Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Alleviating binary toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and atrazine to Chlorella vulgaris through humic acid interaction: Long-term toxicity using environmentally relevant concentrations

Researchers found that when nanoplastics and the herbicide atrazine were combined in water, they had a synergistic toxic effect on algae that was worse than either pollutant alone. However, adding humic acid, a natural substance found in soil and water, significantly reduced this combined toxicity by coating the nanoplastics and changing their surface properties. This suggests that natural organic matter in the environment may offer some protection against the harmful effects of nanoplastic-chemical mixtures.

2024 Chemosphere 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Humic acid can mitigate or magnify nanoplastic toxicity to freshwater microalgae: what are the factors driving these contrasting effects?

Researchers explored how humic acid, a natural organic substance found in water, interacts with nanoplastics to either reduce or amplify their toxicity to freshwater microalgae. The study found that humic acid can mitigate nanoplastic toxicity by reducing surface hydrophobicity and improving particle dispersion, but this protective effect diminishes at low humic acid concentrations.

2026 Environmental Science Nano
Article Tier 2

Presence of humic acid in the environment holds promise as a potential mitigating factor for the joint toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and herbicide atrazine to Chlorella vulgaris: 96-H acute toxicity

Researchers studied how nanoplastics and the herbicide atrazine together affect freshwater algae, and whether humic acid, a natural organic substance found in water, could reduce their combined harm. They found that both the nanoplastics alone and in combination with atrazine damaged algal growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant defenses. The presence of humic acid significantly reduced these toxic effects, suggesting it may act as a natural buffer against nanoplastic and pesticide pollution in aquatic environments.

2024 Chemosphere 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Humic acid enhances adsorption of antibiotic ciprofloxacin on polylactic acid microplastics, leading to reproductive and mitochondrial toxicity in Daphnia magna: Quantitative analysis

Researchers found that humic acid, a common natural organic compound in freshwater, significantly enhanced the adsorption of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin onto polylactic acid microplastics. This combination caused greater reproductive harm and mitochondrial DNA damage in water fleas (Daphnia magna) than exposure to the microplastics or antibiotic alone. The study highlights that even biodegradable microplastics can amplify the ecological toxicity of environmental pollutants when natural organic matter is present.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Influences of molecular weight fractionated humic acids on polyamide 66 microplastic stability and toxicity in red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Researchers found that humic acids of different molecular weights enhanced the stability and aquatic persistence of polyamide 66 microplastics, leading to greater accumulation in red tilapia gut tissues and increased oxidative stress, suggesting that dissolved organic matter worsens microplastic toxicity in real-world water environments.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Joint effect of nanoplastics and humic acid on the uptake of PAHs for Daphnia magna: A model study

This study examined how humic acid (a form of dissolved organic matter) modifies the bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aquatic organisms exposed to nanoplastics, finding that humic acid significantly altered the joint effects of the two complex matrices. The results indicate that natural organic matter plays an important role in regulating nanoplastic-associated chemical uptake.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction between microplastics and humic acid and its effect on their properties as revealed by molecular dynamics simulations

Researchers used molecular dynamics simulations to study how microplastics interact with humic acid, a natural organic compound found in soil and water. They found that microplastics disrupted the hydrogen bonding and calcium coordination within humic acid, altering its structure and properties. The study suggests that when microplastics and humic acid combine in the environment, both materials behave differently than they would alone, which could affect pollutant transport in natural systems.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Humic acid alleviates the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastic particles toDaphnia magna

Daphnia magna were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics with and without humic acid, finding that humic acid significantly reduced nanoplastic toxicity by altering particle aggregation and distribution within the organism. The study demonstrates that natural organic matter in water can modulate nanoplastic bioavailability, with implications for risk assessment under realistic environmental conditions.

2019 Environmental Science Nano 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Roles of bio-based microplastics in modulating the toxic effects of the herbicide metolachlor on the South American native species Palaemon argentinus: Single and co-exposure effects

Researchers exposed South American native shrimp to polylactic acid microplastics and the herbicide metolachlor, both individually and in combination, over a seven-day period. They found that the bio-based microplastics caused oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, and tissue damage, and also acted as carriers that increased pesticide accumulation in the shrimp. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can transport pollutants and pose ecological risks in aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Aquatic Toxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Humic acid alleviates the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in combination with their copper nanoparticle co-pollutants in Artemia salina

Researchers examined how humic acid, a natural organic substance found in soil and water, affects the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics combined with copper nanoparticles in brine shrimp. They found that humic acid reduced the harmful effects of these co-pollutants, likely by coating the particles and limiting their biological interactions. The study suggests that natural organic matter in the environment may help buffer some of the toxic effects of nanoplastic pollution.

