Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

0659 - The stressful effects of microplastics associated with chromium (VI) on the microbiota of Daphnia magna

This conference abstract examined how microplastics combined with chromium(VI) affected the gut microbiota of Daphnia magna, testing whether industrial effluents that combine microplastics with heavy metals cause compounding stress. Combined pollutant effects on organisms are an important area of microplastic research.

2018 2 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

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

Combined Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics and Enrofloxacin on the Life Histories and Gut Microbiota of Daphnia magna

Researchers exposed Daphnia magna to polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic enrofloxacin alone and in combination, measuring life history traits and gut microbiota responses. Both stressors individually reduced survival and reproduction, and combined exposure altered the taxonomic composition and metabolic function of gut microbiota more than either contaminant alone.

2022 Water 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics and pesticides on Daphnia

Researchers investigated the combined and individual impacts of microplastics and pesticides on Daphnia magna, a model crustacean widely used in freshwater ecotoxicology, to assess how these co-occurring pollutants affect aquatic ecosystem health. The study examined survival, reproduction, and physiological responses in D. magna exposed to varying concentrations of both stressors under controlled conditions.

2025 Fisher Digital Publications (St. John Fisher College)
Article Tier 2

Ecological risks of combination of multiple pollutants at environmentally relevant concentrations: Insights from the changes in life history traits, gut microbiota, and transcriptomic responses in Daphnia magna

Researchers exposed Daphnia magna to a combination of 11 pollutants including microplastics, antibiotics, and heavy metals at environmentally relevant ng/L–μg/L concentrations and found significant reductions in heart rate, reproduction, and lifespan, plus gut microbiota and transcriptomic changes — effects that single-pollutant studies would not predict.

2025 Resources Environment and Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic combined with Cr(III) on apoptosis and energy pathway of coral endosymbiont

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics combined with chromium affected coral endosymbiont density, chlorophyll content, and key enzymes involved in apoptosis and energy metabolism, revealing compounded stress on reef-building corals.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 8 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

Microplastic-enhanced chromium toxicity in Scenedesmus obliquus: Synergistic effects on algal growth and biochemical responses

This study found that polystyrene microplastics intensified the toxic effects of chromium, a heavy metal, on freshwater algae when both were present together. The combined exposure caused greater damage to algal growth, photosynthesis, and cellular defense systems than either pollutant alone. Since algae are the foundation of aquatic food chains, this synergistic toxicity could ripple through ecosystems and ultimately affect the safety of water and food sources for humans.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Multi stress system: Microplastics in freshwater and their effects on host microbiota

This study examined how combined exposure to microplastics and organic chemical pollutants affects freshwater organisms through a multi-stress approach, focusing on gut microbiome changes as an indicator. Microplastic exposure in combination with other pollutants altered microbiome composition more than either stressor alone, with potential consequences for host fitness and disease resistance.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 14 citations
Article Tier 2

An Ecotoxicological Assessment of the Impact of Microplastics on Daphnia magna using Acute and Chronic Toxicity Endpoints with a Focus on Stress Behaviour

Laboratory tests on Daphnia magna (a key freshwater zooplankton) found that polyethylene microbeads alone at environmentally realistic concentrations did not cause significant harm, but when combined with the antimicrobial chemical triclocarban, microplastics appeared to increase toxicity. This suggests microplastics may act as carriers that enhance the effects of co-pollutants even when the plastics themselves seem harmless in isolation.

2023
Article Tier 2

An Ecotoxicological Assessment of the Impact of Microplastics on Daphnia magna using Acute and Chronic Toxicity Endpoints with a Focus on Stress Behaviour

Laboratory tests on Daphnia magna (a key freshwater zooplankton) found that polyethylene microbeads alone at environmentally realistic concentrations did not cause significant harm, but when combined with the antimicrobial chemical triclocarban, microplastics appeared to increase toxicity. This suggests microplastics may act as carriers that enhance the effects of co-pollutants even when the plastics themselves seem harmless in isolation.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on Daphnia-associated microbiomes in situ and in vitro

This study investigated how microplastic exposure alters the microbiome associated with Daphnia in freshwater, finding shifts in bacterial community composition that may affect host health and ecological function. The results suggest that microplastics can indirectly harm zooplankton by disrupting their microbial symbionts.

2024
Article Tier 2

Toxicological interactions induced by chronic exposure to gold nanoparticles and microplastics mixtures in Daphnia magna

This study examined the combined toxicological effects of gold nanoparticles and microplastics through chronic exposure, finding interactive effects that differed from either contaminant alone, emphasizing the importance of studying multiple stressors together.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Changes in population fitness and gene co-expression networks reveal the boosted impact of toxic cyanobacteria on Daphnia magna through microplastic exposure

Researchers found that exposing the water flea Daphnia magna to both toxic cyanobacteria and microplastics together produced worse health effects than either stressor alone, reducing population fitness and altering gene expression patterns. The study suggests that as plastic pollution and harmful algal blooms increasingly overlap in lakes and rivers, aquatic organisms may face compounding threats that are greater than the sum of their parts.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
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

Toxicological effects of microplastics and heavy metals on the Daphnia magna

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics of two sizes adsorb heavy metals and how their combined presence affects the water flea Daphnia magna. They found that smaller microplastics had higher adsorption capacity for metals, and the combined toxicity shifted from antagonistic to additive effects as microplastic concentrations increased. The study reveals that smaller microplastics pose a greater toxicological risk when combined with heavy metals in aquatic environments.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 184 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of chronic exposure to microplastics and microplastics associated with polychlorinated biphenyl 153 on Daphnia magna

A 21-day chronic exposure study found that polyethylene microbeads alone and in combination with PCB-153 affected survival and reproduction of Daphnia magna, with the combined exposure producing more pronounced reproductive impairment than either pollutant alone.

2023 Human and Ecological Risk Assessment An International Journal 5 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Environmental Pollution 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Synergistic effects of water temperature, microplastics and ammonium as second and third order stressors on Daphnia magna

Combining water temperature, microplastics, and ammonium as stressors produced synergistic negative effects on the water flea Daphnia magna, reducing its filtration capacity and survival more than any single stressor alone. The findings are relevant to wastewater treatment, where Daphnia are used to filter particles and could face such combined stressors.

2020 Environmental Pollution 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Exposure Across Trophic Levels: Effects on the Host Microbiota of Freshwater Organisms

Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects the gut bacteria communities of freshwater organisms including fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. Microplastics—particularly when combined with pesticides—altered gut microbiota composition, which could impair digestion, immunity, and overall health of freshwater species.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Mixture Toxicity of Nickel and Microplastics with Different Functional Groups on Daphnia magna

Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of nickel and two types of polystyrene microplastics with different surface chemistries on Daphnia magna. They found that the presence of microplastics altered the toxicity of nickel, with surface functional groups playing an important role in determining the severity of combined effects. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modify the bioavailability and toxicity of heavy metals in freshwater environments.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 282 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to Environmentally Relevant Concentrations of Polystyrene Microplastics Increases Hexavalent Chromium Toxicity in Aquatic Animals

Researchers found that environmentally relevant concentrations of polystyrene microplastics significantly increased the toxicity of hexavalent chromium across multiple aquatic species, acting as vectors that amplify heavy metal harm.

2022 Toxics 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Effect of Polystyrene Particles and Copper Ions on the Vital Parameters of Daphnia Magna in a Series of Generations

Researchers studied the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and copper ions on Daphnia magna over four generations using both short-term and continuous exposure designs. Toxicity was greater under combined exposure and increased across generations, suggesting cumulative intergenerational harm from mixed pollutant stress.

2025 Transactions of Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters RAS