Papers

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Article Tier 2

Polystyrene NanoplasticsRegulate Silicon Cyclingand Biosilica Deposition in Marine Synechococcus

Researchers found that amine-modified polystyrene nanoplastics at 0.1 mg/L disrupted silicon transport and biosilica deposition in the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. CC9311. The effects on cellular silicon cycling could have broader ecological implications for ocean biogeochemistry in which cyanobacterial silica plays a structural role.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene Nanoplastics Regulate Silicon Cycling and Biosilica Deposition in Marine Synechococcus

Researchers found that amine-modified polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NH₂) at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.1 mg/L) disrupted silicon transport and biosilica deposition in the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus. The effects on silicon cycling could have broader implications for ocean biogeochemical cycles in which silica plays a structural role.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

The response of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 to micro-/nano polyethylene particles - Investigation of a key anthropogenic stressor

Researchers investigated the molecular responses of the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 to polyethylene micro- and nanoparticles, finding that these anthropogenic stressors altered gene expression and physiological processes in this key marine photosynthetic organism.

2020 PLoS ONE 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction of Cyanobacteria with Nanometer and Micron Sized Polystyrene Particles in Marine and Fresh Water

Marine and freshwater cyanobacteria formed aggregates with polystyrene nanoplastics held together by extracellular polymeric substances, causing the particles to sink, with larger and faster aggregation in saltwater. Microplastics produced different-shaped aggregates linked by a small number of particles, neither causing cell death, showing that cyanobacteria can alter nanoplastic fate and distribution in aquatic systems.

2020 Langmuir 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics diminish the toxic effects of Nano-TiO2 in marine algae Chlorella sp.

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics reduced the toxic effects of nano-titanium dioxide on marine algae by forming larger aggregates that decreased the bioavailability of both particle types. The combined exposure led to lower oxidative stress and reduced cellular damage compared to nano-titanium dioxide alone. The study demonstrates that interactions between different types of nanoparticles in marine environments can produce antagonistic effects that alter their individual toxicity profiles.

2021 Environmental Research 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Eco-corona formation lessens the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics towards marine microalgae Chlorella sp.

Researchers studied how eco-corona formation, the adsorption of algal exudates onto nanoplastic surfaces, affects the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics to the marine microalga Chlorella sp. The study found that eco-corona formation reduced the toxic effects of nanoplastics, suggesting that natural organic matter in marine environments may partially mitigate nanoplastic toxicity to algae.

2020 Environmental Research 131 citations
Article Tier 2

Nano- and microplastics trigger secretion of protein-rich extracellular polymeric substances from phytoplankton

Researchers exposed four marine phytoplankton species to polystyrene nano- and microplastics and found that the smallest particles (55 nm nanoplastics) caused the most stress, reducing cell survival and altering the composition of secreted extracellular substances. The stressed phytoplankton produced protein-rich exopolymeric substances that facilitated the formation of aggregates around the plastic particles. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution can change how marine microorganisms interact with their environment, affecting both plastic fate and microbial ecology.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 158 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics cause growth inhibition, morphological damage and physiological disturbance in the marine microalga Platymonas helgolandica

Researchers exposed marine green microalgae to polystyrene nanoplastics and found significant growth inhibition, increased membrane permeability, disrupted photosynthesis, and visible morphological damage — including surface fragmentation and cellular rupture — at concentrations as low as 200 µg/L.

2020 Marine Pollution Bulletin 128 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics impair growth and nitrogen fixation of marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria

Researchers found that nanoplastic exposure significantly reduces growth, photosynthesis, and nitrogen fixation in Crocosphaera watsonii — a key ocean nitrogen-fixer — suggesting that nanoplastic pollution could decrease new nitrogen input to marine ecosystems and impair ocean productivity and biogeochemical cycling.

2024 Environmental Pollution 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Dose-dependent effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on growth, photosynthesis, and astaxanthin synthesis in Haematococcus pluvialis

Researchers exposed the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis to polystyrene nanoplastics at various concentrations and found that higher doses significantly inhibited growth and photosynthesis. Interestingly, the stressed algae produced more astaxanthin, a natural antioxidant pigment, as a defense response. The study shows that nanoplastic pollution can disrupt algal growth while triggering biochemical stress responses in aquatic organisms.

2024 Environmental Pollution 8 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of algal EPS in reducing the combined toxicity of BPA and polystyrene nanoparticles to the freshwater algae Scenedesmus obliquus

Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and the industrial chemical BPA affect freshwater algae when combined, and whether the algae's own protective secretions could reduce the damage. Carboxylated nanoplastics were the most toxic form, and the algae's natural exopolymeric substances helped buffer the combined toxicity. The findings suggest that biological interactions in real waterways may partially mitigate some harmful effects of nanoplastic pollution.

