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Drosophila melanogaster as a tractable eco-environmental model to unravel the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics
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This review summarizes research using fruit flies as a model to study how micro- and nanoplastics harm living organisms. Studies show these tiny plastic particles cause oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and reproductive problems in flies, with males being more vulnerable than females -- findings that may help us understand similar risks in humans.
Micro- and nanoplastics have emerged as pervasive environmental pollutants with potential ecotoxicological impacts on various organisms, including the model organismDrosophila melanogaster. Here we comprehensively synthesize current research on the adverse effects of micro- and nanoplastics onDrosophila, highlighting key findings and identifying gaps in the literature. Micro- and nanoplastics can lead to physical damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, genotoxicity, epigenetic changes, apoptosis, and necrosis inDrosophila. Exposure to plastic debris affects nutrient absorption, energy metabolism, and reproductive health, often in a sex-specific manner. For instance, male flies are generally more susceptible to the toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics than female flies, showing greater mortality and metabolic disruptions. Furthermore, the combined exposure of plastics with heavy metals can exacerbate toxic effects, leading to enhanced oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and gut damage. While antagonistic effects have been identified particularly with silver compounds, where polystyrene microplastics reduce the bioavailability and toxicity of silver. The adverse effects of plastic particles onDrosophiladepend on size, with smaller particles penetrating deeper into tissues and eliciting stronger toxic responses. The chemical composition of the plastics and the presence of additives also play crucial roles in determining toxicity levels. Chronic exposure to low levels can be as harmful as acute high-dose exposure, highlighting the need for comprehensive, long-term studies to fully understand the ecological and biological impacts of plastic pollution.
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Size-dependent toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics: insights from the Drosophila melanogaster model
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This review of fruit fly studies reveals a clear pattern: the smaller the plastic particle, the more dangerous it is to living organisms. While large plastic pieces mostly get stuck in the gut causing local irritation, the tiniest nanoplastics can slip into cells and even DNA, triggering inflammation, organ damage, and effects that may pass on to offspring—and they can team up with heavy metal pollutants to cause even more harm. Since fruit flies share many genes with humans, these findings suggest we should pay special attention to the smallest, often invisible plastic particles in our environment, as they may pose the greatest
The effects of microplastics and nanoplastics upon history, policies, and Drosophila melanogaster
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This study examined the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, finding that dietary exposure to these pervasive environmental contaminants causes measurable biological harm and making the case for stronger regulatory policies.
Nanoplastics and Microplastics and Their Impact on Male Reproduction—Uncovering the Hidden Hazards Using the Drosophila Model
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Using Drosophila as a model organism, researchers investigated the impact of micro- and nanoplastics on male reproductive health, finding that exposure impaired reproductive output and sperm quality. The study validates Drosophila as an ethical, cost-effective model for assessing reproductive toxicity of microplastics.
Size-dependent toxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics: insights from the Drosophila melanogaster model
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This review of fruit fly studies found that the smaller plastic particles get, the more damage they can do — tiny "nanoplastics" can slip into cells and even DNA, causing effects like inflammation, immune problems, and issues that carry over to offspring, while larger microplastics mostly cause gut irritation. Since fruit flies share a lot of genetic similarities with humans, these findings suggest that the increasingly tiny plastic fragments in our air, water, and food could pose greater health risks than larger plastic debris, making it important to keep studying how the smallest plastics affect our bodies.
No evidence for behavioral or physiological effects of nanoplastics ingestion in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster
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Researchers exposed Drosophila melanogaster to low and high concentrations of nanoplastics (1 µg/g and 1 mg/g) across several generations and measured emergence rate, mitochondrial activity, metabolism, body mass, and locomotion. No significant behavioral or physiological effects were detected, suggesting Drosophila may be less sensitive to nanoplastics than aquatic species.
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