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Polystyrene microplastics modulate the toxic effects of bisphenol A in the early stages of zebrafish development
Summary
This study investigated whether polystyrene microplastics affect the toxicity of bisphenol A (BPA) during zebrafish embryo development by co-exposing fish to both contaminants. The PS microplastics modulated BPA toxicity in complex ways—in some developmental endpoints amplifying harm, in others providing partial protection—underscoring the unpredictability of combined plastic-chemical exposures.
One of the characteristics of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) is their hydrophobic surface, which allows them to carry other pollutants such as bisphenol A (BPA), known to be endocrine disruptor. This study investigated the co-exposure of 1 µm PS-MPs at 1.0 mgL with BPA at 25.0 µM on zebrafish development. The results on the toxicity parameters showed that PS-MPs and BPA during co-exposure had antagonist effects reducing their effects compared to single exposure, in hatching, neurotoxicity and heart rate. This trend was confirmed by an improvement in the expression of developmental genes observed in the co-exposed group. However, in redox homeostasis analysis emerged that, when together, PS-MPs exacerbated the effects of BPA compared to single exposure in redox homeostasis analysis. The findings showed a dual role of PS-MPs in modulating the effects of BPA providing new information on the risk associated with their simultaneous presence in the aquatic environment.