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Nanoplastics under the charge effects: Unveiling the potential threats to amphibian (Rana nigromaculata) growth, intestinal damage and microbial ecology
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Researchers exposed frog tadpoles to positively and negatively charged nanoplastics and found that both types reduced survival rates, with positively charged particles causing more severe intestinal damage. The positively charged nanoplastics triggered greater oxidative stress in gut tissue and significantly disrupted the diversity of beneficial gut bacteria involved in nutrient absorption. The study suggests that the surface charge of nanoplastics plays an important role in determining how harmful they are to aquatic organisms.
Nanoplastics (NPs) are contaminants that may be found in charged forms in the environment, capable of accumulating in aquatic organisms and affecting their health. This study compared the effects of positively charged Polystyrene-NPs (PS-NH, 30 nm) and negatively charged Polystyrene-NPs (PS-COOH, 30 nm) at 6 and 60 mg/L on the growth and development of black-spotted frog tadpoles (Rana nigromaculata), as well as on intestinal damage and microbial ecology. The results demonstrated that exposure to both types of NPs significantly reduced the survival rate of tadpoles, while significantly increased their body weight and body length. Compared to PS-COOH, PS-NH exposure resulted in more adverse intestinal tissue damage, manifested by more severe intestinal oxidative stress. Furthermore, exposure to PS-NH significantly reduced the abundance and diversity of the microbiome associated with gut function and nutrient absorption, thereby indirectly causing more severe intestinal damage and growth changes. In addition, functional prediction and gene transcription analysis showed that exposure to charged PS-NPs caused changes in genes associated with glycolysis and lipid metabolism, indicating that the glucose-lipid metabolism of tadpoles is impacted. This study revealed the effects of different charged NPs exposure on the growth of tadpoles and their intestinal toxicity, clarified the potential connections between gut microbiota and glucose-lipid metabolism, and provided a new perspectives on the health risks of NPs in amphibians.
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Differentially Charged Nanoplastics Induce Distinct Effects on the Growth and Gut of Benthic Insects (Chironomus kiinensis) via Charge-Specific Accumulation and Perturbation of the Gut Microbiota
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Researchers exposed aquatic insect larvae to positively and negatively charged nanoplastics and found that the surface charge significantly affected how toxic the particles were. Positively charged nanoplastics caused more severe gut damage, greater accumulation in tissues, and bigger disruptions to gut bacteria. This matters because nanoplastics in the real environment carry various charges, and the findings suggest that charge is an important factor in determining health risks.
Nanoplastics Drive the Charge-specific Decline of Aquatic Insect (Chironomus kiinensis) Emergence through Inducing Oxidative Damage and Perturbing the Endocrine System
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Researchers found that nanoplastics with a positive electrical charge were more harmful to aquatic insects than negatively charged ones, reducing emergence rates by over 22% at environmentally relevant concentrations. The positively charged particles were absorbed more easily by larvae due to stronger attraction to cell membranes, causing greater oxidative damage and hormonal disruption.
Charge Matters,but So Does Species: Amphibian EarlyDevelopment under Exposure to Clean Dialyzed Nanoplastics
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Scientists exposed developing frog embryos to tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) with different electrical charges and found that both the charge and the amount mattered a lot: some particles caused higher death rates, while others caused body deformities and disrupted genes involved in energy production and cell structure. While this study was done in frogs, not humans, it adds to growing evidence that nanoplastics—which are increasingly found in water, food, and even human blood—can interfere with healthy development at the cellular level, underscoring why researchers are working to understand these tiny, hard-to-detect pollutants before they become a bigger health concern.
Integrated multilevel investigation of photosynthesis revealed the algal response distinction to differentially charged nanoplastics
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This study investigated how nanoplastics with different electrical charges affect algae, which form the base of aquatic food chains. Positively charged nanoplastics caused the most severe damage, disrupting photosynthesis and damaging cell structures, while neutral and negatively charged particles had milder or even stimulating effects at low levels. Since algae health directly affects the entire aquatic food web, this research helps explain how nanoplastic pollution could ripple through ecosystems and ultimately impact seafood safety.
Charge-specific adverse effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on zebrafish (Danio rerio) development and behavior
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Researchers exposed developing zebrafish to positively and negatively charged nanoplastics and found that the positively charged particles were significantly more toxic, accumulating in the brain and gut and causing developmental delays and brain cell death. The two types of nanoplastics affected different neurotransmitter pathways and interacted with different brain receptors, explaining their distinct behavioral effects. The study demonstrates that the surface charge of nanoplastics plays a critical role in determining their toxicity to developing organisms.
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