Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Interactions between titanium dioxide nanoparticles and polyethylene microplastics: Adsorption kinetics, photocatalytic properties, and ecotoxicity

This study investigated how titanium dioxide nanoparticles interact with polyethylene microplastics in water and what the combined effects are on water fleas (Daphnia magna). Researchers found that the nanoparticles rapidly attached to microplastic surfaces and retained their ability to break down pollutants under UV light. The combination of these two common pollutants affected the mobility and behavior of the water fleas, suggesting that interactions between different types of pollution may create unexpected environmental risks.

2023 Chemosphere 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and TiO2 nanoparticles mixture as an emerging threat to amphibians: A case study on bullfrog embryos

Scientists studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on bullfrog embryo development. While the microplastics alone did not significantly harm the embryos because they stuck to the outer protective layer, the nanoparticles reduced survival and hatching rates. This study shows that different types of tiny particles can interact in complex ways in the environment, and that amphibian embryos may be more vulnerable to nanoparticles than to microplastics during early development.

2024 Environmental Pollution 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and plastic additives as contaminants of emerging concern: A multi-biomarker approach using Rhinella arenarum tadpoles

Researchers exposed toad tadpoles to polyethylene microplastics and the flame retardant TBBPA, both alone and in combination, for 30 days. They found that the mixture produced different toxic effects than either substance alone, affecting growth, enzyme activity, and cellular stress markers. The study highlights the importance of studying microplastics alongside common plastic additives, since their combined effects may differ from individual exposures.

2023 Environmental Advances 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Genotoxicity, mutagenicity and immunotoxicity assessment of microplastics and nanoparticle mixture in bullfrog tadpoles

Researchers exposed bullfrog tadpoles to polyethylene microplastics and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, both individually and in combination, for 15 days to assess genetic damage and immune effects. While the pollutants did not cause direct DNA damage at the tested concentrations, the microplastics alone and in combination with nanoparticles triggered changes in immune cell composition. The study suggests that even at relatively low concentrations, microplastics can alter immune function in amphibians, which are among the most threatened vertebrate groups worldwide.

2025 Environmental Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity assessment of polyethylene microplastics in combination with a mix of emerging pollutants on Physalaemus cuvieri tadpoles

Researchers assessed the toxicity of polyethylene microplastics alone and in combination with a mixture of emerging pollutants on tadpoles of the frog Physalaemus cuvieri over 30 days. They found that combined exposure produced more severe effects on biomarkers related to oxidative stress and morphological development than individual exposures. The study highlights the need to consider how microplastics interact with other environmental contaminants when evaluating risks to amphibian populations.

2022 Journal of Environmental Sciences 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Combinational effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and nanopolystyrene particles at environmentally relevant concentrations on nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Researchers exposed the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to environmentally realistic concentrations of both titanium dioxide nanoparticles and nanopolystyrene simultaneously, finding that nanoplastics enhanced the toxicity of the metal oxide particles, worsening locomotion impairment and gut oxidative stress beyond what either pollutant caused alone.

2018 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 158 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects on ciliates under nano-/micro-plastics coexist with silver nanoparticles

Researchers tested the combined effects of different-sized plastic particles with silver nanoparticles on marine microorganisms and found that the mixture was more toxic than either pollutant alone. Smaller nanoplastics combined with silver nanoparticles caused the most severe damage, disrupting energy and fat metabolism and causing DNA and protein damage. This study shows how microplastics can amplify the toxicity of other environmental pollutants in marine food chains.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity evaluation of nano-TiO2 in the presence of functionalized microplastics at two trophic levels: Algae and crustaceans

Researchers examined how different surface-functionalized polystyrene microplastics affect the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles across two trophic levels, using algae and brine shrimp. They found that aminated and plain microplastics enhanced nano-TiO2 toxicity to algae, while carboxylated microplastics reduced it. Direct aqueous exposure caused greater toxicity in brine shrimp than dietary exposure, suggesting that the route of exposure significantly influences combined contaminant effects.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Individual and Combined Toxic Effects of Nano-ZnO and Polyethylene Microplastics on Mosquito Fish (Gambusia holbrooki)

Researchers studied the individual and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and zinc oxide nanoparticles on mosquito fish. The combination caused greater damage to liver tissue, blood parameters, and antioxidant systems than either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that microplastics interacting with other environmental contaminants can amplify toxic effects in aquatic organisms.

2023 Water 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Ekotoksičnost mikroplastike i prioritetnih onečišćivala u vodi

This review covers the ecotoxicity of microplastics and priority pollutants in water, summarizing experimental evidence for toxicity endpoints including mortality, reproduction, growth, and behavioral effects across aquatic organisms. The authors note that combined exposure to microplastics and co-contaminants often produces greater toxicity than individual exposures, highlighting the importance of mixture effects.

2024 Repository of Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology University of Zagreb
Article Tier 2

Toxicological interactions induced by chronic exposure to gold nanoparticles and microplastics mixtures in Daphnia magna

This study examined the combined toxicological effects of gold nanoparticles and microplastics through chronic exposure, finding interactive effects that differed from either contaminant alone, emphasizing the importance of studying multiple stressors together.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and silver nanoparticles in constructed wetlands: Microbial and macrophyte responses

Researchers co-exposed constructed wetlands to polystyrene nanoplastics and silver nanoparticles and found synergistic disruption of the electron transport chain, impaired ATP production, and altered nitrogen transformation, with combined exposure more toxic than either contaminant alone.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Study of the toxicological effects of emerging contaminants on Daphnia similis associating polyethylene microplastics with the agrochemical imidacloprid.

