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Interaction between polyethylene microplastic and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D): chemical and ecotoxicological evaluation with Girardia tigrina
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Researchers exposed freshwater flatworms (Girardia tigrina) to aged polyethylene microplastics combined with the herbicide 2,4-D, finding the combination reduced reproductive success by over 60%, slowed regeneration, and increased movement speed more than either pollutant alone. This demonstrates that microplastics can interact with common agricultural chemicals to produce greater harm to aquatic organisms than either substance individually.
The presence of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and their consequences on biota have received considerable attention in recent years. However, the effects of the interactions between these materials and other pollutants still need to be better understood. This study, therefore, aimed to evaluate the effects of two different treatments (MP and MP + 2,4-D herbicide) in (Girardia tigrina) as a test organism. The treatment was carried out to simulate the natural wear of the material, which was done by chemical oxidation and solar irradiation. The chronic effects on locomotion, regeneration, and reproduction in G. tigrina were evaluated after ingesting MP-treated and MP-treated + 2,4-D homogenized in the liver. The most significant effects were observed in the MP + 2,4-D treatment, with reduced fecundity (61%) and fertility (70.6%) of G. tigrina in relation to the control, increased locomotion speed (79.5%), delayed regeneration, auricles (46.1%) and photoreceptors (41.6%), therefore indicating greater risks of management practices with application of 2,4-D in areas with the presence of MP. These results show that the interaction between MPs and organic pollutants occurs after MP-PE has aged and that this combination promotes greater toxicity to this contaminant.
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Interactive effects of environmental microplastics and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) on the earthworm Eisenia andrei
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Researchers studied the combined effects of environmental microplastics and the herbicide 2,4-D on earthworms over 14 days. They found that microplastics increased the bioaccumulation of the herbicide in earthworm tissues, and co-exposure caused greater genotoxic damage and oxidative stress than either pollutant alone. The findings highlight the potential for microplastics to amplify the ecological risks of pesticides in agricultural soils.
A Dangerous Couple: Sequential Effect of Phosphorus Flame-Retardant and Polyurethane Decrease Locomotor Activity in Planarian Girardia tigrina
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Researchers exposed freshwater flatworms to a flame retardant chemical and polyurethane microplastics, both individually and in combination. While neither pollutant alone caused measurable biochemical changes, the combination of both significantly reduced the flatworms' ability to move. The study suggests that microplastics and chemical pollutants may interact in ways that produce harmful effects not seen when organisms encounter either contaminant on its own.
Combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and carbendazim on Eisenia fetida: A comprehensive ecotoxicological study
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Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and the pesticide carbendazim on earthworms and found that the two pollutants together caused worse damage than either alone. The combined exposure led to growth problems, oxidative stress, and organ damage even at lower concentrations. Since earthworms are essential for soil health and microplastics and pesticides commonly co-exist in farmland, these findings suggest that agricultural soil contamination could have cascading effects on the food system.
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.
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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