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Individual and Combined Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics and Chromium in Artemia franciscana: Impacts on Survival, Growth, Biochemical and Physiological Responses
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A 21-day exposure study found that polystyrene microplastics and chromium individually and synergistically impaired survival, growth, protein levels, and antioxidant defenses in the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana, with combined toxicity exceeding either contaminant alone. This demonstrates that microplastics act as carriers and amplifiers of heavy metal toxicity in aquatic organisms, raising concerns about real-world ecosystems where both pollutants co-occur.
The present study focused on investigating the individual and combined effects of polystyrene microplastics (MPs) with the heavy metal chromium (Cr) on the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana. The second instars of A. franciscana were exposed to fluorescently labeled polystyrene MPs (size 2 μm) at 0 (control), 1.1 × 106, 3.4 × 106, and 5.8 × 106 particles /L with and without Cr for 2 h to confirm the ingestion of MPs. Furthermore, A. franciscana was exposed to the same concentrations (0, 1.1 × 106, 3.4 × 106, and 5.8 × 106 particles/ L) of non-labeled polystyrene MPs individually and combined with Cr at 0.46 mg/L for 21 days. Survival, growth, biochemical constituents, metabolic enzymes, antioxidants, lipid peroxidation, and Cr accumulation were evaluated during the 7th, 14th, and 21st days of exposure. The ingestion assay showed concentration-dependent ingestion of MPs by Artemia in both MPs alone and MPs with Cr exposure. Meanwhile, the toxicity study reveals a significant decrease in survival, growth, protein, carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid levels in Artemia with significant increases in metabolic enzymes (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvate transaminase), antioxidants (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and lipid peroxidation exposed to both MPs and MPs with Cr compared to respective control and control with Cr (Cr alone) treatments, which shows biological and physiological impairment of Artemia. In addition, all MPs with Cr treatments produced a significantly greater impact on the studied parameters with increased Cr bioaccumulation, which suggests the synergistic toxicity of these MPs and Cr combination on Artemia.
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