Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure toxicity of microplastic and sumithion in Nile tilapia – changes in growth, hematology, histopathology of internal tissues and immune-antioxidant genes expression

Researchers studied the combined effects of polyamide microplastics and the pesticide sumithion on Nile tilapia, a widely farmed fish species. They found that co-exposure reduced growth, disrupted blood parameters, caused tissue damage in gills and intestines, and altered immune and antioxidant gene expression more severely than either pollutant alone. The study highlights that microplastics and pesticides together may pose amplified threats to fish health in contaminated aquaculture environments.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and copper on antioxidant capacity, immune response and intestinal microbiota of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Researchers examined the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and copper on Nile tilapia and found that co-exposure increased copper accumulation in the liver and caused tissue damage in multiple organs. High concentrations of both contaminants together triggered oxidative stress, inflammation, and shifts in intestinal microbial communities. The study suggests that microplastics can worsen the toxic effects of heavy metals on freshwater fish.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity of mixture of polyethylene microplastics and Up Grade® pesticide on Oreochromis niloticus juvenile: I. Hemato-biochemical and histopathological alterations

Researchers exposed juvenile Nile tilapia to a pesticide and polyethylene microplastics, both individually and in combination, and measured blood chemistry changes and organ damage over 15 days. The combination treatment caused more severe effects than either pollutant alone, including reduced red blood cell counts, elevated liver enzymes, and significant tissue damage to the gills and intestines. The study demonstrates that microplastics can worsen the toxic effects of agricultural pesticides on commercially important fish species.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and Combined Effects of Microplastics and Cadmium on the Cadmium Accumulation and Biochemical and Immunity of Channa argus

Researchers investigated the single and combined effects of microplastics and cadmium on juvenile snakehead fish, finding that co-exposure caused greater tissue damage, oxidative stress, and immune disruption than either pollutant alone.

2021 Biological Trace Element Research 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of single and combined effects of cadmium and micro-plastic particles on biochemical and immunological parameters of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Researchers investigated the individual and combined toxicity of cadmium and polystyrene microplastics on common carp over 30 days. They found that co-exposure to both pollutants produced more severe effects on liver enzymes, immune function, and biochemical markers than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that microplastics can enhance the toxicity of heavy metals in aquatic organisms, raising concerns about the combined impact of these co-occurring contaminants.

2019 Chemosphere 323 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi‐Biomarkers' Responses in Gills of Oreochromis niloticus Exposed to Glyphosate and Polyethylene Microplastic, Isolated and in Mixture

Researchers exposed tilapia fish to polyethylene microplastics and the herbicide glyphosate, both alone and in combination, and examined gill tissue for signs of damage. They found that the mixture of both contaminants caused more severe oxidative stress and tissue damage than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that microplastics and agricultural chemicals may interact in waterways to amplify harmful effects on fish health.

2024 Environmental Toxicology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of combined exposure to triphenyltin and microplastics on the oxidative stress, energy metabolism, and digestive function of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Exposing common carp to triphenyltin and microplastics individually and in combination found that combined exposure caused greater oxidative stress, disrupted energy metabolism more severely, and more strongly impaired digestive enzyme activity than either pollutant alone.

2025 Frontiers in Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Behavioral, biochemical, immune, and histological responses of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758) to lead, mercury, and pendimethalin exposure: individual and combined effects

This study tested the effects of lead, mercury, and a pesticide on Nile tilapia fish and found that exposure to all three together caused the worst damage, including organ injury, weakened immune systems, and high mortality. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because microplastics can carry heavy metals like lead and mercury in water, potentially amplifying their toxic effects on fish. Since tilapia is a common food fish, these combined pollutant effects could impact seafood safety.

2025 Environmental Sciences Europe 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of microplastics and benzo[a]pyrene on Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer growth and expression of functional genes

Researchers exposed juvenile Asian sea bass to polyethylene microplastics and the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene, both individually and in combination, over 56 days. They found that co-exposure caused more severe effects on growth and gene expression related to immune function and stress response than either contaminant alone. The study highlights that microplastics may worsen the toxic effects of chemical pollutants already present in marine environments.

2024 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined effects of microplastics and cadmium on juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus)

Researchers found that combined exposure to polystyrene microplastics and cadmium in juvenile grass carp caused greater physiological stress than either pollutant alone, with microplastics enhancing cadmium accumulation and intensifying oxidative stress and immune responses.

2022 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined impacts of microplastics and cadmium on the liver function, immune response, and intestinal microbiota of crucian carp (Carassius carassius)

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.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to microplastics and bisphenol A increases viral susceptibility in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) via oxidative stress

Researchers found that juvenile fish exposed to both microplastics and BPA (a chemical found in plastics) together became more susceptible to viral infection, even though neither pollutant alone had that effect. The combination shut down the fish's antioxidant defenses and caused liver cell death, weakening their immune system. This study is important because it shows that common pollutants can interact in unexpected ways, and real-world exposure to multiple contaminants may be more dangerous than lab tests of single substances suggest.