2024 Environmental Science Nano 4 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Effects of dissolved organic matter on the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastic particles to Daphnia - a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis pools data from 13 studies to examine whether dissolved organic matter in water can reduce the harmful effects of micro- and nanoplastics on water fleas. The findings suggest that certain natural substances in water may lessen plastic particle toxicity, offering insight into how environmental conditions influence the real-world risks of microplastic pollution.

2024 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicological interactions of microplastics/nanoplastics and environmental contaminants: Current knowledge and future perspectives

This review examines how the combined presence of micro- and nanoplastics with other environmental contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals affects toxicity. Researchers found that plastic particles can alter the bioavailability and toxic effects of co-occurring pollutants, sometimes increasing harm to organisms, which complicates environmental risk assessment.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 501 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Molecular Toxicity Mechanism of Microplastics Mixtures

This review examines how microplastics interact with other environmental pollutants like heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals, altering how toxic those substances behave. The study explores the molecular mechanisms behind these combined toxicity effects, which matter because in real-world environments, organisms are rarely exposed to microplastics in isolation.

2025 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effects of marine pollutants and microplastics on the destabilization of lipid bilayers

Researchers found that marine pollutants and microplastics act synergistically to destabilize lipid bilayers, suggesting that the combined presence of plastic particles and co-adsorbed chemicals may amplify cellular membrane damage beyond what either stressor causes alone.

2023
Article Tier 2

Single and combined chronic toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNP) and clothianidin on collembolans and enchytraeids

Scientists tested how tiny plastic particles and a common pesticide affect soil creatures that are important for healthy ecosystems. They found that when these two pollutants are combined, they become more harmful than when alone - even at levels that seemed safe individually. This matters because humans are also exposed to both microplastics and pesticides in our food and environment, suggesting these combinations could pose greater health risks than we previously understood.

2026 Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Article Tier 2

Interactions between microplastics, model pesticides and microalgae in wastewater

Researchers investigated interactions between microplastics, model pesticides, and microalgae in wastewater treatment systems, examining how the co-presence of microplastic particles and pesticide contaminants affects the efficiency of microalgae-based treatment for removing nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater intended for agricultural reuse.

2025 Repository of the University of Ljubljana (University of Ljubljana)
Article Tier 2

Toxicity comparison of polylactic acid and polyethylene microplastics co-exposed with methylmercury on Daphnia magna

Researchers compared the toxicity of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics with conventional polyethylene microplastics, both alone and in combination with methylmercury, on water fleas. The biodegradable microplastics caused greater harm, significantly reducing survival and reproduction while also increasing mercury accumulation in the organisms. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer for the environment, suggesting they may actually enhance the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 7 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
Article Tier 2

Interactions between microplastics and organic pollutants: Effects on toxicity, bioaccumulation, degradation, and transport

This review examines how microplastics interact with organic pollutants like pesticides and industrial chemicals in the environment. Researchers found that microplastics can absorb these pollutants and alter their toxicity, bioaccumulation, and transport, making the combined effects of microplastics and chemical contaminants potentially more harmful than either would be alone.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 399 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic toxic mechanisms of microplastics and triclosan via multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) inhibition–mediated autophagy in the freshwater water flea Daphnia magna

Researchers exposed water fleas to microplastics and triclosan, a common antimicrobial chemical, and found that the combination was more toxic than either pollutant alone. Microplastics interfered with the organisms' natural defense system for expelling foreign chemicals, allowing triclosan to accumulate and trigger harmful autophagy. This suggests that microplastics may amplify the toxicity of other environmental contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) nanoparticles modulate metals toxicity in Hydra viridissima

Researchers investigated how nanoplastics made from the bioplastic polyhydroxybutyrate interact with toxic metals in freshwater organisms. They found that PHB nanoplastics modified the toxicity of cadmium, copper, and zinc to the organism Hydra, sometimes increasing and sometimes decreasing harmful effects depending on the metal. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastic particles can alter how pollutants affect aquatic life.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 4 citations
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

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

Nanoplastics increase the toxicity of a pharmaceutical, at environmentally relevant concentrations – A mixture design with Daphnia magna

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics significantly increased the toxicity of the pharmaceutical diphenhydramine to Daphnia magna water fleas at environmentally relevant concentrations. The combination caused oxidative damage that was not observed when organisms were exposed to either substance alone, indicating a synergistic interaction. The study highlights that the co-occurrence of nanoplastics and pharmaceutical pollutants in water may create compounding risks for aquatic organisms.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 7 citations