Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Multi-Biomarker Responses of Asian Clam Corbicula fluminea (Bivalvia, Corbiculidea) to Cadmium and Microplastics Pollutants

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.

2021 Water 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and mercury in the freshwater bivalve Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774): Filtration rate, biochemical biomarkers and mercury bioconcentration

Researchers exposed freshwater bivalves to microplastics, mercury, and their combination, then measured filtration rates, biochemical biomarkers, and mercury bioconcentration during exposure and recovery periods. The study found that microplastics did not significantly alter mercury bioconcentration in the bivalves but that the mixture caused additive oxidative stress effects, and recovery was incomplete after the exposure period ended.

2018 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 216 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to Microplastics and Cadmium: Effects on DNA Damage in Mytilus Galloprovincialis

This study investigated how co-exposure to microplastics and cadmium affects DNA damage in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Microplastics acted as vectors for cadmium, and combined exposure resulted in greater genotoxic effects than either pollutant alone.

2025 Journal of Biological Research - Bollettino della Società Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale
Article Tier 2

The effect of different types of microplastic and acute cadmium exposure on the Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamarck, 1819)

This study examined how different types of microplastics, alone and combined with cadmium, affect Mediterranean mussels that are widely consumed as seafood. Exposure to microplastics and cadmium caused oxidative stress, tissue damage, and neurotoxicity in the mussels, with combined exposure being worse than either pollutant alone. The health risk calculations for human consumers exceeded safety limits, suggesting that microplastic-contaminated mussels could pose a real food safety concern.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Tracing microplastic (MP)-derived dissolved organic matter in the infiltration of MP-contaminated sand system and its disinfection byproducts formation

Researchers investigated the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and cadmium on the freshwater snail Bellamya aeruginosa, finding that co-exposure produced greater oxidative stress and tissue damage than either contaminant alone. The microplastics enhanced cadmium bioavailability in tissues.

2022 Water Research 53 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

The Combined Effects of Cadmium and Microplastic Mixtures on the Digestion, Energy Metabolism, Oxidative Stress Regulation, Immune Function, and Metabolomes in the Pearl Oyster (Pinctada fucata martensii)

Researchers studied the combined effects of cadmium and microplastics on pearl oysters, measuring impacts on digestion, energy use, immune function, and metabolism. They found that co-exposure to both pollutants caused more severe damage than either alone, disrupting the oysters' antioxidant defenses and metabolic processes. The study highlights the compounding threat that metal and microplastic pollution together pose to marine shellfish.

2025 Fishes 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of cadmium and environmental microplastics in Aphanius fasciatus (Pisces, Cyprinodontidae)

Researchers found that combined exposure to cadmium and microplastics in killifish caused oxidative stress and spinal deformities, though the two pollutants did not show clear synergistic interaction, likely because microplastics reduced cadmium bioavailability.

2023 Marine Environmental Research 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Exposure to Cadmium, Microplastics, and Their Mixture on Survival, Growth, Feeding, and Life History of Daphnia magna

Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics altered cadmium toxicity to Daphnia magna, finding that microplastic co-exposure modified cadmium bioavailability and affected survival, growth, feeding rates, and reproductive outcomes in this ecologically important species.

2023 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics have additive effects on cadmium accumulation and toxicity in Rice flower carp (Procypris merus)

When a Chinese freshwater fish species was exposed to both microplastics and cadmium together, the microplastics increased cadmium buildup in the liver and gills and worsened tissue damage compared to either pollutant alone. The combined exposure caused greater oxidative stress and disrupted immune and metabolic pathways. This is important because microplastics and heavy metals often coexist in polluted waterways, and their combined effect on fish could affect the safety of freshwater fish that people eat.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 10 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

Biochemical impacts of PET microplastics and cadmium on Danio rerio under environmental conditions

This study examined the combined biochemical effects of PET microplastics and cadmium on zebrafish under environmentally relevant exposures, finding that co-exposure altered oxidative stress biomarkers, liver enzyme activity, and immune responses in ways that differed from single-contaminant exposures.

