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Single and combined toxicity effects of microplastics and perfluorooctanoic acid on submerged macrophytes and biofilms
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Researchers tested the combined effects of four common microplastic types and PFOA (a forever chemical) on aquatic plants and their associated biofilms. The pollutants together caused more damage to plant growth, photosynthesis, and microbial communities than either pollutant alone. Since microplastics and PFOA frequently co-occur in the environment, their combined toxic effects on aquatic ecosystems could have downstream consequences for water quality and human exposure.
Microplastics (MPs) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) have contaminated nearly all types of ecosystems, including marine, terrestrial and freshwater habitats, posing a severe threat to the ecological environment. However, their combined toxicity on aquatic organisms (e.g., macrophytes) remains unknown. This study investigated single and combined toxic effects of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and PFOA on Vallisneria natans (V. natans) and associated biofilms. Results showed that MPs and PFOA significantly affected plant growth, while the magnitude of the effect was associated with concentrations of PFOA and the types of MPs, and antagonistic effects were induced at combined MPs and PFOA exposure. In addition, antioxidant responses in plants, such as promoted activities of SOD and POD, as well as increased content of GSH and MDA, were triggered effectively by exposure to MPs and PFOA alone and in combination. Ultrastructural changes revealed the stress response of leaf cells and the damage to organelles. Moreover, single and combined exposure to MPs and PFOA altered the diversity and richness of the microbial community in the leaf biofilms. These results indicated that the coexistence of MPs and PFOA can induce effective defense mechanisms of V. natans and change the associated biofilms at given concentrations in the aquatic ecosystems.
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Combined toxic effects of polypropylene and perfluorooctanoic acid on duckweed and periphytic microorganisms
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Duckweed was exposed to polypropylene microplastics and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) individually and in combination for 14 days, finding that combined treatment increased oxidative stress markers and altered periphytic microbial communities even when plant growth was unaffected. The results reveal interactive toxicity between co-occurring plastic particles and PFAS pollutants.
Response mechanisms of Chlorella sorokiniana to microplastics and PFOA stress: Photosynthesis, oxidative stress, extracellular polymeric substances and antioxidant system
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Researchers exposed green algae to polystyrene microplastics and PFOA (a forever chemical) both separately and together, finding that the combination was more toxic than either pollutant alone. Microplastics mainly harmed the algae by blocking light for photosynthesis, while PFOA caused oxidative damage inside cells. Since microplastics and PFAS often co-exist in polluted water, their combined effects on aquatic food chains could be greater than studies of individual pollutants suggest.
The emerging threat of hybrid microplastics: Impacts on per(poly)fluoroalkyl substance bioaccumulation and phytotoxicity in floating macrophytes
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This study examined how mixtures of different microplastic types interact with PFAS (forever chemicals) and found that more diverse microplastic mixtures increased the absorption and toxicity of PFAS in aquatic plants. The complexity of real-world microplastic pollution, where multiple plastic types coexist, appears to make forever chemical contamination worse. This finding is important because most lab studies test single plastic types, potentially underestimating the actual environmental risk.
Microplastics magnify inhibitive effects of perfluorooctanoic acid on the marine microbial loop
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Researchers studied how microplastics interact with a common industrial chemical called PFOA in ocean ecosystems. They found that polystyrene microplastics significantly amplified the harmful effects of PFOA on tiny marine organisms essential to carbon cycling, including bacteria and plankton. The study suggests that when these two pollutants co-exist in seawater, the ecological risks are considerably worse than from either pollutant alone.
Toxicity of microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in sentinel freshwater models, Daphnia, Zebrafish and unicellular green algae: A systemic review
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Researchers reviewed 68 studies on how microplastics and PFAS ("forever chemicals") affect freshwater organisms like Daphnia, zebrafish, and algae, finding that both contaminants are more toxic at chronic low doses than in short-term exposures, and that combining them tends to amplify harm — while noting almost no research has studied them together.
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