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The combined toxicity of polystyrene nano/micro-plastics and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) on HepG2 cells
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This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics made a common flame retardant chemical (TPHP) more toxic to human liver cells than the chemical alone. The nanoplastics absorbed the flame retardant and delivered it to cells, causing increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and cell death. Smaller nanoplastics caused more harm than larger microplastics, suggesting that as plastics break down into smaller pieces, their ability to carry toxic chemicals into human cells increases.
Combined toxicity is a critical concern during the risk assessment of environmental pollutants. Due to the characteristics of strong hydrophobicity and large specific surface area, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have become potential carriers of organic pollutants that may pose a health risk to humans. The co-occurrence of organic pollutants and MPs would cause adverse effects on aquatic organism, while the information about combined toxicity induced by organophosphorus flame retardants and MPs on human cells was limited. This study aimed to reveal the toxicity effects of co-exposure to triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) and polystyrene (PS) particles with micron-size/nano-size on HepG2 cell line. The adsorption behaviors of TPHP on PS particles was observed, with the PS-NP exhibiting a higher adsorption capacity. The reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, lactate dehydrogenase release and cell apoptosis proved that PS-NPs/MPs exacerbated TPHP-induced cytotoxicity. The particle size of PS would affect the toxicity to HepG2 cells that PS-NP (0.07 μm) exhibited more pronounced combined toxicity than PS-MP (1 μm) with equivalent concentrations of TPHP. This study provides fundamental insights into the co-toxicity of TPHP and PS micro/nanoplastics in HepG2 cells, which is crucial for validating the potential risk of combined toxicity in humans.
More Papers Like This
Combined Toxicity of Polystyrene Microplastics and Triphenyl Phosphate on Common Carp Gills: Mechanistic Insights from Physiology and Transcriptomics
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Researchers exposed common carp to polystyrene microplastics and a flame retardant chemical (TPHP), alone and combined, measuring effects on gill tissue. Combined exposure caused more severe gill damage, including disrupted metabolism, barrier breakdown and cell death, than either substance alone, even though the microplastics reduced the chemical's buildup in gills.
Enhanced toxicity of triphenyl phosphate to zebrafish in the presence of micro- and nano-plastics
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Co-exposure of zebrafish to triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) with micro- or nano-polystyrene showed that nano-PS (46 nm) aggravated TPhP-induced liver and gonad enlargement, while micro-PS had minimal effect — suggesting nanoplastics can enhance the toxicity of organophosphate flame retardants.
Influence of polystyrene nanoparticles on the toxicity of tetrabromobisphenol A in human intestinal cell lines
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When human intestinal cells were exposed to both polystyrene nanoparticles and the flame retardant TBBPA together, the chemical pollutant dominated the toxic response, causing oxidative stress, DNA damage, and disruption of mitochondrial function. The study shows that mixing microplastics with other contaminants can produce complex, hard-to-predict health effects in gut cells, which matters because people are routinely exposed to multiple pollutants at once.
Distinct toxicity of microplastics/TBBPA co-exposure to bioprinted liver organoids derived from hiPSCs of healthy and patient donors
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Using 3D-bioprinted liver tissue models grown from human stem cells, researchers found that microplastics combined with the flame retardant TBBPA caused greater liver damage than either substance alone. The study suggests that microplastics may worsen the toxic effects of environmental chemicals on liver tissue, and that people with pre-existing liver conditions could be more vulnerable.
Co-exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate: Effects and mechanistic insights into hepatic lipid metabolism in mice
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In mice, exposure to tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) combined with a plastic chemical called DEHP caused more liver fat buildup and liver damage than either alone. Tests in liver cells showed this involved a specific stress pathway, and blocking that pathway reduced the fat buildup caused by the combined exposure.
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