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Hazard of mixture of pollutants to aquatic organisms: evaluation of the effects of imidacloprid, tebuconazole, and microplastics in the RTL-W1 cell line
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Scientists tested how two common pesticides and tiny plastic particles (microplastics) affect fish cells, both alone and combined. While each pollutant alone caused little harm, mixing the pesticides together damaged cells much more than expected, and adding microplastics to the mix disrupted cells' waste-cleanup systems, especially with one of the fungicides. This matters because real-world waterways contain cocktails of pollutants, not just one at a time, and this research suggests these combinations could be more harmful to aquatic life (and potentially the food chain) than studying each pollutant separately would suggest.
Pesticides and microplastics coexist in aquatic ecosystems, creating complex exposure scenarios that remain insufficiently explored in ecotoxicology. This study evaluated the cytotoxic and enzymatic responses of RTL-W1 cells exposed to Imidacloprid (IMI), Tebuconazole (TEB), and polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs), individually and in mixture scenarios. Cytotoxicity was assessed using Alamar Blue, CFDA-AM, and Neutral Red Uptake assays, while cytochrome P450-1A (CYP1A) activity was evaluated through the EROD assay. Isolated exposures to IMI, TEB, and PE-MPs were not cytotoxic. In contrast, pesticide mixtures (IMI +TEB) affected all endpoints, suggesting potential interactive effects such as additive or synergistic interactions. High concentrations of TEB markedly suppressed EROD activity, whereas a combination of high IMI and low TEB concentrations induced CYP1A activity. When PE-MPs were included in the mixtures, lysosomal function was the most sensitive endpoint, particularly in combinations containing TEB. These findings provide insights into contaminant interactions in fish cells and their effects.
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Biointerface interactions and mechanistic ecotoxicity of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics and imidacloprid in juvenile Carassius auratus under single and combined exposure
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Scientists found that when fish farmed for food are exposed to both microplastics and a common pesticide together, their gills suffer more damage than from either pollutant alone, including cell death and disrupted waste processing. Since these fish are raised in ponds near farms and end up on dinner tables, this raises concerns about how combined pollution affects the safety and health of our food sources.
Title: Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and permethrin induces gill injury in Gobiocypris rarus involving oxidative stress and microbiota dysbiosis
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Scientists found that when tiny plastic particles (microplastics) and a common pesticide called permethrin mix together in water, they cause much worse damage to fish gills than either pollutant alone, harming cells, disrupting healthy bacteria, and increasing oxidative stress and cell death. This matters because these pollutants often occur together in real rivers and lakes, meaning wildlife (and potentially humans through the food chain and shared water sources) may face greater combined risks than typically assumed when chemicals are tested individually.
Current perspectives on the in vitro cytotoxic effects of tebuconazole, imidacloprid, and microplastics: A comprehensive review
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Researchers reviewed 25 years of in vitro ecotoxicology literature on microplastics, imidacloprid, and tebuconazole in aquatic species, finding that polystyrene microplastics dominate the literature (74%) while tebuconazole has no in vitro studies at all, and that mixture scenarios combining MPs with pesticides remain critically understudied despite their environmental relevance.
Synergistic Toxicity of PVC Microplastic and Methyl Thiophanate in Common Carp
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Scientists found that when fish were exposed to both plastic particles (from PVC, a common plastic) and a fungicide used on crops, the combination caused significantly more blood damage, organ stress, and tissue injury than either pollutant alone. This matters because our rivers and lakes often contain mixtures of plastic waste and agricultural chemicals together, not just one at a time, and this study suggests these combos could be more harmful to fish (and potentially other animals, including humans who eat fish or drink from these water sources) than we'd expect from studying each pollutant separately.
Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Intestinal Lipid Metabolic Disturbance in Loaches Co-Exposed to Polystyrene Nanoplastics and Imidacloprid
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Scientists found that when tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) and a common pesticide (imidacloprid) combine in the guts of fish, they disrupt how the fish process fats—something both pollutants alone did less severely. This matters because these same pollutants show up in our water and food supply, and this study suggests that real-world pollution—where chemicals mix together—could harm health in ways that testing one substance at a time might miss.
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