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Interactions of micro-/nanoplastics and engineered nanomaterials in the environment and the toxicity of co-exposure
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This review paper looks at what happens when tiny plastic particles (like the microplastics found in water, food, and air) team up with engineered nanomaterials—tiny human-made particles used in things like sunscreen, electronics, and medicine. When these two types of particles interact in the environment, they can stick together or react in ways that make them more (or sometimes less) harmful than either one alone, though scientists still don't fully understand these effects in real-world conditions. This matters because most lab studies use simplified "model" plastics that don't reflect what we're actually exposed to daily, so more realistic research is needed to truly understand the health risks of this comb
Colloidal particles play a critical role in material fluxes in the environment. They are ideal carriers of pollutants and pathogens, exhibiting "trojan horse" or "vector" effects because of their high relative surface activity and area. Due to increasing production, wide application, and high waste volumes, the contribution of microplastics (MPs), nanoplastics (NPs), and engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) to environmental contamination has skyrocketed and is changing the characteristics of the colloidal material pool, creating an ecological burden that is compounded by the durability of plastics and reactivity of ENMs. Their inevitable interactions through physical, chemical, or biological mechanisms, such as heteroaggregation, redox reactions, and/or altered toxicity pathways, may exacerbate the adverse ecological and health impacts of these contaminants. However, interactions between MPs/NPs and ENMs in the environment and the resulting toxic effects remain largely unexplored. This review evaluates the ecological and health risks of co-exposure to MPs/NPs and ENMs with the following goals: 1) to summarize the state-of-the-art understanding about the physical, chemical, and biological interactions between MPs/NPs and ENMs that result in altered properties and enhanced or diminished stress; and 2) to identify knowledge gaps of current research in a real-world environmental or biological context and address the need for future research to shift from reliance on model materials (e.g., polystyrene) under laboratory conditions to materials with higher environmental relevance (e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene) under field conditions.
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Toxicological interactions of microplastics/nanoplastics and environmental contaminants: Current knowledge and future perspectives
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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.
Mixtures of Micro and Nanoplastics and Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Environment: What We Know about Their Toxicological Effects
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This review examines what is known about the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastic mixtures combined with other emerging contaminants in the environment. Researchers found that most studies fail to calculate proper interaction parameters, making it difficult to determine whether combined exposures produce additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects on organisms.
A critical review on the interaction of polymer particles and co-existing contaminants: Adsorption mechanism, exposure factors, effects on plankton species
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This review critically examines how microplastics and nanoplastics interact with co-existing contaminants including organic pollutants, toxic metals, and nanoparticles. Researchers found that the combined toxicity depends on multiple factors including plastic size, polymer type, weathering, and the nature of the co-contaminant. The study reveals that mixture effects on plankton species vary widely, with some combinations producing synergistic harm and others showing antagonistic interactions.
Microplastics–Pollutant Interactions in Environmental Systems: Mechanisms, Ecological Effects, and Implications for Sustainable Management
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Tiny plastic bits called microplastics don't just pollute on their own—they can act like sponges, soaking up other harmful chemicals from water, soil, and air, then carrying and releasing them in ways that make those toxins more likely to build up in animals and move up the food chain. This review pulls together existing research to explain how that process works and why it matters, since these plastic-chemical combos may increase human exposure to pollutants through our food and environment. The authors also point to practical fixes—like better wastewater treatment and monitoring—that could help reduce this compounded risk.
Micro- and Nanoplastic Co-exposure: Mechanisms, Modulating Factors, and Context-Dependent Antagonistic and Synergistic Toxicity
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This review summarizes existing research on how tiny plastic particles of different sizes (micro and nano) affect cells when present together, rather than alone. It describes how combined exposure can weaken or strengthen cell damage, depending on particle size, dose and cell type, and affects organs including the intestine, liver, spleen and brain.
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