nanoparticles: Antibacterial Mechanisms and Biomedical Application

This review examines how metal-based nanoparticles kill bacteria and their potential use as alternatives to antibiotics in medicine. While not about microplastics directly, the antibacterial mechanisms described are relevant because microplastics in the environment can carry both metal nanoparticles and bacteria on their surfaces. Understanding these interactions helps explain how microplastics may influence the spread or suppression of harmful bacteria in the environment.

2022 Microorganisms 291 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoparticles for targeted removal of emerging contaminants in wastewater: mechanisms and sustainable practices

This study investigates the use of biologically produced nanoparticles, such as silver and titanium dioxide particles made from plant extracts, for removing pollutants including microplastics from wastewater. The green-synthesized nanoparticles showed promising antibacterial and pollutant-degrading abilities, though challenges remain in scaling up production. Better wastewater treatment methods like these could help reduce the amount of microplastics and other harmful contaminants that reach drinking water sources.

2025 Discover Nano 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Antimicrobial, Quorum Sensing Inhibition, and Anti-Cancer Activities of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized from Kenyan Bacterial Endophytes of Teclea nobilis

This study developed silver nanoparticles from bacteria found inside a Kenyan medicinal plant and tested them against drug-resistant bacteria and cancer cells. While not directly about microplastics, silver nanoparticles are being explored as antimicrobial agents that could help address the drug-resistant bacteria that microplastics can carry and spread in the environment. The nanoparticles showed strong activity against both bacteria and cancer cell lines at low concentrations.

2025 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Waste-Derived Nanoparticles: Synthesis Approaches, Environmental Applications, and Sustainability Considerations

This review examines how industrial, electronic, and plastic waste can be repurposed as inputs for producing nanoparticles used in water treatment and environmental remediation. It calls attention to toxicological and lifecycle challenges that must be addressed before waste-derived nanoparticles can be scaled up safely.

2020 Frontiers in Chemistry 142 citations
Article Tier 2

Building the Bridge From Aquatic Nanotoxicology to Safety by Design Silver Nanoparticles

This review examined the nanotoxicology of silver nanoparticles in aquatic environments, synthesizing findings on their environmental behavior and biological effects to help bridge the gap between hazard assessment and safety-by-design approaches for engineered nanomaterials.

2022 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into the interaction of microplastic with silver nanoparticles in natural surface water

Researchers co-exposed three common microplastics — polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene — with silver nanoparticles in natural freshwater and brackish water, finding that their interaction altered the environmental behavior and fate of both contaminants. The results suggest that combined pollution from microplastics and nanomaterials produces effects distinct from either pollutant alone.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploration of Microbial Factories for Synthesis of Nanoparticles – A Sustainable Approach for Bioremediation of Environmental Contaminants

This review explores how microorganisms can be harnessed to produce nanoparticles for environmental cleanup, including the remediation of pollutants like microplastics. Researchers describe how microbial synthesis of nanoparticles offers a cleaner, cheaper, and more sustainable alternative to traditional chemical and physical manufacturing methods. The biologically produced nanoparticles show promise as tools for removing heavy metals, dyes, and other contaminants from polluted environments.

2021 Frontiers in Microbiology 150 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of long-term exposure to silver nanoparticles on the structure and function of microplastic biofilms in eutrophic water

Long-term exposure to silver nanoparticles altered the structure and function of microbial biofilms on microplastics in eutrophic water, with nanoparticles suppressing biofilm biomass, changing community composition, and reducing metabolic activity, raising concerns about combined pollutant effects in urban aquatic systems.

2021 Environmental Research 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoreinforcement strategies for enhancing biodegradable composites in biochemical applications within agriwaste valorisation

Researchers used leftover plant material from rosemary distillation to synthesize silver nanoparticles with strong antibacterial and antioxidant properties, exploring how agricultural byproducts can produce eco-friendly nanomaterials with potential medical applications including treatment of inflammatory conditions.

2024 Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Trends in Bioinspired Metal Nanoparticles for Targeting Drug-Resistant Biofilms

This review examines how biologically synthesized metal nanoparticles derived from plants, microorganisms, and marine organisms can combat drug-resistant bacterial biofilms. The authors highlight that these green-synthesized nanoparticles offer advantages over chemically produced ones, including lower cost, reduced environmental impact, and effective antibiofilm properties. The work is relevant to microplastic research because biofilms that form on plastic surfaces in the environment can harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

2025 Pharmaceuticals 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic Roles of Microplastics in the Phototransformation of Silver Ions in Aquatic Environments

