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Polystyrene\nNanoplastics Inhibit the Transformation\nof Tetrabromobisphenol A by the Bacterium Rhodococcus jostii
Summary
This study found that polystyrene nanoplastics interfere with a bacterium's ability to break down tetrabromobisphenol A, a common flame retardant and environmental contaminant. Nanoplastics adsorbed the chemical onto their surface, reducing its bioavailability, while also causing oxidative stress in the bacteria and disrupting the enzymes needed for biodegradation.
Microplastics\n(MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) in the environment pose\nsignificant risks to organisms of different trophic levels. While\nthe toxicity of MPs and NPs have been extensively investigated, it\nremains unknown whether these particles affect microbial transformation\nof organic pollutants. Here, we show that 20 and 100 nm polystyrene\nNPs (PS-NPs) can inhibit the transformation of tetrabromobisphenol\nA (TBBPA) by Gram-positive bacterium Rhodococcus jostii in a concentration-dependent manner. We found that smaller PS-NPs\nwere more inhibitory than larger ones and that both PS-NPs affected\nbiotransformation in several ways. PS-NPs adsorbed TBBPA on their\nsurface and reduced the bioavailable concentration of TBBPA for transformation\nby R. jostii. Furthermore, PS-NPs induced oxidative\nstress, increased membrane permeability, and downregulated O-methyltransferase enzymes that transform TBBPA into their\nmethylated derivatives. Our results demonstrate that PS-NPs can impact\nmicrobial transformation of organic pollutants, and these effects\nshould be accounted for in future environmental risk assessments.