Combined neurotoxicity of aged polystyrene microplastics and cadmium in zebrafish: A gut-brain axis perspective

Oxidative damage and intestinal microbial imbalance induced by polystyrene microplastics and cadmium in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

“Biochemical impacts of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics and cadmium on Danio rerio under environmental conditions”

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Twenty-one-day exposures of zebrafish to PET microplastics—alone and combined with the heavy metal cadmium—caused oxidative protein damage and disrupted energy metabolism, with the mixture producing worse effects than either pollutant alone. This synergistic toxicity is significant because fish in real-world waterways encounter microplastics and heavy metals together, making combined-exposure studies critical for assessing actual ecological and food-safety risks.

Toxicity and behavioral response of zebrafish exposed to combined microplastic and bisphenol analogues

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Co-exposure of zebrafish larvae to polystyrene microplastics combined with bisphenol A or F increased larval lethality by 7–51% compared to either pollutant alone, while also causing stronger behavioral effects including reduced movement and activity. This synergistic toxicity — not seen in embryos — highlights the danger of treating microplastics and chemical contaminants as independent hazards, since real-world exposures are always mixed.