This study found that polystyrene microplastics mediate the transformation of silver ions into silver nanoparticles (Ag0, Ag2O, Ag2S) under natural and UV light irradiation, acting as reactive surfaces that alter silver speciation and potentially increase its bioavailability in aquatic systems.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microalga Broths Synthesize Antibacterial and Non-Cytotoxic Silver Nanoparticles Showing Synergy with Antibiotics and Bacterial ROS Induction and Can Be Reused for Successive AgNP Batches

Researchers developed a green synthesis method for producing antibacterial silver nanoparticles using microalgae culture broths. The study found that these nanoparticles showed strong antibacterial activity against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus at concentrations that were not toxic to eukaryotic cells, and demonstrated synergy with classical antibiotics. The findings suggest that microalgae-derived silver nanoparticles could offer a promising approach for combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

2023 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Breaking Barriers in Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Plant-Mediated Metal/Metal Oxide/Bimetallic Nanoparticles: Antibacterial, Anticancer, Mechanism Elucidation, and Versatile Utilizations

This review covers how plant extracts can be used to create metal nanoparticles in an environmentally friendly way, replacing toxic chemical manufacturing methods. While focused on nanoparticle synthesis rather than microplastics, these green manufacturing approaches could reduce reliance on synthetic plastic-based materials in biomedical and industrial applications.

2024 Journal of Nanomaterials 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Silver Bionanocomposites as Active Food Packaging: Recent Advances & Future Trends Tackling the Food Waste Crisis

This review examines how silver bionanocomposites embedded in biodegradable packaging materials can extend food shelf life by providing antimicrobial protection. Researchers found that these active packaging systems show promise for reducing both food waste and reliance on conventional plastic packaging. The study discusses recent advances in green synthesis methods that make silver nanoparticle production more sustainable and cost-effective.

2023 Polymers 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Weathered Microplastics Induce Silver Nanoparticle Formation

Researchers found that weathered polystyrene microplastics can photochemically reduce dissolved silver ions to metallic silver nanoparticles in both freshwater and sand matrices under solar irradiation, revealing a previously unknown mechanism by which microplastics alter the chemical speciation of co-occurring metal contaminants.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology Letters 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Nanoparticles in Antimicrobial Coatings for Medical Applications—A Review

This review covers the different types of nanoparticles used in antimicrobial coatings for medical and dental devices, including silver, copper, and zinc-based materials. Researchers discuss the methods used to characterize these coatings and ensure they are effective against drug-resistant microorganisms. The study emphasizes the importance of thorough testing to confirm the safety and performance of these coatings in healthcare settings.

2023 Coatings 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing Nanomaterials for Water Decontamination: Insights into Environmental Impact, Sustainable Applications, and the Emerging Role of Polymeric Nanostructures

This review examines how nanomaterials can be used for water decontamination, including the removal of microplastics from aquatic environments. Researchers found that properties like large surface area and high reactivity make nanomaterials effective at addressing water pollution, though concerns remain about the environmental persistence and potential secondary effects of the nanomaterials themselves.

2026 Polymers
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Emerging investigator series: metal nanoparticles in freshwater: transformation, bioavailability and effects on invertebrates

This review and meta-analysis found that silver nanoparticles are toxic to freshwater invertebrates at environmentally relevant concentrations, with toxicity mediated by both dissolved silver ions and nano-specific effects. Environmental transformation processes like aggregation, dissolution, and surface coating alteration significantly modify nanoparticle bioavailability and toxicity. These findings parallel microplastic research, where particle size, surface chemistry, and environmental weathering similarly determine biological impact.

2022 Environmental Science Nano 58 citations
Article Tier 2

A preliminary study of the interactions between microplastics and citrate-coated silver nanoparticles in aquatic environments

Researchers investigated interactions between citrate-coated silver nanoparticles and three types of microplastics, finding that polystyrene efficiently removed silver nanoparticles from solution via π-π interactions, while polyethylene and polypropylene showed no significant interaction. The study provides first evidence that plastic type governs the co-transport of nanoparticles with microplastics in aquatic environments.

2019 Journal of Hazardous Materials 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Silver nanoparticles facilitate phage-borne resistance gene transfer in planktonic and microplastic-attached bacteria

Researchers found that silver nanoparticles, a common pollutant, helped antibiotic resistance genes spread between bacteria more easily, both in open water and on microplastic surfaces. The nanoparticles caused cell membrane damage that made bacteria more vulnerable to infection by virus-like particles carrying resistance genes. This study reveals a concerning three-way interaction between nanoparticles, microplastics, and antibiotic resistance that could accelerate the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in waterways.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of Silver Nanoparticles in Seawater Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Researchers developed a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection strategy for silver nanoparticles in seawater, achieving sensitive identification of PVP-coated AgNPs at environmentally relevant concentrations.

2021 Nanomaterials 9 citations