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Single and combined chronic toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNP) and clothianidin on collembolans and enchytraeids
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Scientists tested how tiny plastic particles and a common pesticide affect soil creatures that are important for healthy ecosystems. They found that when these two pollutants are combined, they become more harmful than when alone - even at levels that seemed safe individually. This matters because humans are also exposed to both microplastics and pesticides in our food and environment, suggesting these combinations could pose greater health risks than we previously understood.
This study assessed the chronic toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNP) and clothianidin (CLO), individually and as a binary mixture, on enchytraeids Enchytraeus crypticus and collembolans Folsomia candida. The assays were performed according to ISO protocols, using a tropical soil (Entisol) as the test substrate. The mixture assays were performed using equitoxic concentration, standardized according to the preliminary EC50 values for each contaminant (1 Toxic Unit = reproductive EC50 average), and the toxicological interactions were assessed through the Abbott model. Individually, CLO was much more toxic than PSNP (LOEC-based) to both enchytraeids (CLO = 2.67 mg kg-1, PSNP = 128 mg kg-1) and collembolans (CLO = 0.02 mg kg-1, PSNP = 56.25 mg kg-1). Collembolans were more sensitive to both contaminants compared to enchytraeids, but the difference in sensitivity was higher for CLO (> 100 times) than for PSNP (2.3 times). The binary mixtures showed additive effects of PSNP + CLO for both species at all mixture concentrations. For collembolans, concentrations that caused no significant effects individually (18.75 mg PSNP kg-1 and 0.01 mg CLO kg-1) induced significant negative effects when in mixture, indicating that the co-occurrence of individually non-toxic concentrations might not be safe for collembolans.
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Ecotoxicological effects of combined exposure to bifenthrin and polyethylene microplastics on the earthworm Eisenia fetida
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Scientists found that when a common pesticide (bifenthrin) and microplastics mix together in soil, they team up to cause more harm to earthworms than either one alone—damaging their gut tissue, cells, and nervous system. This matters because it shows how microplastics can act like tiny sponges that stick to other pollutants and make them more toxic, which raises questions about the combined effects of these everyday contaminants in the food and water supply we all share with soil ecosystems.
Co-Exposure of Nanopolystyrene and Other Environmental Contaminants—Their Toxic Effects on the Survival and Reproduction of Enchytraeus crypticus
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This study tested the combined toxicity of nanopolystyrene particles alongside pharmaceuticals, metals, and engineered nanomaterials on the soil worm Enchytraeus crypticus, finding that co-exposure often amplified harm to survival and reproduction beyond that of each pollutant alone. The results highlight that real-world mixtures of plastic and chemical contaminants pose greater ecological risks than single-substance assessments suggest.
Ecological risks under combined pollution: Toxicological effects of clothianidin and microplastics on Penaeus vannamei
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This study examined the combined effects of a common insecticide (clothianidin) and microplastics on Pacific white shrimp over 28 days. Researchers found that exposure to both pollutants together was significantly more harmful than either alone, causing reduced growth, immune system disruption, altered energy metabolism, and nervous system interference. The results underscore that real-world pollution involves mixtures of contaminants whose combined effects can be worse than expected.
What are the toxicological effects of mixing nanoplastics with a nanopesticide on Daphnia magna and Aliivibrio fischeri?
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Scientists tested what happens when tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) mix with a common pesticide in water using small water creatures as test subjects. They found that the combination was more toxic than either pollutant alone, causing serious harm to reproduction and growth even at very low levels. This matters because these same pollutants are building up in our water systems and food chain, potentially affecting human health through the water we drink and seafood we eat.
The combined effects of azoxystrobin and different aged polyethylene microplastics on earthworms (Eisenia fetida): A systematic evaluation based on oxidative damage and intestinal function
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Scientists studied how the pesticide azoxystrobin and aged polyethylene microplastics together affect earthworms, and found the combination was significantly more toxic than either pollutant alone. The aged microplastics helped the earthworms absorb more pesticide, leading to greater weight loss, more oxidative damage, and worse intestinal damage. This is important for human health because it shows that microplastics in agricultural soil can increase the bioavailability and toxicity of pesticides that may end up in our food.
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