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Sublethal Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Embryonic Development of Artemia salina (Linnaeus, 1758)
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Researchers exposed brine shrimp embryos to amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics of two sizes and assessed a range of developmental effects. They found that the nanoplastics accumulated in the organisms and caused sublethal effects including altered hatching rates and developmental abnormalities, even at non-lethal concentrations. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution may pose risks to the early development of organisms at the base of aquatic food chains.
Currents, wave motion, solar radiation, and abrasion are mechanisms responsible for the degradation of large plastic artifacts and contribute to the dispersion of micro and nanoplastics into aquatic ecosystems, which are, currently, the most dangerous threats due to their invisibility and persistence. The present work evaluated the possible lethal and sublethal effects of amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics (nPS-NH2) with diameters of 50 nm and 100 nm on Artemia salina (A. salina), an organism at the base of the trophic chain of the aquatic system, using a widely used model for the analysis of embryotoxicity from environmental pollutants. For this purpose, after evaluating the biodistribution of nanoplastics in the body of the tested animals, several endpoints such as anomalies, apoptosis, and ROS production were assessed. In addition, particular attention was dedicated to evaluating the correlation between toxicity and the particle size tested. The results reported that, despite the absence of a lethal impact, several sublethal effects involving gut and body size malformations, as well as the enhancement of apoptosis and oxidative stress in relation to an increase in tested concentration and a decrease in nanoparticle size.
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Assessing the Biodistribution and Toxicity of Fluorescently Dyed Nano-Polystyrene in Artemia salina Nauplii
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Researchers tracked the distribution and toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics in brine shrimp, a key model organism for ecotoxicology. They found that nanoplastics accumulated in the gut and, at higher concentrations, caused gut deformities, with the lethal concentration decreasing by nearly half between 24 and 48 hours of exposure. The findings suggest that nanoplastics may also impair the salt gland, affecting osmoregulation and energy allocation in marine organisms.
Effects of ingested polystyrene microplastics on brine shrimp, Artemia parthenogenetica
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Brine shrimp larvae (Artemia parthenogenetica) were exposed to 10 μm polystyrene microspheres at concentrations close to environmentally extrapolated levels, with microspheres clearly ingested and accumulated in the gut, resulting in reduced feeding rates and growth at higher concentrations. The study demonstrates that microplastic ingestion by brine shrimp, a widely used aquaculture feed organism, occurs at ecologically relevant concentrations and causes sublethal harm.
Comparative toxicity of polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene nanoplastics on Artemia franciscana nauplii: a multidimensional assessment
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Researchers compared the toxic effects of three common plastic types — polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene — in nanoplastic form on brine shrimp larvae. They found that all three types caused harm, but polystyrene nanoplastics were the most toxic across multiple biological measures. The study provides the first direct comparison showing that the chemical composition of nanoplastics significantly influences their toxicity to aquatic organisms.
Impacts of nanoplastics on Artemia franciscana larvae: effects on growth and proteins responses
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This laboratory study found that nanoplastic particles reduced growth and feeding rates in Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp) larvae in a dose-dependent manner. The results demonstrate that nanoplastics — the smallest and potentially most biologically active plastic particles — can harm early-life-stage marine crustaceans at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Time-dependent effects of polystyrene nanoparticles in brine shrimp Artemia franciscana at physiological, biochemical and molecular levels
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Researchers tracked short- and long-term effects of cationic polystyrene nanoplastics on brine shrimp Artemia, finding that even low concentrations impair growth, trigger cumulative oxidative stress leading to lipid peroxidation, inhibit neural and developmental enzymes including cholinesterase and carboxylesterase, and alter gene expression governing molting and cell protection.
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