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UV-aging exacerbates the diversified toxicity of microplastics in the gut of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio)
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This study examined how UV aging of microplastics affects their toxicity in the gut of gibel carp, finding that aged MPs caused greater gut microbiome disruption and oxidative stress than virgin MPs. The results highlight that environmental weathering increases the ecological hazard of microplastics in freshwater aquaculture systems.
Freshwater aquaculture systems are among the ecosystems most severely impacted by microplastics (MPs) pollution. Of particular concern is that the aging of MPs may further intensify their adverse effects on these systems. However, the impacts of aging on MPs toxicity remain inadequately characterized, particularly regarding how aging affects different types of MPs. Herein, we selected virgin and aged polyethylene (PE) and poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) MPs to investigate how ultraviolet (UV) aging impacts the toxicity of MPs to intestinal health and microbial community in an economically important fish species, gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio). Results demonstrated that both virgin and UV-aged MPs (PE and PBAT) induced intestinal damage and microbial dysbiosis in gibel carp. Comparatively, UV-aging significantly exacerbated these adverse effects. Notably, UV-aged PE-MPs were more prone to aggravating intestinal damage, while UV-aged PBAT-MPs exhibited a greater propensity to disrupt the gut microbial community. We speculate that the underlying causes for this phenomenon are related to the physicochemical properties of MPs. Overall, the structurally stable aged PE-MPs, with their increased surface roughness accompanied by reactive oxygen species generation, exacerbate intestinal damage; whereas the unstable nature of aged PBAT-MPs induces the release of low-molecular-weight substances that lead to more severe disruption of the gut microbial community. In conclusion, this study underscores the differential toxicity and potential threats posed by UV-aged MPs to economically important fish species, providing valuable insights for assessing ecological risks of MPs in freshwater aquaculture environments.
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Comparison of gut toxicity and microbiome effects in zebrafish exposed to polypropylene microplastics: Interesting effects of UV-weathering on microbiome
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Zebrafish exposed to UV-weathered polypropylene microplastics showed different and sometimes more severe gut damage than those exposed to fresh microplastics, including greater accumulation in the digestive tract and more disruption of gut bacteria. Interestingly, the weathered microplastics enriched certain beneficial gut bacteria while the fresh ones did not. This matters because real-world microplastics are weathered by sunlight, meaning lab studies using only pristine plastics may underestimate actual health risks.
Influence of ultraviolet-aging and adsorbed pollutants on toxicological effects of polyvinyl chloride microplastics to zebrafish
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Researchers studied how UV aging changes polyvinyl chloride microplastics and their toxicity to zebrafish, both alone and when carrying adsorbed pollutants. They found that aged microplastics caused more severe gut damage and oxidative stress than pristine particles, due to increased free radicals on their surfaces. When carrying adsorbed chlorpyrifos or erythromycin, the microplastics served as pollutant carriers into fish, producing greater behavioral disruption and gut microbiome alterations.
Weathering chemistry shapes the gut microbiome-metabolome-transcriptome response of adult zebrafish to aged polyethylene microplastics.
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Researchers aged polyethylene microplastics using different chemical processes (acids, a base, or UV light and water) then fed them to zebrafish. The way the plastic was aged changed its surface damage and led to different effects on gut bacteria, gut chemicals, and gene activity, showing that aged microplastics cannot be treated as one single category.
New Insights into the Mechanisms of Toxicity of Aging Microplastics
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This study showed that UV-aged polypropylene microplastics are significantly more toxic than fresh ones, absorbing more chemicals and generating more harmful reactive oxygen species in seawater. The aged particles caused greater damage to cell membranes in mussels compared to pristine plastics. Since most microplastics in the ocean have been weathered by sunlight, real-world exposure risks may be higher than laboratory studies using new plastics suggest.
Exploring Different Toxic Effects of UV-Aged and Bio-Aged Microplastics on Growth and Oxidative Stress of Escherichia coli
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This study compared the toxic effects of UV-aged and bio-aged microplastics on aquatic microorganisms, finding that different aging processes alter MP surface properties in distinct ways that produce different patterns of toxicity to bacteria and algae in aquatic environments.
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