2023 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Weaken the Adaptability of Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. to Ocean Warming

Researchers found that microplastic exposure weakened the ability of the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus to adapt to warming ocean temperatures. When microplastics were combined with higher water temperatures, carbon fixation dropped by up to 15% compared to warming alone, and photosynthesis pigments declined further. The study suggests that microplastic pollution could compound the damaging effects of climate change on ocean phytoplankton, which play a critical role in global carbon cycling.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Algal EPS modifies the toxicity potential of the mixture of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) and triphenyl phosphate in freshwater microalgae Chlorella sp.

Researchers found that a natural substance produced by algae (extracellular polymeric substances, or EPS) can reduce the toxic effects of nanoplastics combined with a flame retardant chemical in freshwater. The EPS coated the nanoplastics and reduced their ability to harm algal cells. This natural protective mechanism could play an important role in how aquatic ecosystems buffer against the combined threat of microplastics and chemical pollutants.

2024 Chemosphere 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics trigger changes in cell surface properties of freshwater and marine cyanobacteria

Polystyrene nanoplastics altered cell surface properties—including charge, hydrophobicity, and extracellular polymeric substance composition—in both freshwater and marine cyanobacteria without affecting growth or structure, suggesting cyanobacteria employ adaptive surface remodeling strategies to resist nanoplastic stress.

2025 Environmental Science Nano 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in wastewater treatment plants: Detection, occurrence and removal

Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics affect the marine microalga Chaetoceros neogracile and found that exposure reduced growth and photosynthetic activity. The nanoplastics physically attached to the algal cells and triggered oxidative stress, suggesting they can interfere with the base of the marine food web. The study raises concerns that nanoplastic pollution could have cascading effects on ocean ecosystems by harming the tiny organisms that produce much of the world's oxygen.

2019 Water Research 1846 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to nanoplastics affects the outcome of infectious disease in phytoplankton

Researchers exposed a cyanobacterium-fungal parasite system to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that at high concentrations, NPs formed heteroaggregates with phytoplankton cells, altered host-parasite dynamics, and disrupted disease outcomes in an ecologically relevant model.

2021 Environmental Pollution 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics Promote Microcystin Synthesis and Release from Cyanobacterial Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers discovered that amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics promote both the production and release of microcystin, a harmful toxin, from the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. The nanoplastics inhibited photosynthesis, induced oxidative stress, and damaged cell membranes, which enhanced toxin synthesis and extracellular release. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems could worsen the threat of harmful algal blooms to aquatic ecology and human health.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 232 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Polystyrene Microparticles on Growth and Physiological Metabolism of Microalgae Scendesmus obliquus

Researchers examined the toxic effects of polystyrene microparticles on the microalga Scenedesmus obliquus, finding that exposure inhibited growth and disrupted photosynthesis and antioxidant defense systems in a concentration-dependent manner.

2023 Sustainability 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential effect of nano vs. micro-sized plastics on live Chlorella sp. algae in water environment

Researchers exposed live Chlorella sp. algae to polystyrene particles ranging from 20 nm to 2000 nm and used confocal microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging to characterize interactions. Nanoplastics of 20–500 nm formed corona-like structures around algae cells and reduced chlorophyll fluorescence intensity and lifetime, indicating impaired photosynthesis, while larger 1000–2000 nm particles had minimal effects.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics promote microcystin synthesis and release from cyanobacterial Microcystis aeruginosa.

Researchers showed that amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NH2) stimulate microcystin synthesis and release in the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa by inhibiting photosystem II and increasing membrane permeability. This is the first direct evidence linking nanoplastics to enhanced cyanotoxin production in freshwater blooms.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Response of coral reef dinoflagellates to nanoplastics under experimental conditions

Researchers exposed symbiotic dinoflagellates from coral reefs to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that cell growth and aggregation were significantly reduced after 10 days. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution could harm the tiny algae that are essential to coral reef health, with potential consequences for reef ecosystems.

2020 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Algal extracellular polymeric substances (algal-EPS) for mitigating the combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and nano-TiO2 in Chlorella sp.

This study found that algal extracellular polymeric substances can coat both polystyrene nanoplastics and titanium dioxide nanoparticles and reduce their combined toxic effects on the green alga Chlorella, suggesting that natural organic matter in marine environments can buffer combined nanoparticle toxicity.

2023 Nanotoxicology 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics alter the ecotoxicological effects of diclofenac on freshwater microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus

Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to modify the ecotoxicological effects of the pharmaceutical diclofenac on freshwater microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, with the combined exposure producing effects different from either pollutant alone.

2023 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on the physiological and biochemical characteristics of microalga Scenedesmus quadricauda

Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to disrupt the physiology and biochemistry of freshwater microalgae, affecting photosynthesis, growth rates, and oxidative stress markers at environmentally relevant concentrations. The results highlight nanoplastics as a threat to phytoplankton, the base of freshwater food webs.

2022 Environmental Pollution 62 citations