Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Toxicological effects of microplastics and heavy metals on the Daphnia magna

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics of two sizes adsorb heavy metals and how their combined presence affects the water flea Daphnia magna. They found that smaller microplastics had higher adsorption capacity for metals, and the combined toxicity shifted from antagonistic to additive effects as microplastic concentrations increased. The study reveals that smaller microplastics pose a greater toxicological risk when combined with heavy metals in aquatic environments.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 184 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Reproduction and Growth of Freshwater Live Feeds Daphnia magna

Researchers found that microplastic exposure negatively affected reproduction and juvenile growth in Daphnia magna, a key freshwater zooplankton species, with effects worsening at higher concentrations and posing risks for aquatic food chains.

2022 Fishes 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Exposure to Cadmium, Microplastics, and Their Mixture on Survival, Growth, Feeding, and Life History of Daphnia magna

Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics altered cadmium toxicity to Daphnia magna, finding that microplastic co-exposure modified cadmium bioavailability and affected survival, growth, feeding rates, and reproductive outcomes in this ecologically important species.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Mixture Toxicity of Nickel and Microplastics with Different Functional Groups on Daphnia magna

Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of nickel and two types of polystyrene microplastics with different surface chemistries on Daphnia magna. They found that the presence of microplastics altered the toxicity of nickel, with surface functional groups playing an important role in determining the severity of combined effects. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modify the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals in freshwater environments.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 282 citations
Article Tier 2

A taste of plastic - quantifying micro- and nanoplastic ingestion and interactions with feeding in daphnia magna (E)

This study developed quantitative methods for measuring microplastic and nanoplastic ingestion by freshwater organisms, applying them to mussels and other invertebrates. The analytical approach helps address a key gap in freshwater microplastic research, where most studies have been qualitative rather than quantitative in assessing organism exposure.

2017 Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU)
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of trace metals by microplastic pellets in fresh water

Researchers measured the adsorption of trace metals by microplastic pellets in freshwater, finding that pellets accumulate metals from the surrounding water, potentially concentrating metals and altering their bioavailability to aquatic organisms.

2015 Environmental Chemistry 554 citations
Article Tier 2

Accumulation, depuration, and potential effects of environmentally representative microplastics towards Daphnia magna

Researchers created environmentally realistic microplastics by grinding common consumer products and tested their effects on Daphnia magna, a small freshwater organism widely used in toxicity studies. The organisms accumulated the microplastics and showed some ability to clear them over time, but the realistic microplastics caused different effects than the pristine laboratory plastics typically used in research. This suggests that many existing studies may underestimate the true environmental risk of microplastics.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Short- and long-term single and combined effects of microplastics and chromium on the freshwater water flea Daphnia magna

Researchers investigated the individual and combined effects of microplastics and chromium on the water flea Daphnia magna in both short- and long-term experiments. They found that microplastics interacted with chromium, reducing its concentration in water, and that co-exposure caused acute toxicity but lacked the chronic effects seen with chromium alone. The study suggests that microplastics may alter the bioavailability and toxicity of metal pollutants in freshwater environments.

2022 Aquatic Toxicology 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological Evaluation and Quantification of Ingested Metal-Core Nanoplastic by Daphnia magna Through Fluorescence and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometric Methods

Researchers developed a method using both fluorescence microscopy and ICP-MS to simultaneously quantify nanoplastic particles ingested by Daphnia magna and assess associated toxicity, finding dose-dependent uptake and toxic effects. The combined quantification and toxicity approach provides a more complete picture of nanoplastic risk to freshwater zooplankton than either method alone.

2019 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics and pesticides on Daphnia

Researchers investigated the combined and individual impacts of microplastics and pesticides on Daphnia magna, a model crustacean widely used in freshwater ecotoxicology, to assess how these co-occurring pollutants affect aquatic ecosystem health. The study examined survival, reproduction, and physiological responses in D. magna exposed to varying concentrations of both stressors under controlled conditions.

