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Role of humic acid in modulating the combined toxicity of polylactic acid microplastics and diflubenzuron: Impacts on mitochondrial genotoxicity in Daphnia magna.
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Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles from biodegradable plastic bags interact with pesticides and natural substances in water, using small water creatures as test subjects. They found that natural organic matter can reduce some toxic effects, but certain combinations still damaged the energy-producing parts of cells. This research helps us understand how microplastics in our environment might affect living things differently depending on what other chemicals are present in the water.
The proliferation of biodegradable plastics like polylactic acid (PLA) necessitates a deeper understanding of their ecotoxicological impacts, particularly their interactions with co-existing pollutants in aquatic ecosystems. This study investigates the combined toxicity of PLA microplastics (MPs), the insecticide diflubenzuron (DFB), and the influence of natural organic matter (NOM) on the freshwater cladoceran Daphnia magna. Acute 48-hour exposures were conducted to assess mortality, while sublethal impacts were evaluated by measuring oxidative stress biomarkers (reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde), mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, and cellular ATP levels. The interaction between PLA MPs and humic acid (HA) led to the formation of bridge-like structures. The presence of HA generally alleviated the enhanced acute toxicity resulting from the combined exposure to PLA MPs and DFB. At sublethal concentrations, the combination of high DFB (50 ng L⁻¹), HA (5 mg L⁻¹), and PLA MPs (1 mg L⁻¹) resulted in a reduction in mtDNA copy number, which in turn triggered enhanced ATP content as a compensatory mechanism at the cellular and molecular levels. These findings indicate that NOM, acting as an environmental modifier, significantly influences the toxicity of biodegradable MPs and pesticides at various biological levels, emphasizing the need to integrate such natural factors into the risk assessment frameworks for these emerging contaminants.
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Alleviating binary toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and atrazine to Chlorella vulgaris through humic acid interaction: Long-term toxicity using environmentally relevant concentrations
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Researchers found that when nanoplastics and the herbicide atrazine were combined in water, they had a synergistic toxic effect on algae that was worse than either pollutant alone. However, adding humic acid, a natural substance found in soil and water, significantly reduced this combined toxicity by coating the nanoplastics and changing their surface properties. This suggests that natural organic matter in the environment may offer some protection against the harmful effects of nanoplastic-chemical mixtures.
Humic acid can mitigate or magnify nanoplastic toxicity to freshwater microalgae: what are the factors driving these contrasting effects?
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Researchers explored how humic acid, a natural organic substance found in water, interacts with nanoplastics to either reduce or amplify their toxicity to freshwater microalgae. The study found that humic acid can mitigate nanoplastic toxicity by reducing surface hydrophobicity and improving particle dispersion, but this protective effect diminishes at low humic acid concentrations.
Presence of humic acid in the environment holds promise as a potential mitigating factor for the joint toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and herbicide atrazine to Chlorella vulgaris: 96-H acute toxicity
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Researchers studied how nanoplastics and the herbicide atrazine together affect freshwater algae, and whether humic acid, a natural organic substance found in water, could reduce their combined harm. They found that both the nanoplastics alone and in combination with atrazine damaged algal growth, photosynthesis, and antioxidant defenses. The presence of humic acid significantly reduced these toxic effects, suggesting it may act as a natural buffer against nanoplastic and pesticide pollution in aquatic environments.
Humic acid enhances adsorption of antibiotic ciprofloxacin on polylactic acid microplastics, leading to reproductive and mitochondrial toxicity in Daphnia magna: Quantitative analysis
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Researchers found that humic acid, a common natural organic compound in freshwater, significantly enhanced the adsorption of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin onto polylactic acid microplastics. This combination caused greater reproductive harm and mitochondrial DNA damage in water fleas (Daphnia magna) than exposure to the microplastics or antibiotic alone. The study highlights that even biodegradable microplastics can amplify the ecological toxicity of environmental pollutants when natural organic matter is present.
Influences of molecular weight fractionated humic acids on polyamide 66 microplastic stability and toxicity in red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
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Researchers found that humic acids of different molecular weights enhanced the stability and aquatic persistence of polyamide 66 microplastics, leading to greater accumulation in red tilapia gut tissues and increased oxidative stress, suggesting that dissolved organic matter worsens microplastic toxicity in real-world water environments.
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