Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Impacts of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Biota

This review examined the impacts of microplastics and nanoplastics on organisms across aquatic and terrestrial environments, finding that particle type, shape, size, and density determine environmental distribution patterns while toxicity varies widely across species and exposure conditions.

2022 Microplastics 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics toxicity in aquatic organisms: a review of effects on selected marine and freshwater species

This review analyzed 128 studies on the effects of nanoplastics on five representative freshwater and marine species, including microalgae, bivalves, crustaceans, and fish. Researchers found that even low concentrations of nanoplastics can cause oxidative stress, membrane damage, developmental disorders, and immune and nervous system dysfunction. The study highlights that particle size, concentration, aging status, and the presence of co-contaminants all influence toxicity, and calls for more research at environmentally realistic exposure levels.

2026 Nanotoxicology
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Impacts on Aquatic Species and Interactions with Environmental Factors and Pollutants

This review examines how nanoplastics affect aquatic species, focusing on their cellular and molecular toxicity as well as how environmental factors like temperature, salinity, and co-existing pollutants influence their harmful effects. Researchers found that nanoplastics can be absorbed more easily than larger plastic particles, transfer through food webs, and disrupt cellular function in aquatic organisms. The study highlights the need to consider real-world environmental conditions when assessing nanoplastic risks.

2022 Toxics 104 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic toxicity towards freshwater organisms

This systematic review covers nanoplastic toxicity toward freshwater organisms, examining both conventional and bioplastic nanoplastics, and finds that size, shape, and surface chemistry all influence toxicity across a range of invertebrate and vertebrate freshwater species.

2022 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological and Health Impacts of Micro- and Nanoplastics

This review explores how micro- and nanoplastics affect aquatic ecosystems and potentially human health, examining toxicity mechanisms across multiple levels of biological organization. Researchers found that particle size, polymer type, and weathering influence how these contaminants cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption, while the microbial communities forming on plastic surfaces may serve as reservoirs for pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes.

2026 IntechOpen eBooks
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems: Current research trends and perspectives

This review covers 83 studies on the distribution and toxic effects of micro- and nanoplastics in both marine and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Researchers found that these tiny particles affected the growth, development, behavior, reproduction, and survival of a wide range of aquatic organisms. The paper identifies key research gaps and suggests future directions for understanding the full ecological impact of plastic pollution in aquatic environments.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 630 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of nanoplastics to aquatic organisms: Genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, individual level and beyond individual level

This review examines the toxic effects of nanoplastics on aquatic organisms across multiple levels of the food chain, from bacteria and algae to fish. Researchers found that nanoplastics can cause cell damage, genetic harm, and reproductive problems, with toxicity influenced by particle size, concentration, and surface properties. The study also highlights how nanoplastic effects on individual organisms can cascade to disrupt broader ecosystem dynamics.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological Impacts of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments

A broad review of ecotoxicological studies found that micro- and nanoplastics cause physical harm, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and reproductive impairment across a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic organisms, with nanoplastics generally exhibiting greater toxicity due to their smaller size and greater bioavailability.

2021 Environmental contamination remediation and management 22 citations
Article Tier 2

A Latest Review on Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Aquatic Environment: The Comparative Impact of Size on Environmental Behavior and Toxic Effect

This review compares how micro-sized and nano-sized plastic particles behave differently in water environments and affect aquatic organisms. Smaller nanoplastics are generally more harmful because they can cross biological barriers, enter cells, and accumulate in tissues more readily than larger microplastics. The size-dependent differences in toxicity highlighted in this review are important for understanding which plastic particles pose the greatest risk to human health through contaminated water and seafood.

2024 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Overview of the ecotoxicological impacts of micro and nanoplastics in aquatic environments

This review summarises the ecotoxicological impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on marine and freshwater ecosystems, covering mechanisms including physical damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, reproductive impairment, and metabolic disruption in aquatic species. It also discusses bioaccumulation and trophic transfer dynamics.

2025 Bangladesh Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research
Article Tier 2

Comparative Analysis of the Toxicity of Micro‐ and Nanoplastics along with Nanoparticles on the Ecosystem

This comparative review analyzes the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics across biological systems, examining how particle size, shape, surface chemistry, and polymer type influence toxic potency. The authors synthesize findings from in vitro, in vivo, and ecological studies to support comparative risk assessment.

2024
Article Tier 2

Characterization, occurrence, environmental behaviors, and risks of nanoplastics in the aquatic environment: Current status and future perspectives

This review characterized the occurrence, environmental behavior, and toxicity of nanoplastics in aquatic systems, noting that their small size gives them unique properties — including higher surface reactivity and greater bioavailability — that make them potentially more hazardous than larger microplastics, while also harder to detect.

