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Functionalized Nanoplastics (NPs) Increase the Toxicity of Metals in Fish Cell Lines
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Researchers tested whether functionalized nanoplastics increase the toxicity of metals like arsenic and methylmercury in fish cell lines. The study found that amino-functionalized polystyrene nanoparticles were the most cytotoxic on their own and significantly enhanced the toxic effects of metals when combined, suggesting that nanoplastics can act as carriers that amplify the harm of co-occurring pollutants.
Nanoplastics (NPs) are one of the most abundant environment-threatening nanomaterials on the market. The objective of this study was to determine in vitro if functionalized NPs are cytotoxic by themselves or increase the toxicity of metals. For that, we used 50 nm polystyrene nanoparticles with distinct surface functionalization (pristine, PS-Plain; carboxylic, PS-COOH; and amino PS-NH2) alone or combined with the metals arsenic (As) and methylmercury (MeHg), which possess an environmental risk to marine life. As test model, we chose a brain-derived cell line (SaB-1) from gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), one of the most commercial fish species in the Mediterranean. First, only the PS-NH2 NPs were toxic to SaB-1 cells. NPs seem to be internalized into the cells but they showed little alteration in the transcription of genes related to oxidative stress (nrf2, cat, gr, gsta), cellular protection against metals (mta) or apoptosis (bcl2, bax). However, NPs, mainly PS-COOH and PS-NH2, significantly increased the toxicity of both metals. Since the coexistence of NPs and other pollutants in the aquatic environment is inevitable, our results reveal that the combined effect of NPs with the rest of pollutants deserves more attention.
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Researchers exposed marine fish cell lines to polystyrene nanoplastics and found that while the nanoplastics alone were not directly toxic, they significantly altered the cytotoxicity of human pharmaceuticals, with one cell line proving more sensitive than the other, underscoring how nanoplastics can change the hazard profile of co-occurring chemical pollutants.
Toxic effects of co-exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and arsenic in zebrafish (Danio rerio): Oxidative stress, physiological and biochemical responses
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In a zebrafish study, polystyrene nanoplastics made arsenic more toxic by helping the poison build up in the liver, gills, and intestines. The nanoplastics increased cell damage and oxidative stress beyond what arsenic alone would cause. This shows that nanoplastics can act as carriers for other toxic substances in water, potentially making environmental pollutants more dangerous to aquatic life and the food chain.
The Trojan horse effect of nanoplastics exacerbates methylmercury-induced neurotoxicity during zebrafish development
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This zebrafish study showed that 250 nm polystyrene nanoplastics can act as a Trojan horse by enhancing methylmercury accumulation and directing it toward the head and eyes of larvae over 30 days. Combined exposure worsened behavioral impairment and developmental defects beyond what either contaminant caused alone.
Nanoplastics promote arsenic-induced ROS accumulation, mitochondrial damage and disturbances in neurotransmitter metabolism of zebrafish (Danio rerio)
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Researchers exposed zebrafish to nanoplastics combined with low concentrations of arsenic and found that nanoplastics significantly worsened arsenic's toxic effects on the brain. The mixture caused increased oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and disrupted neurotransmitter metabolism beyond what either pollutant caused alone. The study suggests that nanoplastics can act as carriers that amplify the neurotoxicity of other environmental contaminants in fish.
Effects of microplastics on the toxicity of co-existing pollutants to fish: A meta-analysis
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Meta-analysis of 1,380 biological endpoints from 55 studies found that microplastics in co-existing pollutant solutions significantly increased toxicity to fish beyond what the pollutants caused alone, particularly elevating immune system damage, metabolic disruption, and oxidative stress. The effect depended on fish life stage and microplastic size, but not on pollutant or polymer type.
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