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Review: Synergistic effects of environmental pollutants: Multiple stressors driving the transmission of vector-borne diseases and the vicious cycle
Summary
This review examines how multiple environmental pollutants, including microplastics, heavy metals, and pesticides, work together to increase the transmission risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Researchers found that microplastics can act as "Trojan horses" carrying other contaminants, amplifying ecological and health risks through combined exposure. The study proposes multi-level intervention strategies that integrate source control, process interruption, and ecological restoration.
This review systematically examines the mechanisms through which multiple environmental pollutants-including microplastics, heavy metals, atmospheric particulates, pesticide residues, water eutrophication, and artificial light at night-synergistically exacerbate the transmission risk of mosquito-borne diseases. A conceptual framework of the "pollution - resistance - transmission" vicious cycle is proposed, illustrating how pollutants not only directly impair mosquito physiology and drive the evolution of insecticide resistance but also systematically enhance pathogen transmission efficiency by reshaping vector-host-environment interactions, altering host behavior, compromising immune function, and extending mosquito activity periods. Interactions among pollutants, such as the role of microplastics as "Trojan horses" that carry other contaminants, further amplify ecological and health risks through combined exposure. The review also highlights species-specific and context-dependent variations in responses, identifies key research bottlenecks, and proposes multi-level intervention strategies integrating technological innovation with systematic governance-encompassing source control, process interruption, and ecological restoration-to provide a scientific basis for harmonizing public health and ecological security.
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