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The effects of exposure to microplastics and pollutants on the arthropod microbiome
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This thesis investigated how microplastics and other pollutants (pesticides, detergents, metals) affect the gut microbiome of freshwater invertebrates. Disruption of the host-microbiome relationship by microplastics could impair immune function and overall health in aquatic organisms that form important parts of the food web.
Anthropogenic pollution is widespread across various ecosystems. This disturbance can alter the interaction between a host and its associated microbiome, with repercussions for hosts traits such as health, behavior, and host evolution. The thesis aim is to understand the effects of inert microplastics and other pollutants, as pesticides, detergents, and toxic metals, on the host-microbiota of different freshwater invertebrates. Specifically, this thesis explores the secondary effects of stress factors on the host, trophic interactions, and free-living microbes. Chapter I tested the effects of microplastics and the pesticide esfenvalerate on Chironomus riparius survival, emergence, and its microbiome. Chapter II tested the effects of microplastics and the pesticide deltamethrin on a trophic chain of three organisms: Daphnia magna, damselfly larva Ischnura elegans, and wild dragonfly larva Aeshna cyanea. Chapter III tested the effects of microplastics and sodium dodecyl sulfate on the microbiome of wild water boatman from the family Corixidae. Chapter IV tested the effects of microplastics and Chromium VI on Daphnia magna mortality and its microbiome. The thesis used metagenomic tools to characterize both the host microbiome and its surrounding microcosms. Our results showed that microplastics interact with additive toxicants to affect the host microbiome, however, these effects depend on the type of toxicant, the size of the microplastic, and the host itself.
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Microplastic Exposure Across Trophic Levels: Effects on the Host Microbiota of Freshwater Organisms
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Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects the gut bacteria communities of freshwater organisms including fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. Microplastics—particularly when combined with pesticides—altered gut microbiota composition, which could impair digestion, immunity, and overall health of freshwater species.
How microplastics influence the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates: A review
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This review examines how microplastics affect the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates, an area that has received less attention than fish studies. Researchers summarize evidence showing that microplastics cause toxicity at biological and molecular levels, alter microbial communities associated with invertebrate hosts, and interact with climate change and other pollutants to produce combined effects. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps and proposes future research directions for understanding microplastic impacts on aquatic ecosystems.
Multi stress system: Microplastics in freshwater and their effects on host microbiota
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This study examined how combined exposure to microplastics and organic chemical pollutants affects freshwater organisms through a multi-stress approach, focusing on gut microbiome changes as an indicator. Microplastic exposure in combination with other pollutants altered microbiome composition more than either stressor alone, with potential consequences for host fitness and disease resistance.
Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms
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Researchers examined how microplastic exposure across trophic levels affects the gut microbiota of freshwater organisms, finding that microplastics alter microbial community composition and that effects can transfer through food web interactions.
Host, its microbiota and their interactions
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This thesis reviews the interactions between multicellular hosts and their associated microbial communities, examining how environmental pollutants including microplastics can alter the composition and function of host microbiota. The work connects emerging knowledge about plastic pollution with gut and environmental microbiome research.
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