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Can the sonication of polystyrene nanoparticles alter the acute toxicity and swimming behavior results for Daphnia magna?
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Researchers found that sonicating polystyrene nanoparticles before toxicity testing roughly doubled the EC50 concentration for Daphnia magna — indicating a two-fold reduction in acute toxicity — likely because sonication promotes eco-corona formation on particle surfaces, a finding with important implications for standardizing nanoplastic ecotoxicology protocols.
The seemingly ubiquitous presence of plastic debris led to a greater focus on micro- and nanoplastics research derived from the degradation process of macroplastics. The ingestion and consequent accumulation of plastics on the biota are the main concerns. Researchers strive to make assay conditions as close as possible to those of the environment. In this regard, sonication can be applied to de-agglomerate the plastic particles, but this may alter significantly their toxicity. The aim of this study was to understand the effects of the sonication process on the acute toxicity and swimming behavior of polystyrene nanoparticles using Daphnia magna as the test organism. The results show a 2-fold reduction in the acute toxicity after the sonication process; the EC50 of the PSNP-NS was 1.28 ± 0.17 mmol while for PSNP-S the EC50 was 2.77 ± 0.32 mmol, possibly through the formation of an eco-corona on the nanoplastic surface, formed from the ions dispersed in the medium or proteins secreted by the test organisms. The mean swimming distance was reduced when compared to the control group for both the PSNP-S and PSNP-NS. This is the first research stating the toxicological differences between sonicated and non-sonicated polystyrene nanoparticle samples using Daphnia magna as test organism.
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Secreted protein eco-corona mediates uptake and impacts of polystyrene nanoparticles on Daphnia magna
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Researchers discovered that proteins secreted by Daphnia magna create an eco-corona around polystyrene nanoparticles, increasing their uptake and toxicity. The study found that this protein coating also made the nanoparticles harder to remove from the gut, demonstrating a previously unknown biological mechanism that enhances the harmful effects of nanoplastics on this important indicator species.
Polystyrene Nanoplastic Behavior and Toxicity on Crustacean Daphnia magna: Media Composition, Size, and Surface Charge Effects
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Researchers examined how size and surface charge of polystyrene nanoplastics (20-100 nm) affected their behavior and toxicity to Daphnia magna in different water media, finding that smaller particles and certain media compositions significantly increased toxicity and aggregation patterns.
Controlled protein mediated aggregation of polystyrene nanoplastics does not reduce toxicity towards Daphnia magna
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Researchers found that protein-mediated aggregation of polystyrene nanoplastics into larger clusters did not reduce their toxicity to Daphnia magna, whereas solid particles of equivalent aggregate size were non-toxic, suggesting aggregation state alone does not determine nanoplastic hazard.
Investigating the toxicities of different functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics on Daphnia magna
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Researchers compared the toxicity of plain and surface-modified polystyrene nanoplastics on Daphnia water fleas, finding that unmodified particles were most lethal by activating stress kinase pathways, while surface-functionalized particles were less toxic — largely because positively charged particles aggregated rapidly in water and reduced their effective exposure concentration.
Protein binding on acutely toxic and non-toxic polystyrene nanoparticles during filtration by Daphnia magna
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Researchers investigated protein binding on acutely toxic versus non-toxic polystyrene nanoparticles during filtration by Daphnia magna zooplankton, finding that the two particle types bind different protein profiles, suggesting that surface protein corona composition may help explain differential toxicity outcomes.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.