Ecotoxicological Effects of Nanoplastics on Aquatic Organisms

Abstract

The health of aquatic ecosystems is a cornerstone of global environmental security and human well-being. As an emerging contaminant, nanoplastics (NPs) have attracted widespread attention due to their pervasive presence in production processes and the environment, high bioavailability, and potential to induce adverse biological effects. However, significant knowledge gaps persist in current research, which includes an unclear understanding of the ecological risks from long-term, low-dose exposure, insufficient investigation into the combined and synergistic toxic mechanisms of nanoplastics with various traditional and emerging pollutants, and a lack of systematic integration of toxic effects from the molecular to the ecosystem level. To address these gaps and advance the development of toxicology, this review systematically screened and summarized relevant research, ultimately providing a comprehensive evaluation of the ecotoxicological effects of NPs on aquatic organisms.