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Individual and combined impact of microplastics and lead acetate on the freshwater shrimp (Caridina fossarum): Biochemical effects and physiological responses
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Freshwater shrimp exposed to polyethylene microplastics combined with lead showed significantly worse toxic effects than when exposed to either pollutant alone, with microplastics increasing how much lead accumulated in the shrimp's tissues. This demonstrates that microplastics can act as carriers that amplify the toxicity of heavy metals in aquatic food chains, potentially increasing human exposure to dangerous metals through seafood.
Microplastics and heavy metals pollution is recognised as a major problem affecting aquatic ecosystems. For this reason, this study aims to assess the toxicity of different concentrations of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) (0.0, 500, and 1000 μg L-1) with a mean size of 15-25 μm and lead acetate Pb(C2H3O2)2 (0.0, 2.5, and 5 mg L-1), both individually and in combination, through the exposure of the freshwater grass shrimp, Caridinia fossarum for 15 days, focusing on microplastic interaction with co-occurring contaminants. After being exposed to both contaminants, either individually or in combination, significant alterations in numerous biochemical markers were observed. Specifically, exposure to lead acetate alone resulted in significant changes across ALP, AST, ALT, LDH, GGT, and BChE enzyme activity levels indicating hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Also, Pb exposure led to alterations in total antioxidant capacity, MDA, total lipids, and glycogen contents, signalling the onset of oxidative stress. Exposure to PE-MPs alone led to changes in ALP, LDH, GGT, and BChE enzyme levels, and in MDA, total lipids, and glycogen samples' contents. Remarkably, the study observed increased bioaccumulation of lead acetate in samples treated with the combination, emphasizing the synergistic impact of PE-MPs on the toxicity of lead acetate. This synergy was also evident in AST and ALT enzyme activity levels and MDA contents. This underscores the necessity for measures to address both microplastic pollution and heavy metal contamination, taking into account the synergistic behaviour of MPs in the presence of concurrent contaminants.
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Synergistic effects of microplastic and lead trigger physiological and biochemical impairment in a mangrove crab
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Researchers exposed mangrove fiddler crabs to microplastics and lead, both alone and in combination, to assess their joint toxic effects. They found that co-exposure synergistically increased lead bioaccumulation, oxygen consumption, and lipid peroxidation while suppressing antioxidant enzyme activity. The study suggests that microplastics can amplify the physiological harm of heavy metal contamination in sensitive mangrove ecosystems.
Polystyrene microplastics increase Pb bioaccumulation and health damage in the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis
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Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics significantly increased the accumulation of lead in the tissues of Chinese mitten crabs when both pollutants were present together. The combined exposure caused more severe oxidative stress, disrupted fat metabolism, and increased liver damage compared to lead exposure alone. The study suggests that microplastics can act as carriers for heavy metals in aquatic environments, amplifying their toxic effects on commercially important seafood species.
Ecological risks under combined pollution: Toxicological effects of clothianidin and microplastics on Penaeus vannamei
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This study examined the combined effects of a common insecticide (clothianidin) and microplastics on Pacific white shrimp over 28 days. Researchers found that exposure to both pollutants together was significantly more harmful than either alone, causing reduced growth, immune system disruption, altered energy metabolism, and nervous system interference. The results underscore that real-world pollution involves mixtures of contaminants whose combined effects can be worse than expected.
Individual and combined dietary exposure to polyethylene microplastics and cadmium in Litopenaeus vannamei: biological effects and bioaccumulation
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Scientists fed shrimp a combination of microplastics and cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) and found that together, these pollutants stunted the shrimps' growth more than either one alone—and the shrimp also absorbed higher levels of both contaminants into their bodies, especially in organs like the liver-equivalent (hepatopancreas). This matters because shrimp are a popular seafood, and if microplastics help "smuggle" more heavy metals into the animals we eat, our exposure to these contaminants through diet could be higher than previously thought.
Polyethylene microplastics enhance metal(loid)s toxicity and accumulation in the marine rotifer Proales similis
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Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics interact with toxic metals like arsenic, cadmium, copper, and lead in their effects on a tropical marine rotifer. They found that microplastics enhanced the toxicity and accumulation of these metals in the organism, even at realistic environmental concentrations. The study suggests that the combination of microplastics and metal pollutants in marine environments poses a greater risk to aquatic life than either pollutant alone.
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