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Microplastic potentiates triclosan toxicity to the marine copepodAcartia tonsa(Dana)
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Researchers tested whether microplastics worsen the toxicity of triclosan — an antimicrobial chemical — on marine copepods, finding that microplastic potentiated triclosan's toxic effects, suggesting that microplastics can increase the harm of co-occurring chemical contaminants.
Microplastics (MP) are contaminants of environmental concern partly due to plastics ability to sorb and transport hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOC). The importance of this "vector effect" is currently being debated in the scientific community. This debate largely ignores that the co-exposures of MP and HOC are mixtures of hazardous agents, which can be addressed from a mixture toxicity perspective. In this study, mixture effects of polyethylene microbeads (MP) and triclosan (TCS) (a commonly used antibacterial agent in cosmetics) were assessed on the marine copepod Acartia tonsa. Data indicated that MP potentiate the toxicity of TCS, illustrating the importance of understanding the mixture interaction between plastics and HOC when addressing the environmental importance of the vector effect.
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Interactions of microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments: A case study of augmented joint toxicity
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Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics interact with the antimicrobial compound triclosan in simulated environmental and cellular conditions. They found that surface-functionalized microplastics adsorbed significantly more triclosan and released it under cellular conditions, with the combination producing greater toxicity to human intestinal cells than either contaminant alone. The study suggests that microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of co-occurring organic pollutants.
Polyethylene microplastics increase the toxicity of chlorpyrifos to the marine copepod Acartia tonsa
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Researchers investigated the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and the pesticide chlorpyrifos on the marine copepod Acartia tonsa. The study found that microplastics significantly increased the toxicity of chlorpyrifos, lowering the lethal concentration by approximately four-fold and dramatically reducing feeding and egg production. The findings confirm that microplastics can act as vectors for pollutants, increasing their availability and potential harm to marine organisms.
Toxic effects of triclosan in aquatic organisms: A review focusing on single and combined exposure of environmental conditions and pollutants
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This review examines how triclosan, an antibacterial chemical found in many personal care products, harms aquatic organisms both on its own and in combination with other pollutants including microplastics. When triclosan and microplastics are present together in water, they can produce combined toxic effects that are worse than either alone. Since triclosan is widely used and microplastics are everywhere, their interaction in the environment is an important consideration for both ecosystem and human health.
Synergistic toxic mechanisms of microplastics and triclosan via multixenobiotic resistance (MXR) inhibition–mediated autophagy in the freshwater water flea Daphnia magna
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Researchers exposed water fleas to microplastics and triclosan, a common antimicrobial chemical, and found that the combination was more toxic than either pollutant alone. Microplastics interfered with the organisms' natural defense system for expelling foreign chemicals, allowing triclosan to accumulate and trigger harmful autophagy. This suggests that microplastics may amplify the toxicity of other environmental contaminants in aquatic ecosystems.
An Ecotoxicological Assessment of the Impact of Microplastics on Daphnia magna using Acute and Chronic Toxicity Endpoints with a Focus on Stress Behaviour
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Laboratory tests on Daphnia magna (a key freshwater zooplankton) found that polyethylene microbeads alone at environmentally realistic concentrations did not cause significant harm, but when combined with the antimicrobial chemical triclocarban, microplastics appeared to increase toxicity. This suggests microplastics may act as carriers that enhance the effects of co-pollutants even when the plastics themselves seem harmless in isolation.
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