2025 Advanced Biotechnology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochemical effects of polypropylene microplastics on red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) after individual and combined exposure with boron

Researchers exposed red tilapia to polypropylene microplastics alone and combined with boron, finding that the mixture disrupted key brain and liver enzymes more severely than either pollutant alone. The study shows that microplastics can amplify the toxic effects of other environmental contaminants in fish.

2023 Environmental Sciences Europe 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Copper and Microplastic Exposure Affects the Gill Gene Expression of Common Carp During Saltwater Challenge

This study examined how combined copper and microplastic exposure affects gill gene expression in common carp, finding synergistic stress responses including upregulation of genes involved in oxidative stress defense and immune function.

2024 Science Journal of University of Zakho 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Stressful Effects of Individual and Combined Exposure to Low-Concentration Polylactic Acid Microplastics and Chromium on Marine Medaka Larvae (Oryzias melastigma)

Researchers exposed marine medaka fish larvae to low concentrations of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics and chromium, both individually and together, for 14 days. The combined exposure caused more severe intestinal damage, oxidative stress, and disruption of gut bacteria than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that even biodegradable microplastics can worsen the effects of heavy metal pollution on young fish in marine environments.

2024 Toxics 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic exposure and concurrent effect with Aeromonas hydrophila infection on zebrafish

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastic exposure in zebrafish caused oxidative stress, altered antioxidant enzyme activity, and induced intestinal damage, with concurrent Aeromonas hydrophila infection amplifying these toxic effects and increasing mortality rates.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Individual and Combined Toxic Effects of Nano-ZnO and Polyethylene Microplastics on Mosquito Fish (Gambusia holbrooki)

Researchers studied the individual and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and zinc oxide nanoparticles on mosquito fish. The combination caused greater damage to liver tissue, blood parameters, and antioxidant systems than either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that microplastics interacting with other environmental contaminants can amplify toxic effects in aquatic organisms.

2023 Water 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Histopathological damage and stress‐ and immune‐related genes' expression in the intestine of common carp, Cyprinus carpio exposed to copper and polyvinyl chloride microparticle

Researchers examined the combined effects of copper and PVC microplastics on common carp intestines, finding that co-exposure caused greater histopathological damage and altered stress- and immune-related gene expression compared to either contaminant alone.

2021 Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A Ecological and Integrative Physiology 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity evaluation of the combination of emerging pollutants with polyethylene microplastics in zebrafish: Perspective study of genotoxicity, mutagenicity, and redox unbalance

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene microplastics combined with a mixture of common water pollutants for 15 days and assessed DNA damage, mutation rates, and oxidative stress. They found that microplastics alone caused DNA damage and nuclear abnormalities as severe as those caused by the pollutant mixture, challenging the assumption that microplastics are less harmful than chemical contaminants. The study revealed that the fish's antioxidant defenses were overwhelmed across multiple organs, suggesting widespread oxidative damage from microplastic exposure.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of chronic co-exposure polystyrene nanoplastics and cadmium on liver function in Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio)

Researchers exposed Prussian carp to polystyrene nanoplastics and cadmium, both individually and together, for 21 days and found that the combination caused significantly worse liver damage than either pollutant alone. The nanoplastics enhanced cadmium accumulation in the liver and amplified oxidative stress, tissue damage, and immune gene activation. The findings demonstrate that nanoplastics and heavy metals can have synergistic toxic effects on aquatic organisms.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined impacts of organophosphate pesticide and polyamide microplastics on growth, hematology, and immune responses in juvenile striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus)

Researchers exposed juvenile striped catfish to both polyamide microplastics and an organophosphate pesticide, finding that the combination caused more severe growth reduction, immune suppression, and organ damage than either pollutant alone — evidence that microplastics and pesticides can act together to amplify harm in freshwater fish.

2025 Emerging contaminants 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Short- and long-term single and combined effects of microplastics and chromium on the freshwater water flea Daphnia magna

Researchers investigated the individual and combined effects of microplastics and chromium on the water flea Daphnia magna in both short- and long-term experiments. They found that microplastics interacted with chromium, reducing its concentration in water, and that co-exposure caused acute toxicity but lacked the chronic effects seen with chromium alone. The study suggests that microplastics may alter the bioavailability and toxicity of metal pollutants in freshwater environments.

2022 Aquatic Toxicology 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics modulation of hexavalent chromium toxicity in quails: transcriptomic and toxicological insights

Researchers exposed quails to both polystyrene microplastics and hexavalent chromium — a cancer-causing heavy metal — for 12 weeks, finding that microplastics worsened the kidney damage caused by chromium by disrupting fat metabolism and energy production. The combination triggered severe kidney scarring (fibrosis) that neither pollutant caused as strongly on its own, illustrating how microplastics can amplify the toxicity of other environmental contaminants.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastic and engine oil synergistically intensify toxicity in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics and engine oil together caused much worse damage to Nile tilapia fish than either pollutant alone, triggering severe inflammation, blood cell changes, and oxidative stress. The combined exposure overwhelmed the fish's natural defenses and caused significant organ damage. Since tilapia is a widely consumed fish, this research highlights how mixtures of pollutants in waterways could compound health risks for both aquatic life and humans who eat contaminated seafood.

2024 BMC Veterinary Research 12 citations