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Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics with Cadmium on the Digestive System of Rana zhenhaiensis Tadpoles
Summary
Researchers exposed frog tadpoles to cadmium and polystyrene microplastics, both alone and in combination, finding that both pollutants increased mortality and delayed growth and development. Cadmium accumulated mainly in liver and intestine tissue while polystyrene concentrated in gills and intestines, and combined exposure altered the balance of gut microbiota more than either pollutant alone. The study suggests microplastics can interact with heavy metal pollutants in freshwater environments, potentially modifying their distribution and toxicity in amphibians.
Microplastics pollution in freshwater systems is attracting increasing attention. However, our knowledge of its combined toxicity with heavy metals is scarce. In this study, Rana zhenhaiensis was used as the model animal to study the combined poisoning mechanism of cadmium or microplastics on the digestive systems of tadpoles in freshwater. Results showed that the exposure to cadmium and polystyrene increased the mortality and metamorphosis rate of R. zhenhaiensis tadpoles, and delayed their growth and development. Cadmium was detected in the livers and intestines, while polystyrene mainly accumulated in the gills and intestines of tadpoles. The individual exposure of cadmium or polystyrene can cause pathological damage to liver tissue, induce oxidative stress in liver, and change gene expression. Cadmium co-exposure with polystyrene can reduce the cadmium accumulation in the liver. While polystyrene can slightly increase cadmium accumulation in the intestine. Exposure to cadmium and polystyrene altered the abundance and community structure of intestinal microbiota, and polystyrene increased the dysregulation of the gut microbiome. In this study, the combined exposure of microplastics and cadmium had a negative impact on R. zhenhaiensis tadpoles, but the introduction of microplastics on the toxicity of cadmium on the tadpoles needs further investigation, due to the different characteristics of microplastics.
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