Brazilian researchers tested the ecotoxicological effects of combining polyethylene microplastics with the insecticide imidacloprid on the freshwater crustacean Daphnia, finding combined exposures were more toxic than either pollutant alone. These results suggest that microplastics and pesticides together pose greater risks to aquatic organisms than studies of single pollutants indicate.

2023 Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (Universidade de São Paulo)
Article Tier 2

Developmental toxicity of co-exposure of heavy metal and polystyrene microplastics in Xenopus laevis embryo

Researchers exposed Xenopus laevis frog embryos simultaneously to cadmium, copper, lead, and polystyrene microbeads, finding that co-exposure produced more complex effects than any single contaminant and that interactions included antagonistic as well as additive outcomes.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Evaluation Of The Toxicity Of The Microplastic Polyethylene In Association With Distinct Emerging Pollutants In Aquatic Vertebrates

This study evaluated the toxicity of polyethylene microplastics in association with distinct emerging pollutants using ecotoxicological assays. The research was supported by the Brazilian education agency CAPES and examined combinatorial effects of microplastics with co-occurring contaminants.

2024 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on atrazine in zebrafish: Exogenous toxicity and endogenous mechanism

Researchers found that combining polystyrene microplastics with the common herbicide atrazine was more toxic to zebrafish than either pollutant alone, causing greater liver and gut damage. The combination also degraded water quality by reducing oxygen levels and increasing harmful nitrogen compounds. This is important because microplastics and pesticides frequently co-exist in the environment, meaning their combined effects on aquatic life and food safety may be worse than studies of individual pollutants suggest.

2025 Environmental Pollution 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation, Ecotoxicity, and Microbial Responses in Hoplobatrachus rugulosus Tadpoles Following Co-Exposure to Imidacloprid and Microplastics

Researchers co-exposed Hoplobatrachus rugulosus tadpoles to imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid insecticide) and polyethylene microplastics from agricultural mulch, finding that combined exposure increased bioaccumulation of both contaminants, worsened developmental delays, and caused greater oxidative stress and gut microbiome disruption than either pollutant alone.

2025 Animals
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics enhance the toxic effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticle in freshwater algae Scenedesmus obliquus

Researchers investigated how fluorescent nanoplastics modify the toxic effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the freshwater algae Scenedesmus obliquus. They found that when nanoplastics were combined with titanium dioxide, oxidative stress markers, lipid damage, and antioxidant enzyme activity all increased significantly beyond individual exposures. The study demonstrates that nanoplastics can enhance the toxicity of other environmental contaminants in freshwater organisms.

2022 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Can the toxicity of polyethylene microplastics and engineered nanoclays on flatfish (Solea senegalensis) be influenced by the presence of each other?

Exposing Senegalese sole juveniles to polyethylene microplastics and bentonite nanoclays simultaneously produced complex interaction effects, with co-exposure sometimes attenuating and sometimes exacerbating individual toxicity endpoints, underscoring that nanomaterial and microplastic mixtures in the environment require combined-exposure testing frameworks.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 18 citations
Article Tier 2

A review on the combined toxicological effects of microplastics and their attached pollutants

Researchers reviewed how microplastics act as carriers for other environmental pollutants — including heavy metals and persistent organic chemicals — and how these combinations produce toxic effects in organisms that are more severe than either contaminant alone. The findings highlight a complex, layered toxicity problem that affects microbes, invertebrates, and vertebrates across marine and terrestrial environments.

2025 Emerging contaminants 20 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
Article Tier 2

The combined toxicity test of polyester and tetra ethylene glycol on Daphnia magna

This study tested the combined toxicity of polyester microplastics and tetraethylene glycol on the water flea Daphnia magna, a standard freshwater toxicity test organism. The combined exposure was more harmful than either substance alone, highlighting the risks of plastic-chemical mixtures in aquatic environments.

2021
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics with Cadmium on the Digestive System of Rana zhenhaiensis Tadpoles

Researchers exposed frog tadpoles to cadmium and polystyrene microplastics, both alone and in combination, finding that both pollutants increased mortality and delayed growth and development. Cadmium accumulated mainly in liver and intestine tissue while polystyrene concentrated in gills and intestines, and combined exposure altered the balance of gut microbiota more than either pollutant alone. The study suggests microplastics can interact with heavy metal pollutants in freshwater environments, potentially modifying their distribution and toxicity in amphibians.

2024 Toxics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential synergistic effects of microplastics and zinc oxide nanoparticles: biochemical and physiological analysis on Astacus leptodactylus

Researchers exposed crayfish to microplastics and zinc oxide nanoparticles, both alone and combined, and found that the combination caused greater harm than either pollutant on its own, including increased liver stress markers and reduced antioxidant defenses. These findings suggest that microplastics may make other common environmental pollutants more toxic when they occur together in waterways that supply food and drinking water.

2025 Ecotoxicology 10 citations