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Amplification of benzo[a]pyrene toxicity persistence in earthworms by polystyrene nanoplastics: From organismal health to molecular responses
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This study found that nanoplastics can make a common cancer-causing pollutant (benzo[a]pyrene) more persistent and toxic in soil. Earthworms exposed to the pollutant carried on nanoplastics showed greater oxidative damage than those exposed to the pollutant alone. This matters because nanoplastics in the environment may act as carriers that amplify the harmful effects of other toxic chemicals.
Typically, nanoplastics (NPs) are contaminated before entering soil, and the impact of NPs on the biotoxicity of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) they carry remains unclear. This study simulated two environmentally relevant scenarios: singular exposure of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in soil and exposure via NPs loading (NP-BaP). Correlation analysis and machine learning revealed that injury in earthworms exposed for 28 days was significantly associated with NPs. Moreover, when the soil exposure concentration of BaP was 4 mg/kg, the NP-BaP group exhibited 10.67 % greater pigmentation than the BaP-only group. Despite the lower biota soil accumulation factor (BSAF) of earthworms in the NP-BaP group, the concentration of BaP in the soil remained at higher levels in the late stages of exposure. This led to NP-BaP inducing a stronger trend of oxidative damage compared to BaP alone. Furthermore, molecular-level studies indicated that the differential preferences of NPs and BaP for damaging antioxidant enzymes were linked to individual oxidative stress responses. This study confirmed that NPs, at non-toxic concentrations, could increase the persistence of BaP's biological toxicity after prolonged exposure, highlighting the potential safety risks of NPs as carriers of POPs to soil organisms.
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Compound effect and mechanism of oxidative damage induced by nanoplastics and benzo [a] pyrene
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Researchers examined how polystyrene nanoplastics and a common environmental pollutant called benzo[a]pyrene work together to cause oxidative damage in earthworm cells. They found that the two contaminants had a synergistic toxic effect, with combined exposure producing significantly higher levels of cell-damaging reactive oxygen species than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that nanoplastics may enhance the harmful effects of other soil pollutants by altering how they interact with living cells.
Effects of polystyrene microplastics on accumulation of pyrene by earthworms
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Polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics were found to significantly alter the accumulation of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pyrene in earthworms compared to pyrene exposure alone, with nanoplastics producing greater effects than microplastics. The study reveals that plastic particles can modify organic pollutant bioavailability to soil invertebrates, with implications for combined contamination risk assessments.
The combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics with nickel on oxidative stress and related toxic effects to earthworms from individual and cellular perspectives
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Researchers studied the combined toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and nickel on earthworms at both the individual and cellular levels. They found that nanoplastics amplified the harmful effects of nickel by increasing oxidative stress, reducing cell viability, and disrupting the balance between protective and damaging molecules in cells. The findings suggest that nanoplastics can worsen the toxicity of heavy metals already present in contaminated soils.
New regulatory mechanisms of polystyrene nanoplastics on the ecological risk of zinc: Cellular oxidative injury and molecular toxicity mechanisms in soil sentinel organisms (Eisenia fetida)
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Researchers investigated how nanoplastics and zinc interact to affect earthworm cells and a key antioxidant defense enzyme. While nanoplastics alone had minimal effect, combining them with zinc dramatically increased cell death beyond what zinc caused on its own, and molecular modeling showed nanoplastics can physically bind to and potentially block the antioxidant enzyme. The findings suggest that nanoplastics may worsen the toxicity of heavy metals in soil by interfering with organisms' natural defense mechanisms.
Environmental relevant concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics and lead co-exposure triggered cellular cytotoxicity responses and underlying mechanisms in Eisenia fetida
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Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and lead, a toxic heavy metal, interact when earthworm immune cells are exposed to both simultaneously at environmentally realistic concentrations. The combined exposure caused more severe cell damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation than either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that nanoplastics can increase the harmful effects of heavy metals on soil organisms, raising concerns about the real-world impact of mixed contaminant exposure.
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