Table 3.
Table on synergistic toxicity of MPs and co-pollutants in aquatic organisms
| MP type | Co-pollutant | Impacted species | Observed synergistic effect | Mechanism of toxicity | Human health implications | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE | Cadmium (Cd) | Zebrafish, protozoan | Bioaccumulation, metabolic disruption, microbiota imbalance | Facilitates Cd uptake, causing DNA damage, inflammation, apoptosis | Cd-laden MPs could transfer via the food chain, posing metabolic risks | Zhang et al. (2024) |
| PVC | Cd | Mussel | Cd bioaccumulation in digestive gland, increased oxidative stress markers | Induces oxidative stress via upregulation of antioxidant markers | Potential risk of oxidative stress for seafood consumers | Li et al. (2020) |
| Unspecified MPs | Mercury (Hg) | European seabass | Enhanced neurotoxicity, oxidative stress in brain and muscle tissues | MP-mediated Hg bioaccumulation disrupts enzymes and neural pathways | Hg bioaccumulation poses risks to top predators and food safety | Barboza et al. (2018) |
| Unspecified MPs | Copper (Cu) | Zebrafish | Impaired swimming, neurological effects, reduced survival rate | Behavioral disruption through AChE inhibition | Risks to fish populations and predator-prey dynamics; neurotoxicity concerns | Santos et al. (2021) |
| PA | Bisphenol A (BPA) | Zooplankton | Reduced BPA bioavailability and toxicity | Sorption of BPA reduces aqueous phase concentrations | Lower BPA uptake mitigates toxicity; minimal bioaccumulation impact | Rehse et al. (2018) |
| PS | Triphenyltin (TPT) | Marine diatom | Reduced TPT toxicity due to increased sorption by PS | Smaller particles enhance pollutant adsorption, reducing bioavailability | Potential mitigation of pollutant toxicity in marine food webs | Yi et al. (2019) |
| Unspecified MPs | Tributyltin (TBT) | Rotifer | Reproductive disruption, oxidative stress | Increased ROS and disrupted antioxidant activity; multi-generational effects | Risks of oxidative stress and reproductive impacts | Yoon et al. (2021) |
| PE | Crude oil (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) | Arctic copepod | Reduced feeding, increased PAH bioaccumulation with dispersant use | Behavioral stress; chemical dispersant promotes PAH uptake | Trophic transfer of PAHs affects food quality for higher organisms | Almeda et al. (2021) |
| PS microbeads | 3-Nitrobenzanthrone (3-NBA) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) | Rainbow trout cells | Increased DNA damage in intestinal and gill cells | Genotoxicity via DNA adduct formation and oxidative stress | Potential for bioaccumulation and genotoxic risk in food webs | Bussolaro et al. (2019) |
| PE and PS microspheres | Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) | Norway lobster | Limited PCB uptake in tissue; minimal nutritional impact | Chemical partitioning limits PCB desorption from MPs to tissues | Lower PCB transfer suggests minimal risk, but real-world implications for humans need further study | Devriese et al. (2017) |
| HDPE | Chlortoluron (herbicide) | Pacific oyster | Decreased shell growth, altered valve activity | Disrupts physiological activity, impacts development | Potential for reduced oyster growth impacting aquaculture and food supply; potential bioaccumulation effects | Bringer et al. (2021) |
| Unspecified MPs | Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) | Zebrafish larvae | Developmental toxicity, reduced hatching, increased malformations | Disturbs thyroid hormones and lipid metabolism | Risks of developmental and metabolic disorders | Zhao et al. (2020) |
| PSNPs | Pharmaceuticals | Marine fish cell | Enhanced toxicity of pharmaceuticals | Increased antioxidant activity and oxidative stress | Cumulative toxic impacts on marine organisms and possibly humans | Almeida et al. (2019) |
HDPE high-density polyethylene, PSNPs polystyrene nanoplastics