2025
Article Tier 2

Additive effects of microplastics on accumulation and toxicity of cadmium in male zebrafish

Researchers exposed adult zebrafish to polyethylene microplastics and cadmium, both individually and in combination, for 21 days. They found that microplastics and cadmium together produced additive toxic effects, increasing cadmium accumulation in fish tissues, altering behavior, and causing more severe organ damage. The study suggests that microplastics in contaminated waterways may worsen the harmful effects of heavy metals on aquatic life.

2023 Chemosphere 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of cadmium and microplastics on Neocaridina denticulata sinensis: Survival, growth, biochemistry, histopathology and gut microbiome

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.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 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

Depuration and post-exposure recovery of oxidative stress responses to microplastics and cadmium in Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Researchers exposed Pacific oysters to microplastic beads and cadmium, then transferred them to clean water to study recovery. They found that cadmium was eliminated much more slowly than the plastic beads, and oysters exposed to both contaminants together maintained higher levels of oxidative stress even during the recovery period. The study suggests that microplastics can enhance the toxic effects of heavy metals like cadmium through synergistic interactions that persist after the initial exposure ends.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2 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

Influence of microplastics on the accumulation and chronic toxic effects of cadmium in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers exposed zebrafish to polystyrene microplastics combined with cadmium for three weeks and found that the presence of microplastics significantly increased cadmium accumulation in the liver, gut, and gills. The combined exposure caused greater oxidative damage, tissue inflammation, and disruption of protective gene activity than either pollutant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics can enhance the toxicity of heavy metals in fish by acting as carriers that increase the body's uptake of harmful substances.

2018 Chemosphere 461 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological effects of microplastics and cadmium on the earthworm Eisenia foetida

Researchers studied the effects of microplastics alone and combined with the heavy metal cadmium on earthworms over 42 days. They found that both exposures reduced growth and increased mortality, with the combined treatment causing the most damage through increased oxidative stress. The study also revealed that microplastics can increase cadmium accumulation in earthworms by up to 161%, suggesting microplastics may worsen heavy metal contamination in soil ecosystems.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 330 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity Effects of Microplastics and Nanoplastics with Cadmium on the Alga Microcystis Aeruginosa

This study tested how microplastics and nanoplastics interact with the heavy metal cadmium to affect the growth of a common freshwater algae, finding that combined exposure was more harmful than either contaminant alone. Nanoplastics adsorbed more cadmium per particle but their smaller size enabled them to penetrate algal cells more easily, with complex effects on cellular toxicity.

2021 Research Square (Research Square) 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Physiological and biochemical responses to caffeine and microplastics in Mytilus galloprovincialis

Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to caffeine and microplastics both separately and together to measure their combined effects. The combination caused greater oxidative stress and changes in cell function than either pollutant alone. While focused on mussels, the study is relevant to human health because mussels are widely eaten as seafood and can accumulate both microplastics and chemical contaminants.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxicity effects of microplastics and nanoplastics with cadmium on the alga Microcystis aeruginosa

Researchers examined the combined toxicity of microplastics, nanoplastics, and cadmium on the freshwater alga Microcystis aeruginosa. The study found that while cadmium alone was most toxic, the combination of plastics and cadmium produced synergistic harmful effects, with nanoplastics causing greater cadmium release and more severe disruption to algal cell membranes than microplastics.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Adverse Effects of Co-Exposure to Cd and Microplastic in Tigriopus japonicus

Researchers exposed the marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus to combined cadmium and polystyrene microplastic exposure using a full concentration-response design. Co-exposure increased toxicity compared to either contaminant alone, with effects on survival, reproduction, and development, indicating synergistic or additive interactions between cadmium and microplastics.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Acute co-exposure to microbeads and cadmium enhances accumulation and alters plasma biochemical markers and stress indicators in Korean rockfish, Sebastes schlegeli

Researchers found that combined acute exposure of Korean rockfish to microbeads and cadmium enhanced heavy metal accumulation in fish tissues more than cadmium alone, with microplastics facilitating metal adsorption and transport in ways that increase contaminant bioavailability.

2025 Fish Physiology and Biochemistry