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Impacts of cadmium and microplastics on Neocaridina denticulata sinensis: Survival, growth, biochemistry, histopathology and gut microbiome
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Researchers exposed freshwater shrimp to varying concentrations of microplastics and cadmium, both alone and in combination, to study their toxic effects and the organisms' recovery ability. They found that microplastics acted as cadmium carriers, promoting metal transport across gill barriers and causing oxidative stress, tissue damage, and gut microbiota imbalance. After seven days in clean water, most damage indicators and microbial diversity returned to near-normal levels, suggesting some recovery capacity.
Toxicological interactions between microplastics (MPs) and cadmium (Cd) in aquatic life have received extensive attention. However, the mechanism of combined toxicity is still unclear, and most studies have focused on high-concentration stress, while there are relatively few studies on long-term low-concentration stress and the self-recovery ability of organisms. In this research, Neocaridina denticulata sinensis were exposed to low and high concentration of MPs (L-MPs: 2 × 10 item/L, H-MPs: 2 × 10 item/L, environmental concentration: 20 item/L), Cd (1 μg/L) and their combination (Cd + L-MPs, Cd + H-MPs) for 14 d, and then recovered in a clean environment for 7 d. This study indicates that MPs and Cd may enhance toxic effects through the following pathways: (1) Synergistic physical and chemical damage: MPs may act as a Cd carrier, promoting the migration of metal ions across the gill barrier and inducing oxidative stress in the hepatopancreas; (2) Tissue barrier disruption: MPs mechanically wears down the tissue cells of the intestine, hepatopancreas and gills; (3) Imbalance of gut microbiota: The results of 16S rRNA sequencing showed that the abundance of potential beneficial bacteria (ZOR006, Aurantimicrobium, Chitinibacter and Pseudorhodobacter) has decreased. The abundance of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria (Flavobacterium and Polynucleobacter) has increased. After 7 d of recovery, the indicators of oxidative damage and the diversity of the microbiota returned to the levels of the control, indicating that N. denticulata sinensis have a certain self-repair ability against the stress of long-term low-concentration MPs and Cd.
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Researchers exposed Asian clams to cadmium, microplastics, and their mixtures, then measured a battery of biomarkers including oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and neurotoxicity indicators. They found that the combined exposure to cadmium and microplastics produced interactive effects that differed from exposure to either contaminant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modify the toxicity of heavy metals in freshwater bivalves, highlighting the importance of studying pollutant mixtures rather than individual contaminants.
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This study evaluated the combined impacts of microplastics and cadmium on biochemical biomarkers in a freshwater organism, finding that co-exposure caused greater oxidative stress and cellular damage than either contaminant alone. Microplastics appear to enhance cadmium bioavailability and toxicity.
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Researchers exposed crucian carp to microplastics and cadmium, both alone and together, and found the combination caused more severe liver damage and immune disruption than either pollutant alone. Co-exposure also significantly altered the fish's gut bacteria after 21 days. This is concerning because microplastics and heavy metals frequently co-occur in polluted waterways, potentially amplifying harm to aquatic life.
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Scientists fed shrimp a combination of microplastics and cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) and found that together, these pollutants stunted the shrimps' growth more than either one alone—and the shrimp also absorbed higher levels of both contaminants into their bodies, especially in organs like the liver-equivalent (hepatopancreas). This matters because shrimp are a popular seafood, and if microplastics help "smuggle" more heavy metals into the animals we eat, our exposure to these contaminants through diet could be higher than previously thought.
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Researchers exposed the euryhaline fish Poecilia sphenops to polyethylene microplastics and cadmium individually and in combination, finding synergistic reductions in growth, hemoglobin, red and white blood cell counts, and antioxidant enzyme activities, alongside impaired digestive enzyme function — suggesting co-exposure is more damaging than either contaminant alone.
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