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Aging enhancement and synergistic effect on toxicity to soil fauna by polystyrene microplastics-tetrabromobisphenol A toxicity exposure
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Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of aged polystyrene microplastics and the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A on earthworms, finding that aging enhanced the microplastics' ability to adsorb and deliver the toxic chemical. The co-exposure produced synergistic effects including increased oxidative stress, gut microbiome disruption, and tissue damage beyond what either contaminant caused alone. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in contaminated soils may amplify the toxicity of co-occurring industrial chemicals.
Rapid development of electronic industry leads to co-contamination of soil by microplastics and brominated flame retardants, resulting in combined toxic effects on soil fauna. Nevertheless, limited information is available, especially for the aged microplastics. Therefore, the toxicity and molecular mechanisms of composite exposure of aged polystyrene (PS) microplastics and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) on earthworms were explored via histopathological, oxidative stress, gut microbiological and metabolomics assays. After 28 d of exposure, PS microplastics and TBBPA showed significant synergistic effects on earthworm growth inhibition. Notably, aging of microplastics exacerbated the combined toxicity to earthworms. Aged microplastics with rougher surfaces inflicted more severe physical damage to earthworm intestinal tissues. This physical disruption, combined with their higher TBBPA adsorption capacity, significantly enhanced the accumulation and absorption of TBBPA within earthworms. Consequently, earthworms exhibited intensified oxidative stress, severe gut microbiota disorders, and marked metabolic dysbiosis. Overall, aged microplastics synergistically amplify the toxicity of TBBPA through physical damage and carrier effect. These findings provide crucial insights for risk assessment of soil ecosystems from co-contamination with microplastics and brominated flame retardants.
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Photoaging enhances combined toxicity of microplastics and tetrabromobisphenol A by inducing intestinal damage and oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Researchers found that UV-aged microplastics combined with the flame retardant TBBPA caused greater harm to roundworms than either contaminant alone. The photoaged microplastics had increased capacity to absorb the chemical and enhanced its toxic effects, including reduced growth, impaired reproduction, and intestinal damage. The study suggests that weathered microplastics in the environment may amplify the dangers of co-occurring chemical pollutants.
Adsorption behaviors and bioavailability of tetrabromobisphenol A in the presence of polystyrene microplastic in soil: Effect of microplastics aging
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Researchers studied how aging changes the ability of polystyrene microplastics to absorb and release a flame retardant chemical called TBBPA in soil. They found that aged microplastics had a greater capacity to adsorb the chemical but also released it more readily, increasing the bioavailability of this toxic compound to soil organisms. The study reveals that as microplastics weather in the environment, they may actually become more effective carriers of harmful chemicals into the food chain.
Bioavailability of pyrene in soil affected by polylactic acid and polystyrene microplastics and their toxic effects on earthworms (Eisenia fetida)
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Researchers investigated how polylactic acid and polystyrene microplastics interact with the pollutant pyrene in soil and affect earthworm health. They found that while microplastics alone did not break down the earthworms' antioxidant defenses, combining them with pyrene produced more severe toxic effects including neurotoxicity and disruption of gut microbiota. The study suggests that microplastics in contaminated soils can amplify the harmful effects of other pollutants on soil organisms.
Accumulation of microplastics and Tcep pollutants in agricultural soil: Exploring the links between metabolites and gut microbiota in earthworm homeostasis
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Researchers investigated the co-occurrence of polyethylene microplastics and the flame retardant TCEP in agricultural soils and their combined effects on earthworm health. The study found that co-exposure disrupted earthworm gut microbiota and metabolic homeostasis, suggesting that the interaction between microplastics and chemical additives in agricultural soil may pose greater ecological risks than either contaminant alone.
Compound effect and mechanism of oxidative damage induced by nanoplastics and benzo [a] pyrene
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Researchers examined how polystyrene nanoplastics and a common environmental pollutant called benzo[a]pyrene work together to cause oxidative damage in earthworm cells. They found that the two contaminants had a synergistic toxic effect, with combined exposure producing significantly higher levels of cell-damaging reactive oxygen species than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that nanoplastics may enhance the harmful effects of other soil pollutants by altering how they interact with living cells.
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