Impacts of cadmium and microplastics on Neocaridina denticulata sinensis: Survival, growth, biochemistry, histopathology and gut microbiome

Abstract

Toxicological interactions between microplastics (MPs) and cadmium (Cd) in aquatic life have received extensive attention. However, the mechanism of combined toxicity is still unclear, and most studies have focused on high-concentration stress, while there are relatively few studies on long-term low-concentration stress and the self-recovery ability of organisms. In this research, Neocaridina denticulata sinensis were exposed to low and high concentration of MPs (L-MPs: 2 × 10⁴ item/L, H-MPs: 2 × 10⁷ item/L, environmental concentration: 20 item/L), Cd (1 μg/L) and their combination (Cd + L-MPs, Cd + H-MPs) for 14 d, and then recovered in a clean environment for 7 d. This study indicates that MPs and Cd may enhance toxic effects through the following pathways: (1) Synergistic physical and chemical damage: MPs may act as a Cd carrier, promoting the migration of metal ions across the gill barrier and inducing oxidative stress in the hepatopancreas; (2) Tissue barrier disruption: MPs mechanically wears down the tissue cells of the intestine, hepatopancreas and gills; (3) Imbalance of gut microbiota: The results of 16S rRNA sequencing showed that the abundance of potential beneficial bacteria (ZOR006, Aurantimicrobium, Chitinibacter and Pseudorhodobacter) has decreased. The abundance of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria (Flavobacterium and Polynucleobacter) has increased. After 7 d of recovery, the indicators of oxidative damage and the diversity of the microbiota returned to the levels of the control, indicating that N. denticulata sinensis have a certain self-repair ability against the stress of long-term low-concentration MPs and Cd.