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Renal Accumulation and Hemocyte-Mediated Internalization After Acute Exposure to Injected Polyethylene Terephthalate Nanoplastics (PET-NPs) in the Freshwater Gastropod Pomacea canaliculata
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Scientists injected tiny plastic particles (from common PET plastic, like water bottles) into freshwater snails and found that immune cells quickly captured the particles and shuttled them to the kidneys, where they stayed for at least three days without causing visible damage. While this study was done in snails rather than humans, it offers early clues about how immune systems might respond to nanoplastics in the body—suggesting our own immune cells could play a similar "cleanup" role, though we still don't know what happens with longer-term exposure, which is increasingly relevant given how much plastic pollution is now in our water and food.
The increasing fragmentation of plastic debris into nanosized particles represents a threat to freshwater ecosystems, yet the biological effects of nanoplastics (NPs) on freshwater invertebrates remain poorly understood. This study investigated tissue distribution, cellular effects and immune responses following acute exposure to polyethylene terephthalate nanoplastics (PET-NPs) in the freshwater gastropod Pomacea canaliculata, a species of high ecological relevance and physiological resilience. Adult snails were injected with PET-NPs at 5 or 10 mg/L and sampled after 24 and 72 h. PET-NPs accumulation in the anterior and posterior kidneys was assessed by fluorescence imaging and tissue morphology was evaluated. Stress- and inflammation-related genes (Pc-Heat Shock Protein (HSP)70, Pc-HSP90 and Pc-Allograft inflammatory factor 1) expression was quantified by RT-qPCR. PET-NPs uptake and phagocytic activity were analyzed in circulating hemocytes in vivo and ex vivo. PET-NPs were accumulated in renal tissues, persisting up to 72 h without histopathological alterations. Gene expression analyses revealed non-linear and dose/time-dependent responses. Hemocytes of different morphologies internalized PET-NPs in a dose-dependent manner and showed intercellular particle transfer. Overall, acute PET-NP exposure determines rapid immune handling and tissue sequestration with limited short-term physiological impact, underscoring the potential involvement of immune processes in NPs fate and highlighting the need for chronic exposure studies.
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P14 | Immune Handling of PET Nanoplastics in Pomacea Canaliculata: Accumulation by Circulating and Tissue-resident Hemocytes Following Acute Exposure
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Scientists exposed freshwater snails to nanoplastics (tiny plastic particles smaller than a speck of dust, similar to those found in bottled water and everyday items) and found that immune cells quickly captured and stored the particles in the snails' kidneys without causing visible damage in the short term. While this is animal research, not human research, it matters because it shows how immune systems in living creatures actively respond to nanoplastics rather than ignoring them—raising questions about what happens with longer-term exposure, including in humans, where microplastics have already been found in blood and organs.
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Researchers used fluorescence tracing to track the accumulation pathways and distribution of polystyrene nanoplastics in the freshwater bivalve Corbicula fluminea. The study found that nanoplastics accumulated through multiple routes including adherence to the mantle, ingestion into the visceral mass, and respiration through the gills, and caused oxidative stress and tissue damage in multiple organs.
Do Waterborne Nanoplastics Affect the Shore Crab Carcinus maenas? A Case Study with Poly(methyl)methacrylate Particles
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Researchers exposed shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) to waterborne nanoplastics and assessed multiple physiological endpoints, finding that nanoplastic exposure altered immune function, oxidative stress markers, and gene expression in ways that indicate significant sublethal harm to this ecologically important species.
Uptake, Whole-Body Distribution, and Depuration of Nanoplastics by the Scallop Pecten maximus at Environmentally Realistic Concentrations
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Researchers used radiolabeled nanoplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations to track uptake in scallops and found the particles distributed throughout the body, including the intestine, kidney, gills, and muscle. After transfer to clean water, scallops retained a significant fraction of nanoplastics for weeks, indicating slow depuration rates even at low exposure levels.
Biomineralization biomarkers to assess microplastics toxic effects in the freshwater snail Pomacea canaliculata
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Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastic exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations affects biomineralization processes in the freshwater snail Pomacea canaliculata. The study found that microplastics altered calcium transport enzyme activity and hemolymph calcium levels within 24 hours, and interestingly, exposed snails showed an increased capacity to regenerate their shells. These findings provide novel evidence that microplastics can stimulate biomineralization responses in mollusks, potentially as a stress-related defense mechanism.
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