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Hydrogen bonding-mediated interaction underlies the enhanced membrane toxicity of chemically transformed polystyrene microplastics by cadmium
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This study found that cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, makes polystyrene microplastics more damaging to cell membranes by changing the plastic's surface properties. Cadmium-treated microplastics formed stronger hydrogen bonds with cell membrane fats, disrupting cells more effectively than untreated microplastics. Since both cadmium and microplastics are common environmental pollutants, their combined effect could be more harmful to human health than either one alone.
The global attention on microplastic pollution and its implications for human health has grown in recent years. Additionally, the co-existence of heavy metals may significantly alter microplastics' physicochemical characteristics, potentially amplifying their overall toxicity-a facet that remains less understood. In this study, we focused the membrane toxicity of modified polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) following cadmium (Cd) pretreatment. Our findings revealed that Cd-pretreated PS-MPs exacerbated their toxic effects, including diminished membrane integrity and altered phase fluidity in simulated lipid membrane giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), as well as heightened membrane permeability, protein damage, and lipid peroxidation in red blood cells and macrophages. Mechanistically, these augmented membrane toxicities can be partially ascribed to modifications in the surface roughness and hydrophilicity of Cd-pretreated PS-MPs, as well as to interactions between PS-MPs and lipid bilayers. Notably, hydrogen bonds emerged as a crucial mechanism underlying the enhanced interaction of PS-MPs with lipid bilayers.
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Nanoplastics increase algal absorption and toxicity of Cd through alterations in cell wall structure and composition
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Lab experiments showed that polystyrene nanoplastics made freshwater algae more vulnerable to cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) by altering the structure of their cell walls, allowing more cadmium to enter the cells. This matters for human health because nanoplastics in waterways may increase how much toxic metal accumulates in aquatic food chains that eventually reach our plates.
Polystyrene nanoplastics alter cadmium toxicity outcomes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: Physiological responses and multi-omics insights.
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Researchers studied freshwater algae exposed to both cadmium and polystyrene nanoplastics in the lab. Combined exposure caused more growth problems, oxidative damage and cell structure disruption than cadmium alone, even though cells did not accumulate more cadmium, with gene and metabolite changes pointing to disrupted metal handling, membranes and nutrient processing.
Polystyrene nanoplastics distinctly impact cadmium uptake and toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana
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In a study using the model plant Arabidopsis, polystyrene nanoplastics increased the uptake and accumulation of the toxic heavy metal cadmium in plant roots. The combined stress of nanoplastics and cadmium caused worse oxidative damage and growth problems than either pollutant alone. This is concerning because it means microplastics in agricultural soil could help toxic metals get into crops more easily, potentially increasing human exposure through food.
Sorption properties of cadmium on microplastics: The common practice experiment and A two-dimensional correlation spectroscopic study
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Laboratory experiments examined how cadmium adsorbs onto microplastics of different polymer types and aging states, finding that surface chemistry and weathering significantly affect how much heavy metal the plastics can carry. This matters because microplastics contaminated with heavy metals represent a dual pollution risk when ingested by aquatic organisms.
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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