Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Combined ingestion of polystyrene microplastics and epoxiconazole increases health risk to mice: Based on their synergistic bioaccumulation in vivo

Researchers found that combined exposure to polystyrene microplastics and the pesticide epoxiconazole caused more severe liver and kidney damage in mice than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that microplastics and pesticides have a synergistic toxic effect, where pesticide-induced gut barrier damage allows greater microplastic accumulation in tissues, which in turn interferes with pesticide clearance.

2022 Environment International 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxic effects of polyethylene microplastics and lambda-cyhalothrin on gut of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics can adsorb the pesticide lambda-cyhalothrin from water and then release it in the guts of zebrafish, worsening its toxic effects. Fish exposed to both microplastics and the pesticide showed greater oxidative stress, immune disruption, and gut microbiome changes than those exposed to the pesticide alone. This demonstrates how microplastics can act as carriers that amplify the toxicity of other environmental pollutants in aquatic organisms consumed by humans.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined hepatotoxicity of imidacloprid and microplastics in adult zebrafish: Endpoints at gene transcription

Researchers investigated the combined liver toxicity of the pesticide imidacloprid and polystyrene microplastics in adult zebrafish over 21 days. The combination caused greater changes in gene expression related to fat and sugar metabolism and inflammatory responses than either contaminant alone. The study suggests that even low concentrations of microplastics and pesticides together may produce more severe hepatotoxic effects than individual exposures.

2021 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and cypermethrin enhanced the effects on hepatic phospholipid metabolism and gut microbes in adult zebrafish

When zebrafish were exposed to both polystyrene microplastics and the pesticide cypermethrin together, the combination caused significantly more liver damage than either pollutant alone. The mixture disrupted fat metabolism in the liver and altered gut bacteria in ways not seen with individual exposures. This matters because microplastics and pesticides frequently co-exist in waterways, and their combined effects on fish health could affect the safety of fish as food.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure of emamectin benzoate and microplastics induces tight junction disorder, immune disorder and inflammation in carp midgut via lysosome/ROS/ferroptosis pathway

This study found that when carp were exposed to both the pesticide emamectin benzoate and microplastics together, the damage to their gut lining, immune system, and inflammation levels was significantly worse than exposure to either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that microplastics may amplify the harmful effects of pesticides in aquatic food sources, which could have implications for human health through seafood consumption.

2024 Water Research 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effects of microplastics and flupyradifurone on gut microbiota and oxidative status of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.)

Researchers found that honeybees exposed to both polystyrene microplastics and the pesticide flupyradifurone suffered significantly worse health outcomes than when exposed to either substance alone, including reduced survival and disrupted gut bacteria. The combination depleted beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria in the bees' guts, and supplementing with these bacteria improved survival. While focused on bees, this study demonstrates how microplastics can amplify the toxicity of other environmental chemicals, a principle that likely applies across species.

2025 Environmental Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-contaminated antibiotics as an emerging threat to mammalian liver: enhanced oxidative and inflammatory damages

Researchers used a mouse model to study what happens when microplastics contaminated with antibiotics are ingested together, simulating real-world food chain exposure. The study found that the combination caused enhanced oxidative stress and inflammatory damage in the liver compared to either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that microplastics carrying adsorbed antibiotics may pose a greater threat to liver health than microplastics or antibiotics individually.

2023 Biomaterials Science 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Enterohepatic Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics and Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate in Mice: Gut Microbiota-Dependent Synergistic Effects

Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and the plasticizer DEHP in mice, focusing on gut-liver axis effects. They found that co-exposure worsened harmful outcomes compared to either pollutant alone, with gut microbiota playing a key mediating role in the synergistic toxicity. The study suggests that microplastics and their associated chemical additives may interact to amplify health risks through disruption of the gut-liver connection.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Effects of single and combined exposure of virgin or aged polyethylene microplastics and penthiopyrad on zebrafish (Danio rerio)

This study found that polyethylene microplastics can increase the toxicity of a common fungicide (penthiopyrad) in zebrafish by helping the chemical build up in their bodies. The combination caused more intestinal damage and disrupted gut bacteria than either pollutant alone. This highlights an important concern: microplastics in the environment can act as carriers for pesticides, potentially amplifying their harmful effects on organisms including those in the human food chain.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined exposure to polyvinyl chloride and polystyrene microplastics induces liver injury and perturbs gut microbial and serum metabolic homeostasis in mice

Mice exposed to a combination of PVC and polystyrene microplastics for 60 days developed liver damage, gut barrier breakdown, and disrupted gut bacteria. The co-exposure also raised cholesterol and triglyceride levels in both blood and liver, and altered hundreds of metabolites related to fat metabolism. Since people are typically exposed to multiple types of microplastics simultaneously, this study suggests the combined effects may be worse than exposure to a single type alone.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic Toxicity of Combined Exposure to Acrylamide and Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Gut–Liver Axis in Mice

Researchers exposed mice to a combination of acrylamide, a common food processing byproduct, and polystyrene nanoplastics through drinking water and found that the combined exposure caused more severe gut and liver damage than either substance alone. The co-exposure disrupted gut barrier integrity, altered gut bacteria composition, and caused widespread metabolic changes. The study suggests that the interaction between nanoplastics and other food contaminants may amplify health risks beyond what each poses individually.

2025 Biology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics on atrazine in zebrafish: Exogenous toxicity and endogenous mechanism

Researchers found that combining polystyrene microplastics with the common herbicide atrazine was more toxic to zebrafish than either pollutant alone, causing greater liver and gut damage. The combination also degraded water quality by reducing oxygen levels and increasing harmful nitrogen compounds. This is important because microplastics and pesticides frequently co-exist in the environment, meaning their combined effects on aquatic life and food safety may be worse than studies of individual pollutants suggest.

