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Material-Specific Modulation of Microplastic Biotoxicity by Chlorination: Mechanistic Insights into ER Stress and Associated Health Risks
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Chlorine treatment, commonly used to disinfect tap water, can change how harmful certain microplastics are to our cells. Notably, chlorinated polyurethane (found in foams and coatings) became more toxic, damaging tissue and triggering stress responses in liver cells during animal testing. This suggests common water treatment methods may unintentionally make some plastic pollutants more dangerous to our health.
ABSTRACT Chlorination, a widely used disinfection method in drinking water treatment plants, poses underexplored health risks through its interactions with microplastics (MPs). Here, we show that chlorination induces significant physicochemical changes in four common MPs—polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)—focusing on particles smaller than 30 µm. PU and PE MPs exhibit the most pronounced changes including significant surface degradation and oxidation, releasing various organic compounds. In vitro assays show that disinfected PU MPs significantly increased cytotoxicity, while disinfected PE MPs mitigated toxicity by modulating ER stress via the IRE1α/XBP1/BIP pathway. In vivo, 30-day exposure to pristine PE and disinfected PU MPs induce tissue damage, inflammation, and immune responses. Transcriptomic analysis of Liver revealed disrupted lipid, glutathione, and iron metabolism, activating DNA replication and proteasome pathways linked to ER stress. mRNA validation confirmed that disinfected MPs induces toxicity via the PERK/EIF2α/ATF4 pathway, with disinfected PU MPs causing severe damage, with significant CHOP upregulation indicating apoptosis. These findings underscore the biotoxicological impacts of disinfected MPs and provide insights for optimizing disinfection methods and mitigating the health risks of MPs in water treatment, particularly given the widespread use of chlorination worldwide.
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Scientists investigated what happens to polyurethane microplastics during water chlorination, a standard step in water treatment. They found that chlorination breaks down the plastic surface and releases organic chemicals, especially from UV-weathered particles, which produced significantly more leached compounds. The findings suggest that water treatment processes themselves may inadvertently release harmful byproducts from microplastics.
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Researchers found that chlorine disinfection treatment of polystyrene microplastics, simulating drinking water processing, significantly increased their toxicity to human gastric cells. The chlorinated particles generated carbon-chlorine bonds and persistent free radicals on their surfaces, leading to enhanced cell death through mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathways. The study suggests that microplastics in treated drinking water may pose greater health risks than their pristine counterparts.
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Researchers examined how UV light exposure changes the properties of thermoplastic polyurethane microplastics in water and whether those changes affect the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts during water chlorination. They found that UV exposure broke the plastic into smaller fragments and released soluble chemicals that significantly increased byproduct formation after chlorination. The findings suggest that aging microplastics in water systems could contribute to the creation of potentially harmful chemicals during standard water treatment.
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Researchers tested how common water disinfection methods, including chlorination and chloramination, affect seven types of plastic particles at different doses and pH levels. They found that both treatments caused measurable physical and chemical changes to the polymers, with some plastics showing significant surface degradation and chemical alterations. The findings suggest that water treatment processes may unintentionally transform microplastics in ways that could affect their environmental behavior and potential health impacts.
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