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Population dynamics and competitive interactions of Plationus patulus (Müller, 1786) and Ovalona glabra (Sars, 1901) under microplastics and imiprothrin exposure
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Scientists found that a common pesticide becomes far more toxic to tiny water creatures when combined with microplastics, which act like sponges that carry pollutants into the water. This matters because it shows how microplastics can make existing chemical pollution more dangerous, not just for aquatic life but potentially for the broader food chain we depend on.
Emerging pollutants, including synthetic pyrethroid imiprothrin, are used indiscriminately in both urban and rural areas. Due to its long half-life (> 50 days) and diverse application in areas, such as agriculture, industries and households, imiprothrin reaches aquatic ecosystems and is adsorbed by microplastics. Microplastics induce different responses in zooplankton interactions, individually and in combination with other contaminants, and can have a synergistic effect. Plationus patulus, a globally distributed freshwater rotifer species, in nature can be exposed to these contaminants and can be adversely affected by competition with other zooplankton such as cladocerans. Ovalona glabra, a common littoral cladoceran often coexists with P. patulus. Therefore, in this study we evaluated the acute toxicity of the pesticide imiprothrin and microplastics, separately and in combination, on the population growth and competitive interactions between P. patulus and O. glabra. The median lethal concentrations (LC50) of P. patulus and O. glabra with only the pesticide were 3.43 and 336 μg 1−1, respectively. The LC50 of both the zooplankton species were much lower, when exposed to microplastics and imiprothrin together compared to one stressor. In chronic toxicity tests, survivorship of P. patulus was adversely affected by imiprothrin and microplastics. This effect was also observed in O. glabra, both alone and when competing with P. patulus.
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Ecological risk of the pesticide imiprothrin and microplastics separately and combined on demography of cladocerans (Cladocera)
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Scientists found that a common insecticide combined with microplastics cut tiny water creatures' lifespans by over 40% and slashed their populations by up to 65%, far worse than either pollutant alone. Since these organisms are a key part of the food chain and help keep water clean, this "double whammy" effect on aquatic ecosystems could ripple upward, affecting water quality and food sources that ultimately impact humans too.
Feeding responses of cladocerans (Cladocera) exposed to microplastics, imiprothrin and their combinations
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Scientists studied how tiny water fleas (a key food source for fish) respond when exposed to microplastics and a common pesticide together, since both pollutants often end up in the same waterways. They found that low doses actually made the water fleas eat more (a stress response), but higher combined doses of pesticide and microplastics disrupted their normal feeding—which matters because these tiny creatures form the base of aquatic food chains that eventually reach our dinner plates. While this study was done in water fleas, not humans, it highlights how combinations of pollutants can have unexpected effects that single-pollutant studies might miss.
Single and combined chronic toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNP) and clothianidin on collembolans and enchytraeids
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Scientists tested how tiny plastic particles and a common pesticide affect soil creatures that are important for healthy ecosystems. They found that when these two pollutants are combined, they become more harmful than when alone - even at levels that seemed safe individually. This matters because humans are also exposed to both microplastics and pesticides in our food and environment, suggesting these combinations could pose greater health risks than we previously understood.
Microplastic contamination worsens the ecotoxicity of chlorpyrifos to cladoceran Ceriodaphnia cornuta (Sars, 1885) and Echinisca triserialis (Brady, 1886)
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Researchers found that microplastics worsen the toxic effects of the pesticide chlorpyrifos on two species of tiny freshwater crustaceans (cladocerans). When microplastics pre-loaded with chlorpyrifos were present, the combined exposure caused greater harm than either pollutant alone, reducing reproduction and survival rates. The study suggests that microplastics in agricultural waterways can act as carriers for pesticides, amplifying ecological risks to aquatic organisms.
Study of the toxicological effects of emerging contaminants on Daphnia similis associating polyethylene microplastics with the agrochemical imidacloprid.
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Brazilian researchers tested the ecotoxicological effects of combining polyethylene microplastics with the insecticide imidacloprid on the freshwater crustacean Daphnia, finding combined exposures were more toxic than either pollutant alone. These results suggest that microplastics and pesticides together pose greater risks to aquatic organisms than studies of single pollutants indicate.
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