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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics alter toxicity of the insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis to chironomid larvae in different ways depending on particle size
ClearEffects of ingested microplastic particles on susceptibility of chironomid midges to the insecticide spinosad compared to Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis
This study tested whether ingested polyethylene microplastics alter the toxicity of spinosad (a neurotoxic insecticide) to chironomid midge larvae, extending earlier work that found mixed effects with Bti. Larger particles (125 µm) increased spinosad toxicity while smaller particles (34-50 µm) reduced it, pointing to size-dependent interactions between microplastics and pesticide toxicity.
Size over substance: Microplastic particle size drives gene expression and fitness loss in a freshwater insect
Researchers exposed freshwater midge larvae to polyamide and polyvinyl chloride microplastics of different sizes and found that particle size mattered more than plastic type in determining harm. Smaller microplastics triggered stronger stress responses at the gene level, including oxidative stress and immune activation, and caused greater reductions in reproduction and survival. The findings suggest that size should be a primary consideration when assessing microplastic risks to aquatic life.
Toxicity of microplastics and natural particles in the freshwater dipteran Chironomus riparius: Same same but different?
Larvae of the freshwater midge Chironomus riparius were chronically exposed to PVC microplastics and natural particles (kaolin, diatomite) alone and combined with the pesticide imidacloprid for 28 days, with effects observed only at high PVC concentrations but with interactions noted between particles and the insecticide. The study suggests that natural particles are not consistently more benign than microplastics at equal concentrations.
Microplastic Interference with Fipronil Toxicity to Zebrafish Embryonic Development
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect the toxicity of the insecticide fipronil on developing zebrafish embryos. They found that while microplastics reduced the lethal effects of fipronil, likely by adsorbing some of the chemical, they did not change the rate of developmental abnormalities. The study highlights the complex ways different pollutants can interact in aquatic environments.
Downsizing plastics, upsizing impact: How microplastic particle size affects Chironomus riparius bioturbation activity
This study tested how different sizes of polyethylene microplastics affect the burrowing behavior of freshwater midge larvae, which play an important role in mixing and aerating lake and river sediments. Smaller microplastics were ingested more readily and disrupted the larvae's sediment-mixing activity more than larger particles. Since these organisms are critical for healthy freshwater ecosystems, the findings suggest that small microplastics could disrupt nutrient cycling in lakes and rivers.
Polystyrene Microplastics Modulate the Toxicity of the Hydrophilic Insecticide Thiacloprid for Chironomid Larvae and Also Influence Their Burrowing Behavior
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics altered the toxicity of the hydrophilic insecticide thiamethoxam to aquatic invertebrates, with the combined exposure producing different effects than either stressor alone. The study highlights that microplastics can act as vectors that change the bioavailability and ecotoxicological impact of water-soluble pesticides.
Mechanisms influencing the impact of microplastics on freshwater benthic invertebrates: Uptake dynamics and adverse effects on Chironomus riparius
Researchers studied the factors influencing microplastic uptake and toxicity in the freshwater midge Chironomus riparius using experimental data and agent-based modeling. They found that high concentrations of small microplastics fill the insect gut, are eliminated more slowly than natural particles, and cause damage to gut tissue that leads to reduced growth and delayed development. The study suggests that microplastic concentrations in some freshwater hotspots may already be high enough to cause adverse effects in wild populations.
Effect of microplastics on ecosystem functioning: Microbial nitrogen removal mediated by benthic invertebrates
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect nitrogen removal in freshwater sediments where chironomid larvae and microorganisms coexist. They found that while microplastics and larvae each individually promoted nitrogen removal by boosting denitrifying bacteria, combining them together produced less benefit than expected. The study suggests that rising microplastic concentrations may disrupt the natural nitrogen cycling that benthic invertebrates help maintain in freshwater ecosystems.
Microplastics enhance Daphnia magna sensitivity to the pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin: Effects on life history traits
Researchers tested whether polyethylene microplastics alter the toxicity of the pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin to Daphnia magna and found that microplastic presence increased sensitivity to deltamethrin, reducing survival and reproductive output at concentrations that were not toxic without microplastics.
The particle effect: comparative toxicity of chlorpyrifos in combination with microplastics and phytoplankton particles in mussel
Researchers compared how microplastics and natural phytoplankton particles each affect the toxicity of the pesticide chlorpyrifos in mussels. They found that both particle types adsorbed the pesticide and transferred it to the mussels, but the biological effects differed depending on the carrier. The study suggests that microplastics are not uniquely dangerous as pollutant carriers, since natural particles in the environment can play a similar role in shuttling chemicals into marine organisms.
