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Death-driven exposure: Necrotrophic transfer of polylactic acid and polystyrene microplastics alters biochemical architecture in the saprophagous insect Chrysomya megacephala
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Researchers investigated how microplastics transfer through the food chain by feeding contaminated mouse carcasses to blowfly larvae and tracking the particles into adult flies. Both polystyrene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics accumulated in larvae and persisted into adulthood, causing measurable changes in biochemical markers related to metabolism and stress. The study reveals a previously overlooked pathway for microplastic spread through decomposer food webs.
Microplastic exposure (MPs) represents an emerging threat to terrestrial ecotoxicology, particularly within detritivorous ecosystems. In this study, we investigated transstadial bioaccumulation and the biochemical effects of necrotrophic exposure to polystyrene (PS-MPs) and polylactic acid microplastics (PLA-MPs) in Chrysomya megacephala. Mice contaminated with varying concentrations of the polymers were used as larval decomposition substrates. To confirm the prior internalization of MPs, third-instar larvae (L3) were analyzed, revealing significant particle accumulation. We assessed MP retention and biochemical alterations in key physiological systems following adult emergence. The presence of MPs in newly emerged adults, at significantly lower concentrations than those observed in larvae, confirmed transstadial bioaccumulation and indicated partial retention during metamorphosis. Bioaccumulation was more pronounced at higher exposure concentrations. PS-MPs induced functional disorganization, characterized by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, proteolytic activity, and neuroendocrine dysfunctions. In contrast, PLA-MPs elicited more coordinated biochemical responses, with emphasis on antioxidant activation. Correlation network and functional trade-off analyses revealed distinct patterns of physiological reorganization between treatments. At the same time, trend tests and causal inference confirmed concentration-dependent effects and a direct association between exposure and biochemical dysfunction. The data suggest that necrotrophic exposure constitutes a functional pathway for MP redistribution in terrestrial environments, exerting systemic effects even in the absence of direct adult contact.
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Researchers investigated the trophic transfer of polylactic acid microplastics from necrophagous blowflies to predatory beetles in a simulated food chain. They found that PLA microplastics were retained across the fly's metamorphosis and successfully transferred to the beetle predators, causing multisystemic physiological effects. The study demonstrates that even bioplastics marketed as eco-friendly alternatives can persist through food webs and pose ecological risks to organisms at higher trophic levels.
Necroecological Trophic Transfer of Microplastics: Insights into the Ecotoxicity of Petroleum-Derived and Biodegradable Polymers
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This study found that biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics can be just as toxic as petroleum-based polystyrene microplastics when transferred through a food chain from decomposing mice to fly larvae. The biodegradable plastics actually accumulated more in the larvae and triggered signs of nerve damage and oxidative stress. These findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer, suggesting they may pose similar health risks as conventional plastics when they enter food webs.
High-concentration polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics co-exposure shorten insect lifespan and impose ecological risk: Multi-omics evidence from Drosophila melanogaster
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Researchers used fruit flies as a model organism to study how co-exposure to high concentrations of polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics affects insect lifespan. Multi-omics analysis revealed that microplastic co-exposure significantly shortened lifespan and disrupted key biological pathways, suggesting potential ecological risks from cumulative microplastic exposure in the environment.
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Using fluorescent microplastics as tracers, researchers showed that insects can ingest, transform through digestion, and excrete microplastic particles, demonstrating that insects are both exposed to and potential vectors for spreading microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems.
Cross-organ multilayered biological perturbations driven by food chain-transferred microplastics: implications for mammalian health effects and risks
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Mice were fed mealworms that had been exposed to polystyrene microplastics, modeling how plastics move through a food chain. Researchers found microplastics accumulated across six organs, with changes in genes linked to oxidative stress, immune response, tissue scarring, and metabolism, forming a connected pattern of effects across organs rather than damage limited to one organ.
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