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A Review on Co-Occurrence of Microplastics and Flame Retardants in Global Aquatic Environment with A Focus on Microfibers: Sources and Impacts on Their Toxic Effects
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Researchers reviewed how microplastic fibers released from synthetic textiles co-occur with flame retardant chemicals in aquatic environments, finding that microfibers can absorb and transport these toxic compounds, potentially amplifying their effects on aquatic organisms and the humans who eat them.
Microplastics (MPs) and flame retardants (FRs) are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment. They coexist and jointly pose impacts on the both aquatic environment and organisms. Among MPs, microfibers are of particular concern due to their relative abundance as compared to other shapes of MPs, and their greater potential to carry and absorb pollutants. Microfibers are mainly released into the aquatic environment through the washing of textile products. FRs are widely used in the textile industry for the production of synthetic fibers to enhance fire resistance. Consequently, microfibers released from the textile industry could serve as a potential source of FRs in the aquatic environment. In addition to their concurrent release from textile sector, microfibers also absorb FRs from the surrounding aquatic environments, acting as a vector to transfer FRs between mediums. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has thoroughly investigated the relationship between microfibers and FRs, and explained the sorption/desorption behavior of FRs on microfibers. Moreover, the insufficient scientific literature addressing their combined toxicity and environmental behavior in the aquatic environment. Owing to the coexistence, environmental, and toxicological behavioral concerns of microfiber and FRs, this review is an attempt to disseminate the valuable insight by considering the coexistence of MPs and FRs to encourage further research on these critical topics.
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Micro/nanoplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: An Integrated Review of Occurrence, Toxicological Implications, Case Studies, Methodologies, and Future Recommendations
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This integrated review covers the occurrence, toxicology, and detection of micro- and nanoplastics across freshwater, marine, and estuarine ecosystems, using case studies to illustrate biomagnification through aquatic food webs and the compounding risk from co-occurring chemical contaminants. The review calls for stronger international collaboration and policy frameworks grounded in scientific evidence, recognizing that the pervasive nature of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic systems poses escalating risks to both ecosystem integrity and human health.
Occurrence and Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastics on Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics — now present in the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe — accumulate in and harm both aquatic and land-based ecosystems, highlighting the broad reach of plastic pollution as a threat to wildlife and potentially to human health.
Combined Toxicity of PFAS and Microplastics in Aquatic Ecosystems: Synergistic, Additive, and Antagonistic Interactions
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Researchers reviewed the combined toxicity of PFAS and microplastics in aquatic ecosystems, finding that while synergistic interactions receive the most attention, additive and antagonistic outcomes are also common and depend on PFAS congener, polymer type, particle size, and species—warning against treating synergy as the default response and calling for standardized mixture-based exposure protocols to enable ecologically realistic risk assessment.
Distribution and Impact of Microplastics in the Aquatic Systems: A Review of Ecotoxicological Effects on Biota
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics are distributed across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments and the toxic effects they have on a wide range of organisms. Fish, invertebrates, and other animals that ingest microplastics experience physical harm, chemical toxicity, and reproductive disruption — effects that may ultimately reach humans through the food chain.
Co-occurrence of Microplastics and Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants in Aquatic Environments: Synergistic or Antagonistic Toxicity?
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This review synthesized evidence on the co-occurrence of microplastics and hydrophobic organic contaminants in aquatic environments, finding that their interactions—dominated by hydrophobic forces and further complicated by surfactants—can produce synergistic, antagonistic, or neutral toxicity depending on organism type and exposure dose. Microplastics acting as carriers for persistent organic pollutants amplifies contamination risks in aquatic ecosystems far beyond what either pollutant poses individually.
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