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Polystyrene microplastics facilitating reproductive toxicity and transgenerational transfer of ZnO nanoparticles in daphnia under chronic dietary exposure
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Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics facilitated the transfer of zinc oxide nanoparticles across multiple generations of water fleas by impairing their ability to excrete zinc through molting. The microplastics extended the reproductive toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles by an additional generation compared to zinc oxide alone. The study suggests that microplastics can act as carriers for other pollutants, amplifying their ecological harm across generations.
Microplastics (MPs) act as vectors for co-existing pollutants, altering their environmental behavior and ecological risks. Yet the impact of MPs on the chronic effects of co-existing pollutants remains poorly understood. Herein, we explored the role of polystyrene (PS) MPs in facilitating the transgenerational transfer (F0-F4) and reproductive toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in Daphnia magna (D. magna) under chronic dietary exposure. Results showed that PS MPs facilitated the transgenerational transfer of ZnO NPs, resulting in prolonged transport of ZnO NPs by one generation. This was attributed to that PS MPs impaired Zn excretion of D. magna via significantly inhibiting the molting rates by 40% (p < 0.05), promoting the transfer of Zn to offspring. Besides, confocal microscopy confirmed Zn enrichment in the ovum and umbilical cords. Molecular docking simulation revealed stable Zn2 + binding to vitellogenin (VTG) protein via hydrogen bonds (-1200 kJ/mol), indicating VTG-mediated maternal transfer of Zn. Furthermore, PS MPs facilitated the multi-generational reproductive impact of ZnO NPs to extend to the fourth generation (F3). Transcriptomic analysis identified significant inhibition of prolactin signaling pathways, with the key genes Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) and VTG decreasing by 80.4% and 7.8% in the female generation (F0), respectively, inhibiting oocyte development. Overall, these findings confirmed that MPs facilitated the reproductive toxicity and transgenerational transfer of co-existing pollutants, providing critical insights for long-term ecological risk assessment of MPs and co-existing pollutants combined exposure in aquatic systems.
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Polystyrene microplastics facilitate the biotoxicity and biomagnification of ZnO nanoparticles in the food chain from algae to daphnia
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Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics enhanced the toxicity and biological accumulation of zinc oxide nanoparticles in an aquatic food chain from algae to water fleas. When both pollutants were present together, water fleas showed increased oxidative stress, higher heart rates, and greater zinc accumulation compared to exposure to either pollutant alone. The study demonstrates that microplastics can amplify the harmful effects of other nanoparticle contaminants as they move through the food chain.
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Researchers investigated the combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and zinc oxide nanoparticles on zebrafish embryos and their unexposed offspring. They found that ZnO particles adhered to microplastic surfaces and amplified toxic effects including growth inhibition, oxidative stress, and hormonal disruption, with impacts carrying over to the next generation. Interestingly, dissolved zinc ions actually reversed some microplastic toxicity, suggesting that it is the physical particles rather than the released zinc that drive the increased harm.
Tissue translocation, multigenerational and population effects of microplastics in Daphnia magna
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This study examined how microplastics are taken up by the water flea Daphnia magna and whether exposure causes multigenerational effects, finding that microplastics can accumulate in body tissues and pass to offspring. The results suggest microplastic pollution poses risks not just to exposed individuals but can affect population health across generations.
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Researchers assessed the transgenerational impacts of parental exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and the plasticizer DEHP on Daphnia magna over four generations. The study found that combined exposure to nanoplastics and DEHP caused growth and reproductive impairments that persisted across generations through bioaccumulation, suggesting that the ecological consequences of nanoplastic and plasticizer co-contamination may extend well beyond directly exposed organisms.
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