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Nanoplastics-induced hormesis enhances cadmium bioaccumulation in nematodes by stimulating glutathione synthesis

The Science of The Total Environment 2025 4 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 58 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Shuang Zhang, Shuang Zhang, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Shuang Zhang, Jie Hou, Shuang Zhang, Shuang Zhang, Jie Hou, Jie Hou, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Shuang Zhang, Jie Hou, Daohui Lin Shuang Zhang, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Yi Chi, Jie Hou, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Caijiao He, Jie Hou, Jie Hou, Jie Hou, Daohui Lin Daohui Lin Daohui Lin Yi Chi, Jing Wang, Caijiao He, Daohui Lin Daohui Lin Daohui Lin Daohui Lin Jiang Xu, Daohui Lin Jiang Xu, Jiang Xu, Jiang Xu, Jiang Xu, Daohui Lin Daohui Lin Daohui Lin Shuang Zhang, Jie Hou, Daohui Lin Daohui Lin Shuang Zhang, Daohui Lin Daohui Lin

Summary

Researchers found that tiny nanoplastics can amplify the buildup of the heavy metal cadmium in worms, not by directly carrying the metal but by triggering a biological stress response that doubles the production of a natural detox molecule called glutathione. The glutathione binds to cadmium and traps it in gut tissues, increasing accumulation by up to 71%. This suggests nanoplastics may worsen the risks of heavy metal pollution in unexpected ways.

Polymers

Models

C elegans

Nanoplastics (NPs) induce hormesis at environmental concentrations due to their relatively low toxicity; however, this phenomenon can alter the response of biota to coexisting heavy metals, resulting in unknown combined risks. In this study, we investigated the joint effects of cadmium (Cd) and four polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) with different sizes (100 nm and 500 nm) and surface modifications (-NH and -COOH) on Caenorhabditis elegans, focusing on how NPs-induced bioresponses contribute to Cd accumulation in nematodes. Different from traditional views, the results show that NPs enhance Cd accumulation primarily through hormesis rather than direct adsorption. Coexposure with the four PS-NPs significantly increased Cd bioaccumulation by 1.33-1.71-fold compared to Cd-alone treatments, attributed to elevated storage of glutathione (GSH)-Cd complexes in gut granules. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed a 14.0-20.6 % upregulation of metal-response molecules, driven by activation of sulfur-containing amino acid metabolism pathways. These molecular bioresponses doubled GSH synthesis, promoting GSH-Cd complexation and Cd accumulation. Our findings underscore the overlooked role of NPs-induced hormesis in amplifying heavy metal bioaccumulation and associated risks.

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