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Toxicity and mechanism of nanoplastics to phytoplankton in high-latitude aquatic ecosystems of Canadian prairie: Effects of multiple environmental factors
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Researchers examined nanoplastic toxicity to phytoplankton in Canadian prairie aquatic ecosystems, finding that environmental factors like nutrients, salinity, and dissolved organic matter significantly modulated the toxic effects, highlighting the need to consider real-world conditions in risk assessments.
The potential ecological risks of nanoplastics (NPs) may be inaccurately assessed in some studies as they fail to consider the impact of environmental factors and their interactive effects. Here, the effects of six representative environmental factors (N, P, salinity, DOM (dissolved organic matter), pH and hardness) on NPs' toxicity and mechanism to microalgae are investigated based on the surface water quality data in Saskatchewan watershed, Canada. Our 10 sets of 2 factorial analysis reveal the significant factors and their interactive complexity towards 10 toxic endpoints from cellular and molecular levels. This is the first time to study the toxicity of NPs to microalgae under interacting environmental factors in high-latitude aquatic ecosystems of Canadian prairie. We find that microalgae become more resistant to NPs in N-rich or higher pH environments. Surprisingly, with the increase of N concentration or pH, the inhibitory effect of NPs on microalgae growth even became a promotion effect with the decreased inhibition rate from 10.5 % to -7.1 % or from 4.3 % to -0.9 %, respectively. Synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared spectromicroscopy analysis reveals that NPs can induce alterations in the content and structure of lipids and proteins. DOM, N*P, pH, N*pH and pH*hardness have a statistically significant effect on NPs' toxicity to biomolecular. The toxicity levels of NPs across Saskatchewan watersheds are evaluated and we find that NPs could have the greatest inhibition on microalgae growth in Souris River. Our findings indicate that multiple environmental factors should be considered during the ecological risk assessment of emerging pollutants.
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Researchers found that increased temperature and salinity promoted nanoplastic toxicity to zooplankton, while the presence of organic matter and natural colloids mitigated toxic effects, suggesting environmental conditions significantly modulate nanoplastic risks.
Interactive effects of nanoplastics, multi-contaminants, and environmental conditions on prairie aquatic ecosystems: A factorial composite toxicity analysis within a Canadian context
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Researchers developed a new analytical approach to evaluate the combined toxic effects of nanoplastics, copper, and phenanthrene on freshwater microalgae under varying environmental conditions. They found that the interactions between these pollutants were highly dependent on factors like pH, temperature, and dissolved organic matter. The study reveals that environmental context significantly changes how nanoplastic mixtures affect aquatic life in Canadian prairie ecosystems.
Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Impacts on Aquatic Species and Interactions with Environmental Factors and Pollutants
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This review examines how nanoplastics affect aquatic species, focusing on their cellular and molecular toxicity as well as how environmental factors like temperature, salinity, and co-existing pollutants influence their harmful effects. Researchers found that nanoplastics can be absorbed more easily than larger plastic particles, transfer through food webs, and disrupt cellular function in aquatic organisms. The study highlights the need to consider real-world environmental conditions when assessing nanoplastic risks.
Nanoplastics Penetrate Biological Barriers and Pose Risks to Aquatic Productivity
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This study examined how nanoplastics penetrate biological barriers at the sub-micrometer scale, posing threats to aquatic productivity through cellular uptake and toxicity pathways. Understanding nanoplastic behavior is critical because their small size enables systemic infiltration into organisms across the food chain, including species consumed by humans.
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