2021 Fundamental Research 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Biological Effects and Implications of Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Aquatic Environment

This review summarizes what is known about the biological effects and implications of micro- and nanoplastics on aquatic organisms, covering a wide range of species from phytoplankton to fish. It highlights that while laboratory studies show harm at high concentrations, the effects at environmentally relevant levels are still poorly understood.

2019 Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU)
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics toxicity in aquatic organisms: a review of effects on selected marine and freshwater species

This review synthesizes findings from 128 studies on the effects of nanoplastics on five representative freshwater and marine species, from microalgae to fish. Researchers found that even at low concentrations, nanoplastic exposure can cause oxidative stress, membrane damage, developmental disorders, and reproductive impairment across species. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps around chronic, environmentally realistic exposure levels and calls for standardized testing methods.

2026 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics: key influencing factors, limitations, and future perspectives

This review systematically analyzed how the physicochemical properties of micro- and nanoplastics — including size, shape, surface charge, and polymer type — determine their toxicological impacts across biological systems. The authors argue that property-based frameworks are essential for predicting MNP health risks and designing relevant research.

2025 Archives of Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Biological Effects of Microplastics: A Review.

Researchers reviewed how microplastics harm a wide range of living things, finding they cause physical damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and reproductive problems in aquatic animals, while also carrying toxic chemicals and dangerous bacteria into organisms. Major gaps remain in understanding the effects of long-term low-dose exposure and the risks posed by even tinier nanoplastics.

2025 Mağallaẗ ʻulūm al-rāfidayn
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review of Ecotoxicological Effects, Exposure Pathways and Trophic Transfer Risks

This review synthesises evidence on the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in marine, freshwater, and estuarine environments, covering ingestion, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and physiological harms across aquatic fauna. It identifies chemical co-contamination and particle size as key modulators of toxicity.

2025 UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
Article Tier 2

Interactions of Microplastics with Freshwater Biota

Researchers reviewed how microplastics affect freshwater animals, finding that toxicity depends on a complex mix of factors including plastic type, size, shape, chemical additives, and microbial coatings — and emphasizing that future studies need to compare synthetic plastic effects against natural particles to understand what truly makes microplastics harmful.

2017 ˜The œhandbook of environmental chemistry 155 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro(nano)plastics Prevalence, Food Web Interactions, and Toxicity Assessment in Aquatic Organisms: A Review

This review examines the prevalence of micro- and nanoplastics across aquatic environments and their documented toxic effects on organisms ranging from plankton to fish, including DNA damage, reproductive harm, and neurotoxicity. Researchers found clear evidence that these particles transfer through aquatic food webs and can ultimately reach humans through seafood consumption. The study calls for more research into how microplastics carrying multiple contaminants cause combined toxic effects in marine organisms.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 164 citations
Article Tier 2

The Potential for Toxicity to Fishes from Micro- and Nanoplastics, and Their Additives

This review examines the potential toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics and their chemical additives to freshwater and marine fish species. Evidence indicates that exposure to these particles may cause physical harm, oxidative stress, and disruption of normal biological functions in fish, with the diverse range of plastic sizes, shapes, polymer types, and associated chemicals making comprehensive risk assessment particularly challenging.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of micro- and nano-plastics on marine organisms under environmentally relevant conditions

This review summarized the impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on marine organisms including microalgae, crustaceans, snails, and fish at environmentally realistic concentrations. Researchers found that while some species showed tolerance at low concentrations, chronic exposure to nanoplastics in particular caused oxidative stress and behavioral changes. The study emphasizes that more research using real-world concentration levels is needed to accurately assess the risks microplastics pose to ocean life.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Properties and Related Effects of Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: From the Organismic to Cellular Level

This review covers the properties of microplastics in aquatic environments — including polymer chemistry, particle size, shape, and surface charge — and how these characteristics determine their biological effects from the cellular to organismal level in aquatic organisms.

2025
Article Tier 2

Impact of Nanoplastics on Marine Life: A Review

This review summarizes current knowledge about the effects of nanoplastics on marine organisms, including impacts on feeding, reproduction, growth, and cellular-level toxicity. Evidence indicates that nanoplastics can be more harmful than larger microplastics due to their ability to cross biological barriers and accumulate in tissues, though more research is needed on real-world exposure levels.

2023 Nature Environment and Pollution Technology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The Hidden Poison: How Microplastics and Nanoplastics Threaten the Health of Aquatic Organisms Across Ecosystems

This review synthesizes evidence on how microplastics and nanoplastics interact with aquatic organisms at molecular, cellular, and systemic levels across diverse ecosystems. The study highlights documented effects including oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, neurotoxicity, immune disruption, and reproductive impairment across a wide range of aquatic species.

2026 IntechOpen eBooks