We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Polystyrene Microplastics as a Trojan Horse for Cadmium: Synergistic Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress, and Incomplete Recovery in Oreochromis niloticus
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that when tiny plastic particles (microplastics) and cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, team up, they cause more cell damage and stress in fish than either one does alone, acting like a "Trojan horse" that helps the metal get into the body. Even after exposure stopped, the fish didn't fully recover. This matters because it suggests microplastics in our environment could be secretly carrying and worsening the effects of other pollutants, raising questions about the combined risks we face from eating contaminated fish or being exposed to both pollutants together.
This study investigated the individual and combined effects of cadmium chloride and polystyrene microplastics (MPs) on adult male Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).. A multi-biomarker approach was implemented using hematology, detoxification proteins (metallothionein), apoptosis (c...
More Papers Like This
Influence of microplastics on the accumulation and chronic toxic effects of cadmium in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics combined with cadmium for three weeks and found that the presence of microplastics significantly increased cadmium accumulation in the liver, gut, and gills. The combined exposure caused greater oxidative damage, tissue inflammation, and disruption of protective gene activity than either pollutant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics can enhance the toxicity of heavy metals in fish by acting as carriers that increase the body's uptake of harmful substances.
Single and combined effects of microplastics and cadmium on the cadmium accumulation, antioxidant defence and innate immunity of the discus fish (Symphysodon aequifasciatus)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics interact with cadmium toxicity in discus fish and found that the presence of microplastics actually reduced cadmium accumulation in the fish's body. However, the microplastics independently caused oxidative stress and altered immune responses. The study reveals that the combined effects of microplastics and heavy metals on aquatic organisms are complex and do not simply add together.
Single and Combined Effects of Microplastics and Cadmium on the Cadmium Accumulation and Biochemical and Immunity of Channa argus
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the single and combined effects of microplastics and cadmium on juvenile snakehead fish, finding that co-exposure caused greater tissue damage, oxidative stress, and immune disruption than either pollutant alone.
New Evidence for the Mechanisms of Nanoplastics Amplifying Cadmium Cytotoxicity: Trojan Horse Effect, Inflammatory Response, and Calcium Imbalance
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers discovered that nanoplastics act as a "Trojan horse" by carrying cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) into liver cells and then releasing it inside, amplifying cadmium's toxicity by over 23%. The combined exposure triggered more severe inflammation and cell death than either pollutant alone, demonstrating how nanoplastics can make other environmental contaminants more dangerous to human health.
Co-exposure with cadmium elevates the toxicity of microplastics: Trojan horse effect from the perspective of intestinal barrier
AI summary Read the abstract
When mice were exposed to both microplastics and the toxic metal cadmium together, the health damage to their intestines and liver was significantly worse than exposure to either pollutant alone. The microplastics acted like a "Trojan horse," carrying cadmium past the gut barrier and increasing its accumulation in the body, while also disrupting the gut microbiome.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.