Particulate matter and nanoplastics: synergistic impact on Artemia salina

Summary

Combining nanoplastics with particulate matter (airborne or aquatic fine particles) produces worse outcomes for the brine shrimp Artemia salina than either pollutant alone, reducing survival and vitality. This synergistic toxicity is important because in real environments, nanoplastics rarely exist in isolation — they co-occur with other pollutants, making risk assessments based on single-contaminant studies likely to underestimate harm.