Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics altered cellular responses, physiology, behaviour, and regeneration of planarians feeding on contaminated prey

Researchers found that planarians feeding on microplastic-contaminated prey showed altered behavior, impaired physiology, and reduced regeneration capacity, demonstrating that microplastics can transfer through freshwater food chains and harm predatory invertebrates.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to polystyrene microplastics reduces regeneration and growth in planarians

Researchers exposed planarians (Dugesia japonica) to polystyrene microplastics to study effects on regeneration, growth, and stem cell function. The study found that microplastic exposure significantly reduced tissue regeneration and growth rates while increasing oxidative stress markers. The findings suggest that microplastics can impair fundamental biological processes like tissue repair and stem cell function in freshwater organisms.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic exposure inhibits feeding and delays regeneration in a freshwater planarian

Researchers exposed freshwater planarians to nanoplastics and found that even very low concentrations significantly reduced feeding rates. Higher concentrations also delayed the worms' ability to regenerate lost body parts, a key biological function for these organisms. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in freshwater environments may impair fundamental survival behaviors and biological processes in aquatic invertebrates.

2023 Environmental Pollution 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-dependent toxicity of polystyrene microplastics disrupts homeostasis and regeneration in Dugesia japonica via stem cell dysfunction and neurotoxicity

This study exposed planarians (Dugesia japonica) to polystyrene microplastics at 0.5, 5, and 20 µm sizes and found size-dependent toxicity affecting stem cells, nervous system function, and regenerative ability. Smaller particles caused greater harm, disrupting homeostasis and impairing the planarians' well-known regenerative capacity.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Behavioral and physiological responses of Girardia tigrina exposed to polyethylene microplastics

Researchers exposed freshwater flatworms (planaria) to polyethylene microplastics and observed changes in their behavior and physiological responses. The exposed organisms showed altered movement patterns and signs of stress. The study suggests that planaria could serve as a useful model organism for assessing the ecological risks of microplastic pollution in freshwater environments, particularly regarding effects on tissue regeneration.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics exposure causes oxidative stress and microbiota dysbiosis in planarian Dugesia japonica

Researchers exposed freshwater planarians to waterborne microplastics and found significant oxidative stress and disruption of their gut microbiota. The microplastic exposure altered antioxidant enzyme levels and shifted the composition of microbial communities in the planarians' digestive systems. The study suggests that microplastics can harm aquatic indicator species through both direct oxidative damage and indirect effects on their associated microbiome.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 43 citations
Article Tier 2

The Exposure to Polypropylene Micro- and Nanoplastics Impairs Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration in the Leech Hirudo verbana

Researchers studied how polypropylene micro- and nanoplastics affect wound healing and tissue regeneration in the freshwater leech Hirudo verbana. They found that plastic exposure induced fibrosis, disrupted tissue reorganization, delayed wound repair, and activated innate immune and oxidative stress responses. The study provides the first evidence that polypropylene particles can impair tissue regeneration processes in living organisms.

2025 Microplastics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Can Inhibit the Mucus Production and Regenerative Capability of the Marine Polychaete Neanthes acuminata

Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects mucus production and regenerative capability of the marine polychaete Neanthes acuminata, a sediment-dwelling species critical to bioturbation and organic decomposition in marine ecosystems, finding significant impairment of these key physiological functions.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology Letters
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Can Inhibit the Mucus Production andRegenerative Capability of the Marine Polychaete Neanthesacuminata

Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects mucus production and regenerative capability in the marine polychaete Neanthes acuminata, a sediment-dwelling organism with critical ecosystem functions. They found that microplastics inhibited mucus secretion and reduced the worm's ability to regenerate tissue, demonstrating physiological impairment in an ecologically important invertebrate group.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Inhibitory effects of polystyrene microplastics on caudal fin regeneration in zebrafish larvae

Exposure to polystyrene microplastics significantly impaired fin regeneration in injured zebrafish larvae, disrupting the signaling pathways and immune responses needed for tissue repair. The study is the first to show microplastics can reduce the regenerative capacity of fish, with potential long-term consequences for their survival in the wild.

2020 Environmental Pollution 49 citations
Article Tier 2

The ecotoxicological impact of microplastics on freshwater invertebrates

This review summarizes the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics on freshwater invertebrates, finding evidence of harm including reduced feeding, growth, and reproduction across multiple species. Because invertebrates are key links in food webs, these effects could have broader consequences for freshwater ecosystems.

