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Effects of co-exposure to microplastics and perfluorooctanoic acid on the Caco-2 cells
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This study tested what happens when human intestinal cells are exposed to PET microplastics combined with PFOA, a persistent chemical pollutant often called a forever chemical. The combination was more toxic than either substance alone, causing greater cell damage and weakening the intestinal barrier that normally keeps harmful substances out of the bloodstream. The findings suggest that microplastics carrying adsorbed pollutants like PFOA could pose greater risks to gut health than microplastics by themselves.
As plastics are produced and used, humans are inevitably exposed to microplastics (MPs) on a daily basis. The pollution of MPs has aroused widespread human concern. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a persistent organic pollutant (POP), can be adsorbed by microplastics and may exacerbate human health hazards. In this study, we investigated the effects of co-exposure of PET MPs and PFOA on the human intestinal tract in terms of both cytotoxicity and intestinal barrier through in vitro experiments. The results showed that PFOA induced cellular oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction exerted cytotoxic effects, and inhibited tight junction (TJ) protein expression causing intestinal barrier damage. PET MPs can synergize with PFOA to exacerbate the deleterious effects on the intestinal tract by decreasing cell membrane permeability to increase PFOA accumulation in the cell and enhancing the ability of PFOA to inhibit zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) proteins.
More Papers Like This
Weathered microplastics reshape gastrointestinal responses to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances during co-exposure
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Researchers studied how weathered plastic particles and PFAS chemicals (often called "forever chemicals") affect human intestinal cells and mice when combined. Combined exposure reduced some immediate cell damage but worsened others, including mitochondrial problems, intestinal inflammation, and changes to gut bacteria and gene activity, showing that plastics reshape rather than simply increase or decrease PFAS effects.
Nanoplastics drive toxicity under co-exposure with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid in human intestinal cells
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Researchers exposed human intestinal cells to nanoplastics, the industrial chemical PFOS, and their combination, and found that co-exposure caused more severe cellular disruption than either substance alone. Nanoplastics primarily damaged mitochondria while PFOS affected cell membranes and internal structures, and their combination triggered broader metabolic changes including disrupted amino acid and lipid metabolism. The study suggests that the interaction between nanoplastics and common environmental chemicals may pose compounding risks to gut health.
Single and combined toxicity effects of microplastics and perfluorooctanoic acid on submerged macrophytes and biofilms
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Researchers tested the combined effects of four common microplastic types and PFOA (a forever chemical) on aquatic plants and their associated biofilms. The pollutants together caused more damage to plant growth, photosynthesis, and microbial communities than either pollutant alone. Since microplastics and PFOA frequently co-occur in the environment, their combined toxic effects on aquatic ecosystems could have downstream consequences for water quality and human exposure.
Interactions of environmentally relevant polyethylene terephthalate (PET) micro-nanoplastics with toxic elements and organic co-pollutants: Chemical corona formation and impact on toxicity and bioavailability during gastrointestinal co-ingestion
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Tiny plastic particles from bottles and packaging (PET microplastics) can act like magnets, picking up toxic metals (arsenic, lead) and chemicals (like PFOS "forever chemicals") from their surroundings and carrying them into your gut. In lab tests using a model of the human intestine, these plastic-chemical combos didn't kill cells outright, but they increased stress inside cells and helped the toxic substances slip through the gut lining more easily by weakening the "seals" between intestinal cells. This suggests that eating microplastics alongside common pollutants might make those pollutants more harmful by helping your
Microplastics magnify inhibitive effects of perfluorooctanoic acid on the marine microbial loop
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Researchers studied how microplastics interact with a common industrial chemical called PFOA in ocean ecosystems. They found that polystyrene microplastics significantly amplified the harmful effects of PFOA on tiny marine organisms essential to carbon cycling, including bacteria and plankton. The study suggests that when these two pollutants co-exist in seawater, the ecological risks are considerably worse than from either pollutant alone.
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