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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Stimulation of insect vectors of pathogens by sublethal environmental contaminants: A hidden threat to human and environmental health?
ClearReview: Synergistic effects of environmental pollutants: Multiple stressors driving the transmission of vector-borne diseases and the vicious cycle
This review examines how multiple environmental pollutants, including microplastics, heavy metals, and pesticides, work together to increase the transmission risk of mosquito-borne diseases. Researchers found that microplastics can act as "Trojan horses" carrying other contaminants, amplifying ecological and health risks through combined exposure. The study proposes multi-level intervention strategies that integrate source control, process interruption, and ecological restoration.
Female mosquito-a potential vector for transporting plastic residues to humans
Researchers found that mosquito larvae accumulate microplastics from sewage environments and retain them through metamorphosis into adult females, suggesting that mosquitoes could serve as vectors for transporting plastic residues to humans through biting.
Temperature effects on the hormetic response of Myzus persicae after sublethal exposure to insecticides
This study examined how temperature changes affect the way insects respond to low doses of insecticides, finding that warmer temperatures can amplify stimulatory effects that actually boost pest reproduction. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because microplastics in agricultural soil can absorb and transport pesticides, potentially altering their effects. Climate change combined with microplastic-pesticide interactions could make pest management more challenging.
Effect of microplastics on aquatic biota: A hormetic perspective
Researchers analyzed 43 published studies covering over 3,700 aquatic organisms and found that at low, environmentally relevant concentrations, microplastics sometimes stimulated growth and reproduction rather than causing harm. This pattern, known as hormesis, means that microplastics can produce opposite biological effects at low versus high doses. The study suggests that current risk assessments for microplastics should account for these non-linear dose-response patterns to better reflect real-world conditions.
A perspective on the impacts of microplastics on mosquito biology and their vectorial capacity
This perspective paper explored how microplastic pollution in aquatic environments could affect mosquito biology and their ability to transmit diseases. Researchers suggest that microplastics in the water where mosquito larvae develop could influence their growth, survival, and potentially their capacity to carry pathogens, representing an understudied intersection between plastic pollution and public health.
A global meta-analysis reveals the toxicity of plastics on insect health
This meta-analysis pools data from global studies to reveal that microplastics and nanoplastics are harmful to insect health, affecting survival, reproduction, and development. Since insects play critical roles in pollination and food chains, their decline from plastic pollution could have cascading effects on agriculture and the broader ecosystems humans depend on.
Interactions of insects with micro- and nanoplastics: A review
This comprehensive review of 114 studies found that micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in both terrestrial and aquatic insects, causing reduced growth, impaired reproduction, oxidative stress, and gut microbiome disruption. Since insects are foundational to food webs and pollination, plastic contamination in insect populations could cascade through ecosystems and ultimately affect human food systems.
Microplastics as vectors of environmental contaminants: Interactions in the natural ecosystems
This review examines how microplastics act as vectors for pathogens, persistent organic pollutants, and heavy metals in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, summarising evidence that these particles damage cell membranes, tissues, and physiological processes in exposed organisms.
Micro(nano)plastics: Unignorable vectors for organisms
This review examines the role of micro- and nanoplastics as vectors for contaminants — including heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogens — in aquatic and terrestrial environments. It synthesizes evidence on how plastic particles can adsorb, transport, and release harmful substances, amplifying their ecological and health risks beyond the physical effects of the particles alone.
Interactions between microplastics and insects in terrestrial ecosystems—A systematic review and meta-analysis
This meta-analysis with phylogenetic control found that microplastic exposure impairs key biological traits of insects, primarily behavior and reproduction, with effects varying by polymer type and particle size. Field evidence confirmed that insects ingest and transfer microplastics along food chains, and also contribute to bio-fragmentation of larger plastic debris into smaller particles.
Ubiquitous microplastics detection in mosquitoes from urban and rural regions signals a widespread pollution threat – the unseen carriers of hazard
Researchers conducted the first study quantifying microplastic prevalence in field-collected mosquito larvae across multiple species in Shiraz, Iran, using stratified sampling across six urban and rural locations. MPs were detected in larvae from multiple species and locations, suggesting mosquitoes may serve as vectors for microplastic transfer through food webs.
Microplastics affect mosquito from aquatic to terrestrial lifestyles and are transferred to mammals through mosquito bites
In a striking finding, researchers showed that mosquitoes exposed to microplastics as larvae carried the particles throughout their entire life cycle, and when those adult mosquitoes bit mice, fluorescent microplastic signals were detected in the animals' blood and skin. The microplastics also reduced the effectiveness of insecticides against the mosquitoes and altered their gut bacteria. This study reveals a previously unknown pathway for microplastics to enter mammals, including potentially humans, through mosquito bites.