2019 CentAUR (University of Reading) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymethylmethacrylate nanoplastics effects on the freshwater cnidarian Hydra viridissima

Polymethylmethacrylate nanoplastics caused morphological damage and slowed regeneration in the freshwater organism Hydra viridissima, though feeding rates were not significantly affected at most concentrations. The results establish Hydra as a useful model for testing nanoplastic toxicity in freshwater ecosystems.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of microplastics polystyrene to freshwater planarians and the alleviative effects of anthocyanins

Researchers determined the lethal concentration of polystyrene microplastics for freshwater planarians for the first time and found that exposure disrupted their internal balance, caused oxidative damage, and triggered nerve cell changes and cell death. Notably, long-term exposure to low, environmentally relevant concentrations was more harmful than short-term exposure to high doses. The study also found that anthocyanins, natural plant pigments, could effectively reduce the toxic effects of polystyrene on these organisms.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Continuum of size from microplastics to nanoplastics: effects on the estuarine bivalve Scrobicularia plana at different levels of biological organization.

Researchers exposed the estuarine bivalve Scrobicularia plana to environmental microplastics and nanoplastics at low concentrations (0.008-100 ug/L), along with standard polystyrene nanoplastics, finding ecotoxicological effects on gills and digestive gland tissues at multiple levels of biological organisation.

2022 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Silent saboteurs: How microplastics disrupt stem cells and tissue regeneration

This review synthesizes evidence that microplastics disrupt stem cell self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation across multiple tissue types, raising concerns about the implications for tissue regeneration, wound healing, and long-term organ homeostasis.

2025 World Journal of Stem Cells
Article Tier 2

The effect of chronic microplastic exposure on the growth, biochemical responses, and histological changes of the juvenile sea cucumber Holothuria scabra

Researchers exposed juvenile sea cucumbers to polymethylmethacrylate microplastics over 60 days and observed significant negative effects on growth, biochemical responses, and tissue structure. The study found dose-dependent impacts, with higher microplastic concentrations causing greater reductions in weight gain and more pronounced histological damage to the animals' organs.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/Nanoplastics Alter Daphnia magna Life History by Disrupting Glucose Metabolism and Intestinal Structure

Micro- and nanoplastics disrupted the life history of Daphnia magna (water fleas) by interfering with hormonal signaling pathways. These findings demonstrate that plastic particles can act as endocrine disruptors in aquatic invertebrates, with potential cascading effects on freshwater food webs.

2025 Sustainability 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Species-specific effects of long-term microplastic exposure on the population growth of nematodes, with a focus on microplastic ingestion

Scientists conducted long-term microplastic exposure experiments on freshwater nematode species and found species-specific effects on population growth, with ingestion rates and harm varying substantially across species despite identical exposure conditions.

2020 Ecological Indicators 70 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

Microplastics reduced posterior segment regeneration rate of the polychaete Perinereis aibuhitensis

Researchers exposed a commercially farmed polychaete worm to microplastics and found increased mortality and a significantly reduced rate of posterior segment regeneration. This suggests that microplastic contamination in coastal sediments may impair the regenerative capacity of economically and ecologically important marine worms.

2017 Marine Pollution Bulletin 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the Effects of Environmental Concentrations of Microplastics on the Aquatic Snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum

Researchers examined the effects of environmentally relevant microplastic concentrations on the freshwater snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum, assessing impacts on this benthic invertebrate in an understudied freshwater ecosystem context.

2021 Water Air & Soil Pollution 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Bipartite trophic levels cannot resist the interference of microplastics: A case study of submerged macrophytes and snail

Researchers studied how microplastics affect a two-level food chain consisting of a submerged aquatic plant and freshwater snails living together. They found that increasing microplastic concentrations harmed both organisms, reducing plant growth and disrupting snail feeding behavior and reproduction. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can destabilize interconnected species relationships in freshwater ecosystems.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics modulate the outcome of a zooplankton–microparasite interaction

Researchers found that nanoplastics can alter the outcome of zooplankton-microparasite interactions, demonstrating that plastic pollution at the nanoscale may disrupt host-parasite dynamics in freshwater ecosystems with cascading ecological effects.

2023 Freshwater Biology 13 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Effects of microplastics on the functional traits of aquatic benthic organisms: A global-scale meta-analysis

Microplastics had a moderate overall negative effect on functional traits of aquatic benthic organisms, particularly impairing energy assimilation and population-level traits like reproduction, while behavior and feeding traits appeared unaffected.

2021 Environmental Pollution 75 citations