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Parental Exposure to Nanoplastics and Graphene Oxide Induces Transgenerational Toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Scientists exposed tiny worms to nanoplastics and graphene oxide (materials found in plastic pollution and some industrial products) and found the damage—cell stress that harms growth, movement, and reproduction—was passed down to offspring who were never directly exposed. While this study was done in worms, not humans, it raises concerns that plastic pollution exposure could have effects that ripple into future generations, which is important as we consider the real-world health impact of ever-increasing plastic waste in our environment.
Environmental pollution by emerging contaminants such as nanoplastics (NPs) and graphene oxide (GO) represents a growing threat to global health and ecosystems. This study investigated the effects of parental exposure, both isolated and combined, to 100 μg/L NPs (polystyrene, spherical, 100 nm) and 100 mg/L GO, using Caenorhabditis elegans as a biological model. Parental exposure to these contaminants induced oxidative stress and alterations in antioxidant defense enzymes (SOD, CAT, GST), leading to lipid peroxidation and physiological impairments such as reduced reproduction, locomotion, and growth. Notably, these biochemical disruptions were also evident in unexposed offspring, indicating transgenerational inheritance of toxic effects. Overall, our findings highlight persistent oxidative damage as a central mechanism underlying NPs- and GO-induced toxicity and emphasize the need to incorporate generational studies into environmental risk assessment to better predict long-term impacts of emerging contaminants.
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Effect of disruption in the intestinal barrier function during the transgenerational process on nanoplastic toxicity induction in Caenorhabditis elegans
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This study found that nanoplastics can cause toxic effects that pass from parents to offspring across generations in tiny roundworms. The damage was linked to disruption of the intestinal barrier, which normally protects against harmful substances. These findings raise concerns that nanoplastic exposure could have long-lasting health effects beyond a single generation.
Transgenerational neurotoxicity of polystyrene microplastics induced by oxidative stress in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Researchers exposed the roundworm C. elegans to polystyrene microplastics and tracked the effects across five generations. They found that microplastic exposure caused nerve damage and oxidative stress that persisted in offspring even when those generations were not directly exposed, suggesting microplastics can have lasting effects passed down through generations.
Size-dependent transgenerational toxicity induced by nanoplastics in nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
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Researchers discovered that nanoplastic exposure in nematode worms caused toxic effects that persisted across multiple generations, even when offspring were raised in clean conditions. Smaller nanoplastics (20 nm) produced more severe and longer-lasting transgenerational effects than larger ones (100 nm), with toxicity detectable through the sixth generation. The study suggests that nanoplastic size is a critical factor in determining long-term biological impacts that can be passed down to future generations.
Long-term nanoplastics exposure results in multi and trans-generational reproduction decline associated with germline toxicity and epigenetic regulation in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Researchers discovered that a single exposure to nanoplastics in mother roundworms caused reproductive decline that persisted across four subsequent unexposed generations. The study found that nanoplastics triggered DNA damage and cell death in reproductive cells, with these effects passed down through epigenetic changes rather than direct nanoplastic transfer to offspring. This finding suggests that nanoplastic exposure may have lasting consequences for fertility that extend well beyond the initially exposed generation.
Amino-modified nanoplastics at predicted environmental concentrations cause transgenerational toxicity through activating germline EGF signal in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Researchers found that amino-modified nanoplastics, even at concentrations expected in the real environment, can cause toxic effects that pass from one generation to the next in the roundworm C. elegans. The transgenerational harm was linked to activation of a specific growth factor signal in reproductive cells. The study suggests that surface chemistry on nanoplastics may amplify their biological risks beyond what the base plastic alone would cause.
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