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Nanoplastics amplified the toxicity and intergenerational residue of perfluoroalkyl substances in aquatic environments: Mechanistic insights and environmental modulation
Summary
New research found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) can act like a "delivery truck" for PFAS—the toxic "forever chemicals" found in nonstick pans and water-resistant products—making them build up more in the body and causing worse effects on movement and reproduction in a test organism, with harm even passing down to offspring. While this study was done in a microscopic worm, not humans, it's a warning sign that plastic pollution and forever chemicals in our water and environment could be more dangerous together than either is alone, especially since both are already found in human blood and tissue.
Nanoplastics (NPs) have been confirmed to act as carrier for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in natural aquatic environments, yet the mechanisms of their combined toxicity and intergenerational effects remain unclear. Here, Caenorhabditis elegans were exposed to NPs (10-200 μg/L), PFAS (0.001-1 μM), and their combined scenario at environmentally relevant concentrations. Results showed that NPs co-exposure increased the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) burden retained in washed nematode by 37.0-98.6% and 81.5-305%, respectively, compared with the corresponding PFAS-only exposure groups. Co-exposure of NPs and PFAS suppressed head swings of nematode by 27.1-29.9%, and decreased egg production by 11.9-21.9%, with reproductive impairment persisting into the F2 generation. NPs co-exposure altered offspring-associated PFAS residue profiles, with detectable PFOA and PFOS residues in F1 and F2 but not in F3. These data indicate early-generation residue carryover rather than confirmed tissue transfer or maternal sequestration Transcriptomic analysis suggested that PFOA exposure was associated with changes in phospholipid metabolism and PI3K-AKT-neuroendocrine axis, whereas PFOS exposure was associated with altered ABC transporter expression and lysosome-autophagy-related responses. Given that environmental factors can influence NPs-PFAS interactions and bioavailability, we further examined the modulating effects of pH, ionic strength, fulvic acid, and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Acidic conditions (pH = 6) increased NPs adsorption of PFAS by 86.8-92.5%, exacerbating PFAS induced growth inhibition, whereas EPS (5 mg/L) alleviated PFAS toxicity. These findings highlighted the need for integrated risk assessments of NPs and PFAS in natural environments.