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A Dangerous Couple: Sequential Effect of Phosphorus Flame-Retardant and Polyurethane Decrease Locomotor Activity in Planarian Girardia tigrina
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Researchers exposed freshwater flatworms to a flame retardant chemical and polyurethane microplastics, both individually and in combination. While neither pollutant alone caused measurable biochemical changes, the combination of both significantly reduced the flatworms' ability to move. The study suggests that microplastics and chemical pollutants may interact in ways that produce harmful effects not seen when organisms encounter either contaminant on its own.
Understanding the interplay among organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs), microplastics, and freshwater organisms is crucial for unravelling the dynamics within freshwater environments and foreseeing the potential impacts of organic pollutants and plastic contamination. For that purpose, the present research assessed the exposure impact of 10 mg L-1 flame-retardant aluminium diethylphosphinate (ALPI), 10 μg mg-1liver microplastics polyurethane (PU), and the combination of ALPI and PU on the freshwater planarian Girardia tigrina. The exposure to both ALPI and PU revealed a sequential effect, i.e., a decrease in locomotor activity, while oxidative stress biomarkers (total glutathione, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, lipid peroxidation) and metabolic responses (cholinesterase activity, electron transport system, and lactate dehydrogenase) remained unaffected. Despite this fact, it was possible to observe that the range of physiological responses in exposed organisms varied, in particular in the cases of the electron transport system, cholinesterase activity, glutathione S-transferase, catalase, and levels of total glutathione and proteins, showing that the energetic costs for detoxification and antioxidant capacity might be causing a lesser amount of energy allocated for the planarian activity. By examining the physiological, behavioural, and ecological responses of planarians to these pollutants, insights can be gained into broader ecosystem-level effects and inform strategies for mitigating environmental risks associated with OPFRs and microplastic pollution in freshwater environments.
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A Dangerous Couple: Sequential Effect of Phosphorus Flame-Retardant and Polyurethane Decrease Locomotor Activity in Planarian Girardia tigrina
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Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of a phosphorus-based flame retardant and polyurethane microplastics, finding that sequential exposure produced greater oxidative stress and organ damage in test organisms than either contaminant alone. The study highlights the importance of considering plastic additives and microplastic particles together when assessing environmental risk.
Interaction between polyethylene microplastic and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D): chemical and ecotoxicological evaluation with Girardia tigrina
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Researchers exposed freshwater flatworms (Girardia tigrina) to aged polyethylene microplastics combined with the herbicide 2,4-D, finding the combination reduced reproductive success by over 60%, slowed regeneration, and increased movement speed more than either pollutant alone. This demonstrates that microplastics can interact with common agricultural chemicals to produce greater harm to aquatic organisms than either substance individually.
Combined toxicity of organophosphate flame retardants and polyethylene microplastics on Eisenia fetida: Biochemical and molecular insights
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Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics, chlorinated flame retardants, and their combinations to assess combined toxicity effects. They found that the most toxic flame retardant (TDCPP) had its effects reduced when combined with microplastics, likely because the plastics absorbed the chemical and lowered its bioavailability. In contrast, microplastics enhanced the toxicity of another flame retardant (TCPP), demonstrating that microplastics can act as both carriers and modulators of co-contaminant toxicity in soil ecosystems.
Accumulation of microplastics and Tcep pollutants in agricultural soil: Exploring the links between metabolites and gut microbiota in earthworm homeostasis
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Researchers investigated the co-occurrence of polyethylene microplastics and the flame retardant TCEP in agricultural soils and their combined effects on earthworm health. The study found that co-exposure disrupted earthworm gut microbiota and metabolic homeostasis, suggesting that the interaction between microplastics and chemical additives in agricultural soil may pose greater ecological risks than either contaminant alone.
Microplastics and decabromodiphenyl ethane co-exposure exerts antagonistic effects on microbial communities in a soil-earthworm system
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Scientists studying soil found that a common plastic pollutant (microplastics) and a flame retardant chemical (DBDPE) each disrupt the microbes living in soil and earthworms in different ways, but surprisingly, when both pollutants are present together, they partly cancel out each other's harmful effects on earthworm health. This matters because real-world pollution rarely involves just one contaminant, and this research shows that testing chemicals separately may not accurately predict what happens in nature, where soil health and nutrient cycling ultimately affect the food we grow.
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