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Combined effects of copper oxide and nickel oxide coated chitosan nanoparticles adsorbed to styrofoam resin beads on hydrothermal vent bacteria
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This study tested the combined toxicity of metal-oxide nanoparticles (copper oxide and nickel oxide) adsorbed onto styrofoam microplastic beads on hydrothermal vent bacteria. Results showed that microplastics act as carriers that enhance nanoparticle toxicity to bacteria, with chitosan-coated nanoparticle composites showing distinct toxicity profiles.
Microplastics are potential carriers of harmful contaminants but their combined effects are largely unknown. It needs intensive monitoring in order to achieve a better understanding of metal-oxide nanoparticles and their dispersion via microplastics such as styrofoam in the aquatic environment. In the present study, an effort was made to provide a preferable perception about the toxic effects of engineered nanoparticles (NPs), namely, copper oxide (CuO NPs), nickel oxide (NiO NPs), copper oxide/chitosan (CuO/CS NPs) and nickel oxide/chitosan (NiO/CS NPs). Characterizations of synthesized NPs included their morphology (SEM and EDX), functional groups (FT-IR) and crystallinity (XRD). Their combined toxic effect after adsorption to styrofoam (SF) was monitored using the hydrothermal vent bacterium Jeotgalicoccus huakuii as a model. This was done by determining MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) through a resazurin assay measuring ELISA, growth, biofilm inhibition and making a live and dead assay. Results revealed that at high concentrations (60 mg/10 mL) of CuO, CuO/CS NPs and 60 mg of SF adsorbed CuO and CuO/CS NPs inhibited the growth of J. huakuii. However, NPs rather than SF inhibited the growth of bacteria. The toxicity of NPs adsorbed on plain SF was found to be less compared to NPs alone. This study revealed new dimensions regarding the positive impacts of SF at low concentrations. Synthesized NPs applied separately were found to affect the growth of bacteria substantially more than if coated to SF resin beads.
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Single and combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and copper on Platymonas helgolandica var. tsingtaoensis: Perspectives from growth inhibition, chlorophyll content and oxidative stress
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Researchers investigated the single and combined toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and copper on the marine microalga Platymonas helgolandica. The study found that copper alone inhibited growth in a dose-dependent manner, while nanoplastics modified copper's bioavailability and altered the combined toxic response. The results suggest that the interaction between nanoplastics and heavy metals can produce complex toxicity patterns that differ from individual exposures.
Polystyrene nanoplastics alleviate the toxicity of CuO nanoparticles to the marine algae Platymonas helgolandica var. tsingtaoensis
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Polystyrene nanoplastics were found to alleviate the toxicity of copper oxide nanoparticles to the marine microalga Chlorella vulgaris, likely by adsorbing copper ions onto their surface and reducing bioavailability. The antagonistic interaction highlights how co-occurring nanomaterials can unexpectedly modify each other's environmental toxicity.
Toxic effects on ciliates under nano-/micro-plastics coexist with silver nanoparticles
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Researchers tested the combined effects of different-sized plastic particles with silver nanoparticles on marine microorganisms and found that the mixture was more toxic than either pollutant alone. Smaller nanoplastics combined with silver nanoparticles caused the most severe damage, disrupting energy and fat metabolism and causing DNA and protein damage. This study shows how microplastics can amplify the toxicity of other environmental pollutants in marine food chains.
Nanoplastics pose a greater effect than microplastics in enhancing mercury toxicity to marine copepods
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Researchers investigated whether nano- and microplastics can act as carriers of mercury, increasing its toxicity to marine copepods. The study found that polystyrene nano- and microplastics significantly increased mercury accumulation in the copepod Tigriopus japonicus, with nanoplastics posing a greater threat than microplastics due to their higher surface-area-to-volume ratio. Evidence indicates that nanoplastics enhanced mercury toxicity by disrupting genes related to development, energy metabolism, and stress defense.
A review on the combined toxicological effects of microplastics and their attached pollutants
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics act as carriers for other environmental pollutants — including heavy metals and persistent organic chemicals — and how these combinations produce toxic effects in organisms that are more severe than either contaminant alone. The findings highlight a complex, layered toxicity problem that affects microbes, invertebrates, and vertebrates across marine and terrestrial environments.
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