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Multigenerational effects of co-exposure to dimethylarsinic acid and polystyrene microplastics on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
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Researchers found that co-exposure to dimethylarsinic acid and polystyrene microplastics across five generations of C. elegans nematodes caused cumulative harm, with microplastics reducing detoxification capacity and arsenic impairing growth more severely than either pollutant alone.
In the current study, we assessed the impact of DMA (dimethylarsinic acid) and MPs (microplastics) interactions in C. elegans over the course of five generations. We found that the redox state of the organisms changed over generations as a result of exposure to both pollutants. From the third generation onward, exposure to MPs reduced GST activity, indicating reduced detoxifying abilities of these organisms. Additionally, dimethylarsinic exposure decreased the growth of organisms in the second, fourth, and fifth generations. In comparison to isolated pollutants, the cumulative effects of co-exposure to DMA and MPs seem to have been more harmful to the organisms, as demonstrated by correlation analysis. These findings demonstrate that DMA, despite being considered less hazardous than its inorganic equivalents, can still have toxic effects on species at low concentrations and the presence of MPs, can worsen these effects.
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Biochemical and physiological effects of multigenerational exposure to spheric polystyrene microplastics in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Researchers found that multigenerational exposure of C. elegans to polystyrene microplastics at low concentrations triggered oxidative stress, increased detoxification enzyme activity, and caused accumulating physiological effects across five consecutive generations.
Reproductive toxicity and transgenerational effects of co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and arsenic in zebrafish
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This zebrafish study found that combined exposure to polystyrene microplastics and arsenic caused more severe reproductive damage than either pollutant alone, including abnormal egg development and disrupted hormone levels. The toxic effects were passed down to the next generation, even though offspring were not directly exposed. Since microplastics can carry arsenic and other heavy metals in the environment, their combined effects on fertility may be worse than studies of individual pollutants suggest.
Unveiling the impact of polystyrene and low-density polyethylene microplastics on arsenic toxicity in earthworms
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Researchers examined how polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics interact with arsenic contamination to affect earthworms in soil. While the microplastics did not change arsenic's effects on survival, growth, or reproduction, they did increase oxidative stress and reduce the activity of protective antioxidant enzymes when combined with arsenic exposure. The study provides evidence that microplastics in contaminated soils may subtly alter how organisms handle heavy metal stress, even when survival rates appear unaffected.
Joint toxic effects of polystyrene nanoparticles and organochlorine pesticides (chlordane and hexachlorocyclohexane) on Caenorhabditis elegans
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Joint exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and organochlorine pesticides (chlordane and HCH) in the roundworm C. elegans caused greater toxicity than either pollutant alone, suggesting synergistic interactions. These findings highlight the importance of studying combined pollutant effects rather than individual chemicals in isolation.
Comparison of fitness effects in the earthworm Eisenia fetida after exposure to single or multiple anthropogenic pollutants
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Researchers compared single and combined pollutant exposures on the earthworm Eisenia fetida, finding that mixtures of pesticides, heavy metals, particulate matter, and microplastics can produce synergistic negative effects on survival and reproduction beyond individual pollutant impacts.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.