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Higher toxicity induced by co-exposure of polystyrene microplastics and chloramphenicol to Microcystis aeruginosa: Experimental study and molecular dynamics simulation
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Researchers studied what happens when the antibiotic chloramphenicol and polystyrene microplastics are present together in water containing blue-green algae. The study found that the combined exposure was more toxic to the algae than either pollutant alone, disrupting photosynthesis and gene expression. The findings suggest that microplastics and antibiotics may interact in ways that amplify their harmful effects on aquatic ecosystems.
Antibiotics and microplastics (MPs) inevitably coexist in natural waters, but their combined effect on aquatic organisms is still ambiguous. This study investigated the individual and combined toxicity of chloramphenicol (CAP) and micro-polystyrene (mPS) particles to Microcystis aeruginosa by physiological biomarkers, related gene expression, and molecular dynamics simulation. The results indicated that both individual and joint treatments threatened algal growth, while combined toxicity was higher than the former. Photosynthetic pigments and gene expression were inhibited by single CAP and mPS exposure, but CAP dominated and aggravated photosynthetic toxicity in combined exposure. Additionally, mPS damaged cell membranes and induced oxidative stress, which might further facilitate the entry of CAP into cells during co-exposure. The synergistic effect of CAP and mPS might be explained by the common photosynthetic toxicity target of CAP and mPS as well as oxidative stress. Furthermore, the molecular dynamics simulation revealed that CAP altered conformations of photosynthetic assembly protein YCF48 and SOD enzyme, and competed for functional sites of SOD, thus disturbing photosynthesis and antioxidant systems. These findings provide useful insights into the combined toxicity mechanism of antibiotics and MPs as well as highlight the importance of co-pollutant toxicity in the aquatic environment.
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Unraveling individual and combined toxicity of nano/microplastics and ciprofloxacin to Synechocystis sp. at the cellular and molecular levels
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Researchers studied the individual and combined toxic effects of nano- and microplastics with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin on a freshwater cyanobacterium. They found that while each pollutant caused harm on its own, the antibiotic actually showed an antagonistic interaction with the plastic particles, reducing some of their combined toxicity. The study provides important insights into how microplastics and pharmaceutical pollutants interact in aquatic environments, which may complicate pollution risk assessments.
Toxicological Effects of Microplastics and Sulfadiazine on the Microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
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Researchers examined the combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic sulfadiazine on the freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The results suggest that both substances individually and in combination inhibited algal growth, and the interaction between microplastics and antibiotics may alter their respective toxic effects on aquatic organisms.
Less toxic combined microplastics exposure towards attached Chlorella sorokiniana in the presence of sulfamethoxazole while massive microalgal nitrous oxide emission under multiple stresses
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Researchers studied how microplastics from different plastic types (polyethylene, PVC, and polyamide) interact with an antibiotic in a microalgae-based wastewater treatment system. They found that combining different types of microplastics together was more harmful to the algae than mixing microplastics with the antibiotic. The study also showed that stressed algae released more nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas, meaning microplastic pollution in wastewater could worsen climate change.
When antibiotics encounter microplastics in aquatic environments: Interaction, combined toxicity, and risk assessments
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A meta-analysis of the combined toxicity of antibiotics and microplastics in aquatic environments found significant adverse effects on algae but limited apparent effects on fish and daphnia. Microplastics alter antibiotic environmental behavior through adsorption and co-transport, and their coexistence is widespread across global aquatic study sites, though standardized risk assessment methods for combined exposure remain lacking.
Interactive toxicity effects of metronidazole, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and differently functionalized nanoplastics on marine algae Chlorella sp.
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Researchers examined the combined toxicity of common pharmaceutical drugs and nanoplastics with different surface coatings on marine algae. They found that the interaction between drugs and nanoplastics produced effects ranging from additive to synergistic, depending on the specific combination, with amine-coated nanoplastics generally causing more harm. The study highlights that real-world mixtures of pharmaceutical and plastic pollutants in oceans may pose greater risks to marine life than either contaminant alone.
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