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Parental Exposure to Nanoplastics and Graphene Oxide Induces Transgenerational Toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans
Summary
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.