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Changes in population fitness and gene co-expression networks reveal the boosted impact of toxic cyanobacteria on Daphnia magna through microplastic exposure
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Researchers found that exposing the water flea Daphnia magna to both toxic cyanobacteria and microplastics together produced worse health effects than either stressor alone, reducing population fitness and altering gene expression patterns. The study suggests that as plastic pollution and harmful algal blooms increasingly overlap in lakes and rivers, aquatic organisms may face compounding threats that are greater than the sum of their parts.
The concomitant prevalence of toxic cyanobacteria blooms and plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems is emerging as a pressing global water pollution dilemma. While toxic cyanobacteria and microplastics (MPs) can each independently exert significant impacts on aquatic biota, the magnitude and trajectory of the combined interactions remains rudimentary. In this study, we evaluated how MPs influences cyanobacterial stress on keystone grazer Daphnia, focusing on population, individual, biochemical and toxicogenomic signatures. We found that toxic Microcystis (TM) adversely affected the fitness of Daphnia populations (intrinsic rate of population increase), and these adverse effects were amplified in the presence of MPs. Through detailed observation, it was ascertained that MPs promoted the ingestion of TM, culminating in enhanced microcystin bioaccumulation. Using the Eco-Evo model, we found that there was potential absence of correlation between the MPs toxicity and the effect size of MPs on the TM. Utilizing gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), we further identified a marked suppression of molecular pathways and entities crucial to individual growth and development in the TM-MPs consortium compared to exposure to TM alone. The present study provides important insights about the influence of MPs on cyanobacteria toxicity and the prediction the risk of harmful algal blooms in aquatic ecosystems.
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Scientists tested how water fleas (Daphnia magna) responded to microplastics, toxin-producing algae extracts, and mixtures of both. Both substances alone caused harmful effects like reduced survival, growth and reproduction, and combining them showed some added interactions between the two contaminants.
Combined effect of microplastics and tire particles on Daphnia magna: Insights from physiological and transcriptomic responses
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Researchers investigated the combined effects of microplastics and tire particles on the water flea Daphnia magna, finding that the mixture triggered significant oxidative stress at environmentally relevant concentrations. Transcriptomic analysis revealed upregulation of antioxidant and metabolic stress genes, while energy reserves like glycogen were affected. The study suggests that co-exposure to these common freshwater pollutants may pose greater ecological risks than either particle type alone.
Combined toxicity of perfluoroalkyl substances and microplastics on the sentinel species Daphnia magna: Implications for freshwater ecosystems
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This study tested how PFAS chemicals (common industrial pollutants) and PET microplastics affect water fleas, both alone and together. The combination caused worse developmental and reproductive problems than either pollutant alone, and organisms with prior chemical exposure history responded differently, showing that microplastics can amplify the harm of other environmental contaminants in ways that are difficult to predict.
Synergistic toxic mechanisms of microplastics and triclosan via multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) inhibition–mediated autophagy in the freshwater water flea Daphnia magna
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Researchers exposed water fleas to microplastics and triclosan, a common antimicrobial chemical, and found that the combination was more toxic than either pollutant alone. Microplastics interfered with the organisms' natural defense system for expelling foreign chemicals, allowing triclosan to accumulate and trigger harmful autophagy. This suggests that microplastics may amplify the toxicity of other environmental contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.
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This study assessed the combined effects of global warming and microplastic exposure on freshwater and marine organisms across individual and population levels, examining how climate and plastic pollution interact as co-occurring stressors. Results showed that warming conditions modified microplastic toxicity in ways that suggest climate change will alter the ecological risk of plastic pollution in aquatic systems.
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