We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Can the toxicity of polyethylene microplastics and engineered nanoclays on flatfish (Solea senegalensis) be influenced by the presence of each other?
AI summary Read the abstract
Exposing Senegalese sole juveniles to polyethylene microplastics and bentonite nanoclays simultaneously produced complex interaction effects, with co-exposure sometimes attenuating and sometimes exacerbating individual toxicity endpoints, underscoring that nanomaterial and microplastic mixtures in the environment require combined-exposure testing frameworks.
Microplastics and nanomaterials are applied in a myriad of commercial and industrial applications. When leaked to natural environments, such small particles might threaten living organisms' health, particularly when considering their potential combination that remains poorly investigated. This study investigated the physiological and biochemical effects of polyethylene (PE; 64-125 μm in size, 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 mg·L) single and combined with an engineered nanomaterial applied in antifouling coatings, the copper-aluminium layered double hydroxides (Cu-Al LDH; 0.33, 1.0, and 3.33 mg·L) in the flatfish Solea senegalensis larvae (8 dph) after 3 h exposure, in a full factorial design. Particles ingestion, histopathology, and biochemical biomarkers were assessed. Fish larvae presented <1 PE particles in their gut, independently of their concentration in the medium. The histological health index showed minimal pathological alterations at PE combined exposure, with a higher value observed at 1 mg LDH·L × 0.1 mg PE·L. Gut deformity and increased antioxidant defences (catalase), neurotransmission (acetylcholinesterase), and aerobic energy production (electron transport system) were observed at PE ≥ 1.0 mg·L. No oxidative damage (lipid peroxidation) or alterations in the detoxification capacity (glutathione-S-transferase) was observed on single and combined exposures. PE, combined or not with Cu-Al LDH, does not seem to compromise larvae's homeostasis considering levels reported so far in the marine and aquaculture environments. However, harsh effects are expected with MP contamination rise, as projections suggest.
More Papers Like This
Single and combined effects of gold nanoparticles and microplastics on juveniles of the marine fish Pomatoschistus microps, and modulation by temperature
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed juvenile marine fish (Pomatoschistus microps) to gold nanoparticles, microplastics, or both simultaneously to understand their individual and combined toxic effects, and how rising water temperatures change those effects. This research helps clarify whether microplastics and other pollutants interact to cause greater harm to marine life under climate change conditions.
Mixtures of Micro and Nanoplastics and Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Environment: What We Know about Their Toxicological Effects
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines what is known about the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastic mixtures combined with other emerging contaminants in the environment. Researchers found that most studies fail to calculate proper interaction parameters, making it difficult to determine whether combined exposures produce additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects on organisms.
Micro- and nanoplastics effects in a multiple stressed marine environment
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how micro- and nanoplastics interact with other environmental stressors in marine settings, finding that realistic multi-stressor scenarios can amplify or modify plastic toxicity in ways single-exposure studies miss.
Interactions of micro-/nanoplastics and engineered nanomaterials in the environment and the toxicity of co-exposure
AI summary Read the abstract
This review paper looks at what happens when tiny plastic particles (like the microplastics found in water, food, and air) team up with engineered nanomaterials—tiny human-made particles used in things like sunscreen, electronics, and medicine. When these two types of particles interact in the environment, they can stick together or react in ways that make them more (or sometimes less) harmful than either one alone, though scientists still don't fully understand these effects in real-world conditions. This matters because most lab studies use simplified "model" plastics that don't reflect what we're actually exposed to daily, so more realistic research is needed to truly understand the health risks of this comb
Toxicity of gold nanoparticles complicated by the co-existence multiscale plastics.
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how co-exposure to gold nanoparticles and plastic particles of different sizes modifies the toxicity of gold nanoparticles, finding complex interactions that altered toxic outcomes compared to gold nanoparticles alone. The results highlight that real-world toxicological risk assessment must account for co-contaminant interactions rather than testing pollutants in isolation.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.