2025 Environmental Pollution 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction behavior, mechanisms and hazardous changes of microplastics on single and binary component pesticide in the environment and food: Diethofencarb and pyrimethanil

Researchers studied how four types of microplastics absorb two common pesticides and found that the plastics acted as carriers that increased the pesticides' bioavailability during simulated human digestion. The adsorption was faster when both pesticides were present together, and more water-repellent pesticides bound more readily to the plastics. This is concerning because it means microplastics in food could deliver higher doses of pesticide residues into the body than the pesticides would on their own.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioaccumulation, Ecotoxicity, and Microbial Responses in Hoplobatrachus rugulosus Tadpoles Following Co-Exposure to Imidacloprid and Microplastics

Researchers co-exposed Hoplobatrachus rugulosus tadpoles to imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid insecticide) and polyethylene microplastics from agricultural mulch, finding that combined exposure increased bioaccumulation of both contaminants, worsened developmental delays, and caused greater oxidative stress and gut microbiome disruption than either pollutant alone.

2025 Animals
Article Tier 2

Combined effect of microplastic and triphenyltin: Insights from the gut-brain axis

Researchers investigated the individual and combined toxicity of microplastics and triphenyltin, an organotin compound, in common carp by examining effects along the gut-brain axis. The study found that co-exposure to microplastics and triphenyltin produced combined toxic effects on the gut microbiome and brain function, suggesting that microplastics may enhance the toxicity of other environmental pollutants through their ability to adsorb contaminants.

2023 Environmental Science and Ecotechnology 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effects between microplastics and glyphosate on honey bee larvae

This study found that honey bee larvae exposed to microplastics combined with the herbicide glyphosate experienced worse developmental problems, higher oxidative stress, and stronger immune responses than those exposed to either pollutant alone. The combined exposure disrupted key detoxification and antioxidant genes in the developing bees. While focused on bees, this research highlights how microplastics can amplify the harm from other environmental chemicals, a pattern that likely applies to other organisms including humans.

2024 Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of the toxicological effects of emerging contaminants on Daphnia similis associating polyethylene microplastics with the agrochemical imidacloprid.

Brazilian researchers tested the ecotoxicological effects of combining polyethylene microplastics with the insecticide imidacloprid on the freshwater crustacean Daphnia, finding combined exposures were more toxic than either pollutant alone. These results suggest that microplastics and pesticides together pose greater risks to aquatic organisms than studies of single pollutants indicate.

2023 Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (Universidade de São Paulo)
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene nanoplastics exacerbate aflatoxin B1-induced hepatic injuries by modulating the gut−liver axis

Mice exposed to both polystyrene nanoplastics and aflatoxin B1, a common food contaminant from mold, suffered worse liver damage than from either pollutant alone. The nanoplastics disrupted gut bacteria and weakened the intestinal barrier, allowing more toxins to reach the liver through the gut-liver axis. This study is concerning because it shows that microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of other food contaminants people are already exposed to.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Single and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and acetochlor on accumulation and intestinal toxicity of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

This study found that polyethylene microplastics significantly increased the toxicity of acetochlor, a common herbicide, in zebrafish. The microplastics boosted the accumulation of the pesticide in fish tissues and worsened intestinal damage including inflammation and disrupted gut barrier function. The findings are important because microplastics and pesticides frequently co-exist in agricultural waterways, and their combination may pose greater risks than either pollutant alone.

2023 Environmental Pollution 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics aggravate the bioaccumulation and toxicity of coexisting contaminants in aquatic organisms: A synergistic health hazard

Researchers conducted a quantitative meta-analysis of 870 endpoints from 40 studies to evaluate whether microplastics increase the bioaccumulation and toxicity of co-occurring contaminants in aquatic organisms. They found that microplastics significantly increased co-contaminant bioaccumulation by 31% and exacerbated toxicity by 18%, with effects manifesting as increased oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, and immunotoxicity. The study confirms that microplastics act as vectors that amplify the hazards of other environmental pollutants.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 81 citations
Article Tier 2

Amplified toxic effects of nanoplastic composite norfloxacin on liver cells in mice: Mechanistic insights and multiscale evaluation

Researchers examined the combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and the antibiotic norfloxacin on mouse liver cells and found that co-exposure was significantly more harmful than either contaminant alone. The nanoplastics acted as carriers that increased antibiotic accumulation inside cells, amplifying oxidative damage and disrupting key protective enzymes. The study highlights that nanoplastics in the environment can worsen the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants like antibiotics.

2025 Environmental Pollution 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic toxicity of nanoplastics and Helicobacter pylori on digestive system in mice

Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori on the digestive systems of mice. They found that co-exposure caused more severe damage to the stomach, colon, and liver than either stressor alone, including increased inflammation and disrupted gut barrier function. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination may worsen the health effects of common gut infections.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Evidence that microplastics aggravate the toxicity of organophosphorus flame retardants in mice (Mus musculus)

Researchers co-exposed mice to polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics along with organophosphorus flame retardants for 90 days and found that microplastics aggravated the toxicity of the flame retardants. Evidence from biochemical markers and metabolomics indicated increased oxidative stress and metabolic disruption in co-exposed animals, suggesting microplastics may worsen the health effects of chemical pollutants they encounter in the environment.

2018 Journal of Hazardous Materials 229 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-exposure to polystyrene microplastics and microcystin-LR aggravated male reproductive toxicity in mice

Researchers found that exposing mice to a combination of polystyrene microplastics and microcystin-LR, a toxin produced by algae, caused more severe damage to male reproductive organs than either pollutant alone. The microplastics increased the amount of the toxin that accumulated in testicular tissue. The study suggests that the interaction between microplastics and other environmental contaminants may amplify reproductive health risks.

2023 Food and Chemical Toxicology 18 citations