The effects of nano- and microplastic ingestion on the survivorship and reproduction of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)
Researchers studied how nano- and microplastic ingestion affects survivorship and reproduction in small invertebrates, finding that exposure reduced reproductive output and survival rates in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggest that even environmentally relevant concentrations of plastic particles can impair fitness in aquatic invertebrates.
Plastic pollution and infectious diseases
Researchers reviewed how plastic pollution contributes to the spread of infectious diseases. The study suggests that plastic debris holding water can encourage arthropod-borne diseases by providing habitats for disease vectors, and that microplastic and nanoplastic particles may also interact with pathogens in ways that affect disease transmission in both humans and livestock.
Combined exposure to microplastics and pesticides with endocrine-disrupting potential: evidence of interaction, reproductive biomarkers, and tissue bioaccumulation in humans and animal models
This review study examines how tiny plastic particles (microplastics) and certain pesticides might work together to disrupt hormones and affect fertility in humans and animals. The research suggests these common pollutants may be more harmful when combined than when encountered separately, potentially impacting reproductive health. Understanding these interactions is important because people are exposed to both microplastics and pesticides daily through food, water, and the environment.
Sub-lethal Effects of Anthropogenic Contaminants on Aquatic Invertebrates
This review examined how a wide range of anthropogenic contaminants — including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides — cause sub-lethal effects on aquatic invertebrates such as reduced growth, reproduction, and altered behavior. The study emphasizes that mixture exposures, common in real environments, can be more harmful than individual contaminants alone.
Weight of Evidence for the Microplastic Vector Effect in the Context of Chemical Risk Assessment
This study critically evaluates the evidence for microplastics acting as vectors that increase organism exposure to plastic-associated chemicals, finding that the vector effect is generally minor compared to other exposure routes in realistic environmental scenarios.
Microplastic Particles’ Effects on Aquatic Organisms and Their Role as Transporters of Organic Pollutants
Researchers tested the effects of polyethylene microplastics, both pure and contaminated with pesticides and hydrocarbons, on water fleas and ostracods. While pure microplastics alone did not cause significant harm, particles loaded with pollutants like chlorpyrifos and phenanthrene reduced reproduction and survival over longer exposure periods. The study provides evidence that microplastics primarily pose risks to aquatic organisms by acting as carriers of more toxic chemical pollutants.
Interaction of microplastics and terrestrial and aquatic insects (bioaccumulation, degradation, ecotoxicological effects)
This review synthesizes research on how insects — both aquatic and terrestrial — interact with microplastics, covering ingestion, bioaccumulation, potential degradation, and toxic effects across many species. Insects represent a critical but understudied link in microplastic transfer through food webs: they occupy a pivotal trophic position, and contamination in insects can propagate to birds, fish, and other wildlife that depend on them. The review highlights significant knowledge gaps in terrestrial insect ecotoxicology compared to the better-studied aquatic realm.
Size-dependent vector effects of microplastics on bioaccumulation of hydrophobic organic contaminants in earthworm: A dual-dosing study
Researchers developed a dual-dosing method to directly measure how microplastics act as carriers for hydrophobic organic contaminants in earthworms. The study found that smaller microplastic particles had greater vector effects, increasing bioaccumulation of pollutants, and that dermal uptake played a significant role in contaminant transfer from microplastics to organisms.
A review on the combined toxicological effects of microplastics and their attached pollutants
Researchers reviewed how microplastics act as carriers for other environmental pollutants — including heavy metals and persistent organic chemicals — and how these combinations produce toxic effects in organisms that are more severe than either contaminant alone. The findings highlight a complex, layered toxicity problem that affects microbes, invertebrates, and vertebrates across marine and terrestrial environments.
Do microplastics mediate the effects of chemicals on aquatic organisms?
This review examined whether microplastics act as vectors for chemical contaminants in aquatic organisms, finding that while chemicals can sorb to microplastics, the evidence for microplastics significantly enhancing chemical toxicity in natural settings remains limited.
Micro- and nanoplastics as immunomodulatory vectors: synergistic interactions with pollutants and pathogens across aquatic food webs
This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics act as immunomodulatory vectors by adsorbing persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and pathogenic microorganisms onto their surfaces, transporting these hazardous agents through aquatic food webs and enhancing combined immune disruption in exposed organisms.
Microplastics: Challenges and roles as a vector – A literature review
Researchers reviewed the growing threats posed by microplastics (MPs) — tiny plastic particles less than 5mm — including their role as carriers (vectors) of heavy metals, antibiotic resistance genes, and other harmful pollutants into aquatic ecosystems and human bodies. The review concludes that urgent global strategies are needed to reduce plastic production and improve waste management to prevent worsening contamination.