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Particles rather than released Zn2+ from ZnO nanoparticles aggravate microplastics toxicity in early stages of exposed zebrafish and their unexposed offspring
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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.
Knowledge on the interaction between microplastics (MPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) is limited. Here, we investigated effects of embryo-larvae exposure to 500 μg/L polystyrene MPs (5 µm), 1200 μg/L ZnO NPs (< 100 nm), 500 μg/L dissolved Zn from ZnSO4 and the mixtures of MPs and ZnO NPs or ZnSO4 on exposed F0 larvae and unexposed F1 larvae. Consequently, ZnO particles adhered to MPs surfaces rather than Zn, and increased Zn transport into larvae. Growth inhibition, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and disturbance of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (GH/IGF) axis were induced by MPs and ZnO NPs alone, which were further aggravated by their co-exposure in F0 larvae. MPs + ZnO increased apoptotic cells in the gill and esophagus compared with MPs and ZnO NPs alone. Reduced growth and antioxidant capacity and down-regulated GH/IGF axis were merely observed in F1 larvae from F0 parents exposed to MPs + ZnO. Contrary to ZnO NPs, dissolved Zn reversed MPs toxicity, suggesting the protective role of Zn may be not enough to ameliorate thfie negative effects of ZnO particles. To summarize, we found that particles rather than released Zn from ZnO nanoparticles amplified MPs toxicity in early stages of exposed zebrafish and their unexposed offspring.
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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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Combined toxic effects of environmental predominant microplastics and ZnO nanoparticles in freshwater snail Pomaceae paludosa
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