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UV-Aged Nanoplastics Increase Mercury Toxicity in a Marine Copepod under Multigenerational Exposure: A Carrier Role
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Researchers found that UV-aged nanoplastics were much better at carrying mercury into the bodies of marine copepods than fresh nanoplastics, increasing mercury accumulation by over 50% across multiple generations. The combination of aged nanoplastics and mercury significantly reduced survival rates in offspring. Since most nanoplastics in the ocean have been weathered by sunlight, this study suggests the real-world risks of nanoplastic-metal combinations to marine food chains may be greater than lab studies with fresh plastics indicate.
Aged plastics possess diverse interactive properties with metals compared to pristine ones. However, the role of aging for nanoplastics (NPs) in being a carrier of mercury (Hg), a common marine environmental pollutant, and their combined effects remain unclear. This study investigated the carrier effect of ultraviolet-aged NPs on Hg and the ensuing toxicity in a marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus under a multigenerational scenario. Aged NPs revealed a better carrier role in Hg bioaccumulation than pristine ones, which was increased by 1.61, 1.52, and 1.54 times in F0, F1, and F2, respectively, probably attributed to increased levels of O-containing functional groups and better adsorption for Hg. Consequently, relative to Hg alone, Hg combined with aged NPs (rather than pristine ones) significantly compromised the copepod's fitness, e.g., the survival rate decreasing by 74.2 and 62.1% in F1 and F2, respectively. This is possibly linked to the most pronounced transcriptomic response under Hg combined with aged NPs, including disturbed cuticle formation, activated antioxidants, and down-regulation of reproductive genes. Overall, our findings emphasize the non-negligible risk of aged NPs as carriers of toxic metals and provide a better understanding about the long-term effects of coexisting NPs and metal pollution on organisms in real marine environments.
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Nanoplastics potentiate mercury toxicity in a marine copepod under multigenerational exposure
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Researchers exposed tiny marine crustaceans called copepods to nanoplastics and mercury over three generations. They found that nanoplastics significantly increased mercury accumulation in the animals, leading to lower survival and reduced reproduction compared to mercury exposure alone. The study suggests nanoplastics act as carriers that amplify the harmful effects of toxic metals in marine ecosystems.
Microplastics at an environmentally relevant dose enhance mercury toxicity in a marine copepod under multigenerational exposure: Multi-omics perspective
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Researchers exposed tiny marine organisms called copepods to microplastics and mercury together across three generations at levels found in the environment. While microplastics alone had little effect, they made mercury much more toxic by increasing how much mercury built up in the organisms' bodies. This study shows that microplastics can act as carriers that amplify the harmful effects of other environmental pollutants, with the damage worsening over generations.
Nanoplastics pose a greater effect than microplastics in enhancing mercury toxicity to marine copepods
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Researchers investigated whether nano- and microplastics can act as carriers of mercury, increasing its toxicity to marine copepods. The study found that polystyrene nano- and microplastics significantly increased mercury accumulation in the copepod Tigriopus japonicus, with nanoplastics posing a greater threat than microplastics due to their higher surface-area-to-volume ratio. Evidence indicates that nanoplastics enhanced mercury toxicity by disrupting genes related to development, energy metabolism, and stress defense.
Mercury can be transported into marine copepod by polystyrene nanoplastics but is not bioaccumulated: An increased risk?
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Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics can transport mercury into marine copepods, but the mercury is not bioaccumulated, suggesting nanoplastics may alter contaminant exposure pathways without necessarily increasing long-term body burdens.
Role of UV radiation and oxidation on polyethylene micro- and nanoplastics: impacts on cadmium sorption, bioaccumulation, and toxicity in fish intestinal cells
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This study examined how UV aging and oxidation change the way polyethylene micro and nanoplastics interact with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, in fish gut cells. While the plastics actually reduced cadmium absorption and toxicity in the cells, UV aging changed the particles' surface chemistry and caused them to clump together differently. The results suggest that the interaction between microplastics and heavy metals in the environment is complex and depends on how weathered the plastic is.
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