2025 Fisher Digital Publications (St. John Fisher College)
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the accumulation and neurotoxicity of methylmercury in zebrafish larvae

Researchers found that microplastics can adsorb methylmercury and act as carriers, increasing its accumulation in zebrafish larvae and worsening neurotoxicity by disrupting locomotor activity and triggering oxidative stress.

2022 Marine Environmental Research 33 citations
Article Tier 2

A proposed reporting framework for microplastic-metal mixtures research, with emphasis on environmental considerations known to influence metals

This study proposes a standardized reporting framework for research on microplastic-metal mixtures in freshwater, drawing on established knowledge of metal behavior to fill gaps in understanding how microplastics interact with metals and affect aquatic environments.

2023 Ecotoxicology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

From plankton to fish: The multifaceted threat of microplastics in freshwater environments

This review summarizes how microplastics harm freshwater organisms from tiny plankton to fish through oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, gut microbiome disruption, and metabolic disorders. Microplastics often combine with other pollutants in water, making their toxic effects even worse. Since freshwater systems are a major pathway for microplastics entering oceans and our food supply, understanding these effects is critical for protecting both ecosystems and human health.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 17 citations
Review Tier 2

Pollution of Freshwater Ecosystems by Microplastics: A Short Review on Degradation, Distribution, and Interaction with Aquatic Biota

This review synthesizes published literature on the distribution, degradation, and ecological interactions of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems globally. The paper covers MP distribution patterns, interactions with heavy metals in freshwater, and documented uptake by aquatic organisms along with associated biological impacts.

2023 Sohag Journal of Sciences 5 citations
Article Tier 2

[Research Progress on Trojan-horse Effect of Microplastics and Heavy Metals in Freshwater Environment].

This review examines the Trojan-horse effect in freshwater environments where microplastics adsorb and transport heavy metals, significantly increasing their potential ecological harm due to the large surface area and persistence of microplastic particles.

2023 PubMed 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-mediated transport of PCBs? A depuration study with Daphnia magna

This study used the water flea Daphnia magna to investigate whether microplastics can affect how persistent organic pollutants like PCBs are eliminated from aquatic organisms. The experiment found that microplastics could act as a vehicle for contaminant transport, supporting the concern that they change how organisms are exposed to legacy pollutants.

2018 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Review on the relationship between microplastics and heavy metals in freshwater near mining areas

This review synthesized knowledge on the interaction between microplastics and heavy metals in freshwater environments, covering adsorption mechanisms, combined toxicity, and the role of microplastics as metal vectors. Co-contamination was found to amplify ecological risks beyond what either stressor causes alone.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 6 citations
Review Tier 2

Ecotoxicology of microplastics in Daphnia: A review focusing on microplastic properties and multiscale attributes of Daphnia

This review synthesizes research on how microplastics affect Daphnia, a key organism in aquatic food webs, across individual, population, and community levels. Researchers found that the toxicity of microplastics to Daphnia depends heavily on the physical and chemical properties of the particles, and that combined exposure with other pollutants can produce more severe effects. The study highlights Daphnia as an important indicator species for understanding how microplastic pollution cascades through aquatic ecosystems.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 71 citations
Review Tier 2

Review on the ecotoxicological impacts of plastic pollution on the freshwater invertebrate Daphnia

This review examines the ecotoxicological impacts of plastic pollution on the freshwater invertebrate Daphnia, a widely used model organism. Researchers highlight that microplastics affect Daphnia reproduction, growth, and survival, and that chemicals leaching from plastics may contribute additional toxic effects that transfer through food webs.

2022 Environmental Toxicology 54 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Effects of microplastics on the toxicity of co-existing pollutants to fish: A meta-analysis

Meta-analysis of 1,380 biological endpoints from 55 studies found that microplastics in co-existing pollutant solutions significantly increased toxicity to fish beyond what the pollutants caused alone, particularly elevating immune system damage, metabolic disruption, and oxidative stress. The effect depended on fish life stage and microplastic size, but not on pollutant or polymer type.

2023 Water Research 81 citations