Multigenerational effects of polyethylene microplastics on freshwater benthic invertebrates, Chironomus tepperi
Researchers exposed the freshwater benthic midge Chironomus tepperi to polyethylene microplastics (8-20 µm) in sediment at four environmentally relevant concentrations over two generations, finding no significant effects on growth but significant decreases in survival and emergence rates at the highest concentration (1,000 MPs/kg) in both generations. Metabolic analyses were conducted to further characterize sublethal mechanisms of MP toxicity in this common stormwater sediment organism.
Nanoplastics modulate the outcome of a zooplankton–microparasite interaction
Researchers found that nanoplastics can alter the outcome of zooplankton-microparasite interactions, demonstrating that plastic pollution at the nanoscale may disrupt host-parasite dynamics in freshwater ecosystems with cascading ecological effects.
Combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and natural stressors on Chironomus riparius life-history traits
Researchers examined combined effects of polyethylene microplastics with temperature, salinity, and food stress on the midge Chironomus riparius, finding that microplastic effects on life-history traits were modulated by these natural stressors in ways not predicted by simple additive models.
Single and combined effects of microplastics, pyrethroid and food resources on the life-history traits and microbiome of Chironomus riparius
Researchers exposed Chironomus riparius larvae to microplastics alone and combined with a pyrethroid pesticide under varying food conditions, finding that combined stress altered life-history traits and shifted the gut microbiome composition, with food availability modulating the severity of effects.
The response of life history defense of cladocerans under predation risk varies with the size and concentration of microplastics
Microplastics at two particle sizes (0.7 and 1 micrometer) were found to interfere with anti-predation defense responses in two cladoceran species, with effects on life history traits depending on microplastic concentration and body size of the organism, highlighting complex ecological interactions in contaminated freshwater.
Ingestion of small-sized and irregularly shaped polyethylene microplastics affect Chironomus riparius life-history traits
Researchers exposed freshwater midge larvae to irregularly shaped polyethylene microplastics of different size classes and found that larvae preferentially ingested the smallest particles (32-63 micrometers) regardless of what sizes were available. Ingestion of these small particles significantly reduced larval growth and delayed adult emergence at relatively low concentrations. The findings suggest that small, irregularly shaped microplastics, which are the most common form in natural sediments, may pose a greater risk to benthic organisms than larger particles.
Combined ecotoxicological effects of different-sized polyethylene microplastics and imidacloprid on the earthworms (Eisenia fetida)
Researchers exposed earthworms to different sizes of polyethylene microplastics combined with the pesticide imidacloprid and found that particle size significantly influenced the combined toxic effects. Smaller microplastics tended to increase pesticide toxicity more than larger ones, affecting earthworm survival, growth, and antioxidant responses. The findings highlight how microplastic size matters when assessing the joint environmental risks of plastic pollution and agricultural chemicals in soil.
Understanding the microplastic pollution impact on Chironomus sancticaroli larvae development and emergence
Researchers studied how PET microplastics affect the development and emergence of Chironomus midge larvae, an important freshwater insect. They found that microplastic exposure altered larval development and reduced successful adult emergence. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems could disrupt the life cycles of aquatic insects, which are vital to food webs and ecosystem health.
Microplastics reduce the bioaccumulation and oxidative stress damage of triazole fungicides in fish
Researchers found that microplastics can reduce the bioaccumulation and oxidative stress damage of triazole fungicides in fish, suggesting that microplastic-pesticide interactions may alter the expected toxicity of agricultural chemicals in aquatic organisms.
Size-dominated biotoxicity of microplastics laden with benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin: Enhanced integrated biomarker evaluation on mussels
Researchers found that smaller microplastics laden with benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin caused greater toxicity in mussels than larger particles, demonstrating that particle size is the dominant factor driving the combined biotoxicity of microplastics and adsorbed contaminants.
Microplastics modify the toxicity of glyphosate on Daphnia magna
Daphnia magna were exposed to three glyphosate formulations combined with polyethylene microbeads or PET/PA fibers for one week, finding that microplastics altered (mostly reduced) the toxicity of glyphosate depending on formulation and plastic type. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modulate pesticide bioavailability and toxicity in freshwater crustaceans.
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.
Effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on host–parasite interactions in aquatic environments
Researchers reviewed how microplastics and nanoplastics affect the interactions between parasites and their hosts in aquatic environments. Evidence indicates that plastic particles can influence infection rates, parasite transmission, and host immune responses, though the effects vary widely depending on the species and type of plastic involved.
Interactions of Microplastics with Freshwater Biota
Researchers reviewed how microplastics affect freshwater animals, finding that toxicity depends on a complex mix of factors including plastic type, size, shape, chemical additives, and microbial coatings — and emphasizing that future studies need to compare synthetic plastic effects against natural particles to understand what truly makes microplastics harmful.