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Tracing microplastic (MP)-derived dissolved organic matter in the infiltration of MP-contaminated sand system and its disinfection byproducts formation
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Researchers investigated the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and cadmium on the freshwater snail Bellamya aeruginosa, finding that co-exposure produced greater oxidative stress and tissue damage than either contaminant alone. The microplastics enhanced cadmium bioavailability in tissues.
Microplastic (MP) pollution in soil/subsurface environments has been increasingly researched, given the uncertainties associated with the heterogeneous matrix of these systems. In this study, we tracked the spectroscopic signatures of MP-derived dissolved organic matter (MP-DOM) in infiltrated water from MP contaminated sandy subsurface systems and examined their potential to form trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) by chlorination. Sand-packed columns with commercial MPs (expanded polystyrene and polyvinylchloride) on the upper layer were used as the model systems. Regardless of the plastic type, the addition of MPs resulted in a higher amount of DOM during infiltration compared with the clean sand system. This enhancement was more pronounced when the added MPs were UV-irradiated for 14 days. The infiltration was further characterized using FT-IR and fluorescence spectroscopy, which identified two fluorescent components (humic-like C1 and protein/phenol-like C2). Compared with pure MP-DOM, C1 was more predominant in sand infiltration than C2. Further studies have established that C2 may be more labile in terms of biodegradation and mineral adsorption that may occur within the sand column. However, both these environmental interferences were inadequate for entirely expanding the spectroscopic signatures of MP-DOM in sand infiltration. The infiltration also exhibited a higher potential in generating carbonaceous disinfection byproducts than natural groundwater and riverside bank filtrates. A significant correlation between the generated THMs and decreased C1 suggests the possibility of using humic-like components as optical precursors of carbonaceous DBPs in MP-contaminated subsurface systems. This study highlighted an overlooked contribution of MPs in terms of the infiltration of DOM levels in sandy subsurface systems and the potential environmental risk when used as drinking water sources.
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Chronic toxicity effects of sediment-associated polystyrene nanoplastics alone and in combination with cadmium on a keystone benthic species Bellamya aeruginosa
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Researchers conducted a 28-day sediment toxicity test to examine the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics alone and combined with cadmium on the freshwater snail Bellamya aeruginosa. The study found that nanoplastics increased cadmium bioavailability and facilitated its accumulation, leading to enhanced oxidative stress and cellular damage. The findings suggest that nanoplastics may amplify the toxicity of co-occurring heavy metal contaminants in freshwater sediments.
Impacts of Microplastics, Cadmium, and Their Mixtures on Biochemical Biomarkers in the Freshwater Bivalve Corbicula fluminea (Bivalvia, Corbiculidea)
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This study evaluated the combined impacts of microplastics and cadmium on biochemical biomarkers in a freshwater organism, finding that co-exposure caused greater oxidative stress and cellular damage than either contaminant alone. Microplastics appear to enhance cadmium bioavailability and toxicity.
Multi-Biomarker Responses of Asian Clam Corbicula fluminea (Bivalvia, Corbiculidea) to Cadmium and Microplastics Pollutants
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Researchers exposed Asian clams to cadmium, microplastics, and their mixtures, then measured a battery of biomarkers including oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and neurotoxicity indicators. They found that the combined exposure to cadmium and microplastics produced interactive effects that differed from exposure to either contaminant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modify the toxicity of heavy metals in freshwater bivalves, highlighting the importance of studying pollutant mixtures rather than individual contaminants.
Microplastics enhance cadmium bioaccumulation and chronic toxicity in Daphnia magna: Insights from a tropical river case study and controlled exposure experiments
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Researchers combined field surveys of a Malaysian river with 21-day laboratory exposures to show that polystyrene microplastics increase cadmium bioaccumulation in Daphnia magna by 74% and suppress reproduction by 28%, accompanied by elevated oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis-like responses at environmentally relevant contaminant levels.
Mechanistic insights into polystyrene micro/nanoplastics-facilitated cadmium trophic transfer and aggravated toxicity along a lettuce-snail terrestrial food chain
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Researchers investigated how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affect cadmium transfer through a lettuce-snail food chain and found that the plastics significantly increased cadmium availability in soil and its accumulation in lettuce leaves. Co-exposure caused amplified toxicity in snails, including greater oxidative stress, intestinal damage, and gut barrier dysfunction, demonstrating that microplastics can worsen the effects of heavy metal contamination in terrestrial food chains.
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