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Charge-specific adverse effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on zebrafish (Danio rerio) development and behavior
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Researchers exposed developing zebrafish to positively and negatively charged nanoplastics and found that the positively charged particles were significantly more toxic, accumulating in the brain and gut and causing developmental delays and brain cell death. The two types of nanoplastics affected different neurotransmitter pathways and interacted with different brain receptors, explaining their distinct behavioral effects. The study demonstrates that the surface charge of nanoplastics plays a critical role in determining their toxicity to developing organisms.
Nanoplastics are being detected with increasing frequency in aquatic environments. Although evidence suggests that nanoplastics can cause overt toxicity to biota across different trophic levels, but there is little understanding of how materials such as differently charged polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NP) impact fish development and behavior. Following exposure to amino-modified (positive charge) PS-NP, fluorescence accumulation was observed in the zebrafish brain and gastrointestinal tract. Positively charged PS-NP induced stronger developmental toxicity (decreased spontaneous movement, heartbeat, hatching rate, and length) and cell apoptosis in the brain and induced greater neurobehavioral impairment as compared to carboxyl-modified (negative charge) PS-NP. These findings correlated well with fluorescence differences indicating PS-NP presence. Targeted neuro-metabolite analysis by UHPLC-MS/MS reveals that positively charged PS-NP decreased levels of glycine, cysteine, glutathione, and glutamic acid, while the increased levels of spermine, spermidine, and tyramine were induced by negatively charged PS-NP. Positively charged PS-NP interacted with the neurotransmitter receptor N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B (NMDA2B), whereas negatively charged PS-NP impacted the G-protein-coupled receptor 1 (GPR1), each with different binding energies that led to behavioral differences. These findings reveal the charge-specific toxicity of nanoplastics to fish and provide new perspective for understanding PS-NP neurotoxicity that is needed to accurately assess potential environmental and health risks of these emerging contaminants.
More Papers Like This
Life cycle exposure to differentially charged polystyrene nanoplastics leads to gender-specific particle accumulation and neurotoxicity in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
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Zebrafish exposed to nanoplastics with different surface charges throughout their entire life cycle showed brain damage, behavior changes, and disrupted brain chemistry. The effects depended on both the type of charge on the plastic and the sex of the fish, with positively charged nanoplastics accumulating most in the brain. This research suggests that the surface properties of nanoplastics matter for their neurotoxicity and that long-term exposure could affect brain health differently in males and females.
Effect of functional groups of polystyrene nanoplastics on the neurodevelopmental toxicity of acrylamide in the early life stage of zebrafish
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This zebrafish study found that nanoplastics with different surface coatings altered the neurodevelopmental toxicity of acrylamide, a common food contaminant formed during cooking. Positively charged nanoplastics worsened brain development problems by increasing acrylamide absorption, while negatively charged ones had a partially protective effect. The findings show that the surface chemistry of nanoplastics matters greatly for how they interact with other environmental contaminants to affect brain development.
Oppositely charged proteins lead to different effects on the bioaccumulation kinetics of polystyrene nanoplastics in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
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Researchers studied how positively and negatively charged proteins in water affect the bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics in zebrafish. The study found that different protein types altered nanoplastic uptake kinetics in distinct ways, suggesting that the natural protein environment in water bodies plays an important role in determining how nanoplastics accumulate in aquatic organisms.
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Reproduction Is Affected by Life-Cycle Exposure to Differently Charged Polystyrene Nanoplastics with Sex-Specific Responses
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Zebrafish were exposed throughout a full life cycle (120 days) to uncharged, positively charged, and negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics at 10 micrograms per liter and assessed for reproductive effects. All three nanoplastic types disrupted sex hormone levels and reproductive gene expression, with effects differing by surface charge and biological sex.
Differentially Charged Nanoplastics Induce Distinct Effects on the Growth and Gut of Benthic Insects (Chironomus kiinensis) via Charge-Specific Accumulation and Perturbation of the Gut Microbiota
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Researchers exposed aquatic insect larvae to positively and negatively charged nanoplastics and found that the surface charge significantly affected how toxic the particles were. Positively charged nanoplastics caused more severe gut damage, greater accumulation in tissues, and bigger disruptions to gut bacteria. This matters because nanoplastics in the real environment carry various charges, and the findings suggest that charge is an important factor in determining health risks.
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