Journal article
Toxicological impacts of environmentally equivalent microplastics and cadmium co-exposure in tropical freshwater crab Sartoriana spinigera
Frontiers in Toxicology, Vol.8, pp.1-15
2026
PMID: 42283005
Abstract
The toxic effects of microplastics (MPs) and trace metals on freshwater crustaceans remain poorly understood; therefore, current research examined the individual and combined effects of MPs, specifically polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and cadmium (Cd) on female freshwater crabs, Sartoriana spinigera, emphasizing behaviour, growth, haematobiochemical parameters, and tissue morphology. Crabs were exposed to five treatments (PS, PET, Cd, PS + Cd, PET + Cd) and a control for 14 days. The exposure caused notable behavioural and growth alterations, with the lowest survival rate (33.33% ± 6.67%) observed in the PS group. Bioaccumulation was highest in the gills for PS (44.67 ± 4.49 items/g) and in the hepatopancreas for PET (36.33 ± 2.41 items/g). Liver health markers showed increased alanine aminotransferase in the Cd group (9.33 ± 0.37 U/L), and elevated aspartate aminotransferase levels were noted in the PS group (25.83 ± 0.44 U/L). Additional stress markers, including total cholesterol, triglycerides, brix, glucose, and total protein, confirmed physiological disturbance in toxicant-exposed groups. Histomorphological analysis revealed structural changes in the hepatopancreas and gills, indicating impaired organ function. Overall, co-exposure caused greater physiological stress than individual treatment alone, demonstrating a combined toxic effect. These findings enhance our understanding of the complex interactions between MPs and toxic metals in tropical freshwater ecosystems, providing valuable insights for future research into multi-stressor impacts on crustacean physiology and toxicology.
Details
- Title
- Toxicological impacts of environmentally equivalent microplastics and cadmium co-exposure in tropical freshwater crab Sartoriana spinigera
- Authors
- Ananya Chakraborty - Sylhet Agricultural UniversityUpayan Anam - Sylhet Agricultural UniversityTanmoy Gupta - Sylhet Agricultural UniversityMd. Khalid Saifullah - Sylhet Agricultural UniversityGourab Chowdhury - University of the Sunshine CoastMd. Selim Reza - Jahangirnagar UniversityMohammad Moniruzzaman - Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial ResearchPetra Schneider (Corresponding Author) - Hochschule Magdeburg-StendalMohammed Mahbub Iqbal - Sylhet Agricultural UniversityMohammad Amzad Hossain (Corresponding Author) - Sylhet Agricultural University
- Publication details
- Frontiers in Toxicology, Vol.8, pp.1-15
- Publisher
- Frontiers Research Foundation
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.3389/ftox.2026.1804866
- ISSN
- 2673-3080
- PMID
- 42283005
- Copyright note
- © 2026 Chakraborty, Anam, Gupta, Saifullah, Chowdhury, Reza, Moniruzzaman, Schneider, Iqbal and Hossain. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
- Data Availability
- The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.
- Grant note
- Sylhet Agricultural University Research System budget reference code SAURESUGC-2024-25-FISH-069.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991246279002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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