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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Enrichment effects of Paramecium on polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes and concentrations and the mechanism of reverse toxicity
ClearPhysiological and molecular responses to different sizes of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics in the model unicellular eukaryote Paramecium tetraurelia
Researchers exposed single-celled organisms (Paramecium) to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics of different sizes and found that toxicity increased as particle size decreased. The smallest particles caused the most significant oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disruption to cellular functions including energy metabolism and waste processing. The study provides evidence that nanoplastics pose greater risks to aquatic microorganisms than larger microplastic particles.
Nanoparticle-Biological Interactions in a Marine Benthic Foraminifer
Researchers exposed single-celled marine organisms called foraminifera to three types of engineered nanoparticles — including polystyrene nanoplastics — and found that all three accumulated inside the cells and triggered oxidative stress (a form of cellular damage). This study shows that even microscopic seafloor organisms are vulnerable to nanoplastic pollution, expanding the known range of species harmed by plastic contamination.
Size-Dependent Toxicityof Polystyrene Nanoplasticsto Tetrahymena thermophila: A Toxicokinetic–ToxicodynamicAssessment
Researchers synthesized polystyrene nanoplastics of four different sizes (50–500 nm) and exposed the ciliated protist Tetrahymena thermophila to each, finding that smaller particles were more toxic and caused greater bioaccumulation, confirming a size-dependent relationship between nanoplastic properties and ecotoxicological risk.
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.
Regulation of Oxidative Stress-Related Signaling Pathways in Tetrahymena pyriformis Exposed to Micro- and Nanoplastics
Researchers exposed the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis to polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics and found uptake of both particle types along with activation of multiple oxidative stress signaling pathways, demonstrating cellular stress responses in this model organism.
On measuring nanoparticle toxicity and clearance with Paramecium caudatum
Researchers used the single-celled organism Paramecium caudatum to test how nanoparticles affect aquatic life and how quickly they are cleared from cells. The study provides a simple model system for evaluating nanoparticle (and potentially nanoplastic) toxicity in aquatic environments.
Size-Dependent Toxicity of Polystyrene Nanoplastics to Tetrahymena thermophila: A Toxicokinetic–Toxicodynamic Assessment
Researchers tested three sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics on single-celled organisms and found that smaller particles were significantly more toxic, with the smallest (30 nm) causing genetic damage at concentrations already found in some waterways. This size-dependent toxicity pattern is concerning because as plastics break down in the environment, they produce ever-smaller particles that may be increasingly harmful to living organisms.
Uptake of plastic microbeads by ciliate Paramecium aurelia
This study demonstrated that the single-celled ciliate Paramecium aurelia ingests polystyrene microbeads, with particle uptake depending on concentration and exposure time. Even single-celled protists that are foundational to aquatic food webs can take up microplastics, potentially concentrating particles that are then transferred to organisms that feed on them.
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.
Are the primary characteristics of polystyrene nanoplastics responsible for toxicity and ad/absorption in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum?
Researchers exposed the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to 50 nm and 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics and found that smaller particles triggered faster oxidative stress and photosynthetic damage while larger ones were more stable and caused greater growth inhibition over 72 hours, illustrating how particle size shapes toxicity dynamics in marine algae.
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.
Effect of polystyrene nanoplastics on its toxicity and reproduction in Philodina roseola
Researchers tested the effects of 50 nm and 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics on a freshwater rotifer species and found that the smaller particles were more toxic. Exposure caused oxidative stress, reduced protein levels, and impaired reproduction at concentrations well below those typically tested in laboratory studies. The findings highlight that even very tiny plastic particles can significantly harm microscopic aquatic organisms that form the base of freshwater food webs.
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.
Paramecium bursaria as a Potential Tool for Evaluation of Microplastics Toxicity
The ciliate protozoan Paramecium bursaria was evaluated as a novel model organism for microplastic toxicity testing, showing dose-dependent adverse effects from microplastic exposure at concentrations relevant to aquatic environments. The authors propose P. bursaria as a useful complement to metazoan test organisms for early-tier ecotoxicological screening.
