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Current status of microplastics pollution in the aquatic environment, interaction with other pollutants, and effects on aquatic organisms
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This paper reviewed the current state of microplastic pollution across different water environments, examining how microplastics interact with other pollutants like heavy metals, antibiotics, and industrial chemicals. Researchers found that microplastics can either amplify or reduce the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants depending on the combination, creating complex effects on aquatic organisms. The study highlights the need for standardized measurement methods and more research into how microplastics and other contaminants interact in real-world conditions.
Microplastics, as emerging pollutants, have received great attention in the past few decades due to its adverse effects on the environment. Microplastics are ubiquitous in the atmosphere, soil, and water bodies, and mostly reported in aqueous environment. This paper summarizes the abundance and types of microplastics in different aqueous environments and discusses the interactions of microplastics with other contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), antibiotics, and heavy metals. The toxicity of microplastics to aquatic organisms and microorganisms is addressed. Particularly, the combined toxic effects of microplastics and other pollutants are discussed, demonstrating either synergetic or antagonistic effects. Future prospectives should be focused on the characterization of different types and shapes of microplastics, the standardization of microplastic units, exploring the interaction and toxicity of microplastics with other pollutants, and the degradation of microplastics, for a better understanding of the ecological risks of microplastics.
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Ecotoxicology of microplastics in water ecosystems and aquatic organisms: A review of synergistic and antagonistic effects of microplastics on other xenobiotics
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This review examines the ecotoxicological effects of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems, focusing on how they interact with other pollutants like heavy metals, organic contaminants, and pathogens. The study highlights that microplastics can adsorb and transport these pollutants through synergistic or antagonistic interactions, leading to oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and reproductive impairment in exposed organisms, with potential for biomagnification up the food chain.
Microplastic interactions with co-existing pollutants in water environments: Synergistic or antagonistic roles on their removal through current remediation technologies
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This review examines how microplastics interact with other pollutants like heavy metals, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals in water, often making each contaminant harder to remove during treatment. The interactions between microplastics and co-existing pollutants can produce unpredictable combined toxic effects that are worse than either pollutant alone. Understanding these interactions is important because real-world water contamination involves mixtures, not single pollutants, and current treatment methods may not adequately address these combinations.
A review: Research progress on microplastic pollutants in aquatic environments
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This review summarizes current research on microplastic pollution in aquatic environments, including sources, detection methods, and ecological effects. The study highlights that microplastics can carry heavy metals and organic pollutants, forming complex contaminant combinations that accumulate through the food chain with potentially unpredictable consequences for both aquatic life and human health.
Interactive effects of micro/nanoplastics and nanomaterials/pharmaceuticals: Their ecotoxicological consequences in the aquatic systems
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Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastics interact with co-occurring nanomaterials and pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments, finding that plastics act as vectors that can either amplify or attenuate the bioavailability and toxicity of these contaminants depending on species, trophic level, and environmental conditions.
Microplastics and antibiotic toxicity in aquatic organisms: Exposure, interactions and mechanisms.
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This review summarizes existing studies on water-dwelling animals exposed to both microplastics and antibiotics together. Results varied: some studies found combined effects were stronger, weaker, or inconsistent depending on dose and outcome measured. The authors propose a framework for judging how strong this evidence is, noting current research has not established clear cause-and-effect at realistic exposure levels.
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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.