Uptake and accumulation of microplastic particles by two freshwater ciliates isolated from a local river in South Africa
Researchers found that two freshwater ciliates isolated from a South African river — identified as Paramecium and Tetrahymena — were capable of ingesting plain and fluorescently-labeled polystyrene microspheres. This demonstrates that bacterivorous protists can take up microplastics, with implications for trophic transfer in freshwater food webs.
Acute effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on periphytic biofilms depending on particle size, concentration and surface modification
Researchers tested the acute effects of polystyrene particles ranging from 100 nanometers to 9 micrometers on freshwater biofilms that are essential for nutrient cycling. They found that larger particles had negligible effects, but high concentrations of 100-nanometer particles significantly reduced chlorophyll content and enzyme activities related to carbon and nitrogen cycling. Positively charged nanoparticles were the most toxic, with the damage linked to oxidative stress from excess reactive oxygen species generation.
Autophagic response of intestinal epithelial cells exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics
Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics accumulate in the cytoplasm of intestinal epithelial cells, impairing autophagic flux and triggering an autophagic stress response confirmed in both cell and animal models.
Size dependent uptake and trophic transfer of polystyrene microplastics in unicellular freshwater eukaryotes
Researchers demonstrated that single-celled freshwater organisms can take in polystyrene microplastics and pass them up the food chain through predator-prey interactions. The size of the microplastic determined which organisms could ingest it, and some particles remained inside cells for up to 14 days. This is important because it shows microplastics enter the food web at the very lowest level, meaning contamination can accumulate through every step up to fish and eventually to humans.
Toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on microalgae Chlorella vulgaris: Changes in biomass, photosynthetic pigments and morphology
This study tested how polystyrene nanoplastics of three different sizes affect green algae and found a clear pattern: smaller particles were more toxic than larger ones. The smallest nanoplastics (90 nm) caused the greatest reductions in algal growth and photosynthetic pigments, along with visible changes in cell shape and increased clumping. The findings suggest that as plastics break down into ever-smaller particles in the environment, their potential for biological harm may increase.
Do microbial decomposers find micro- and nanoplastics to be harmful stressors in the aquatic environment? A systematic review of in vitro toxicological research
Researchers systematically reviewed in vitro studies on how bacteria and fungi respond to micro- and nanoplastics, finding that polystyrene particles and E. coli dominate the literature and that nanoplastic toxicity commonly disrupts antioxidative systems, gene expression, and cell membrane integrity in microbial decomposers.
Exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles at predicted environmental concentrations enhances toxic effects of Acinetobacter johnsonii AC15 infection on Caenorhabditis elegans
Researchers found that exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles at low, environmentally realistic concentrations made a bacterial infection significantly more harmful to the roundworm C. elegans. The nanoparticles increased bacterial accumulation in the worms' bodies and weakened their innate immune responses. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in the environment could amplify the toxicity of common microbial pathogens.
Uptake and toxicity of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics in gastric cells: Effects of particle size and surface functionalization
Researchers evaluated the uptake and toxicity of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics in human gastric cells, comparing different sizes and surface treatments. The study found that smaller 50-nanometer particles were taken up at significantly higher rates, with positively charged aminated particles being the most toxic, causing cytotoxicity at lower concentrations and higher rates of cell death.
Polystyrene nanoplastics as an ecotoxicological hazard: cellular and transcriptomic evidences on marine and freshwater in vitro teleost models
Researchers tested the effects of two sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics on fish cell lines from both freshwater and marine species. They found that smaller 20-nanometer particles were significantly more toxic than larger 80-nanometer ones, causing cell death through apoptosis and disrupting multiple biological pathways. The study provides evidence that nanoplastic size is a key factor in determining toxicity to aquatic organisms.
Amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics induced multiple response of Artemia hemocytes
Researchers exposed the zooplankton Artemia to amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics and observed multiple adverse responses in their blood cell system. The nanoplastics triggered changes across five hemocyte subpopulations, causing cell death, oxidative stress, and altered immune function at environmentally relevant concentrations. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution may compromise the innate immune defenses of small aquatic organisms at the base of the food chain.