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Effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on toxicity, bioaccumulation, and environmental fate of phenanthrene in fresh water
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Researchers studied how nanoplastics and microplastics interact with the toxic pollutant phenanthrene in freshwater, using tiny water fleas as test organisms. They found that nanoplastics increased the toxicity and bioaccumulation of phenanthrene, while larger microplastics actually reduced its harmful effects. The study suggests that the size of plastic particles plays a critical role in determining whether they make co-occurring pollutants more or less dangerous to aquatic life.
Contamination of fine plastic particles (FPs), including micrometer to millimeter plastics (MPs) and nanometer plastics (NPs), in the environment has caught great concerns. FPs are strong adsorbents for hydrophobic toxic pollutants and may affect their fate and toxicity in the environment; however, such information is still rare. We studied joint toxicity of FPs with phenanthrene to Daphnia magna and effects of FPs on the environmental fate and bioaccumulation of C-phenanthrene in fresh water. Within the five sizes particles we tested (from 50 nm to 10 μm), 50-nm NPs showed significant toxicity and physical damage to D. magna. The joint toxicity of 50-nm NPs and phenanthrene to D. magna showed an additive effect. During a 14-days incubation, the presence of NPs significantly enhanced bioaccumulation of phenanthrene-derived residues in daphnid body and inhibited the dissipation and transformation of phenanthrene in the medium, while 10-μm MPs did not show significant effects on the bioaccumulation, dissipation, and transformation of phenanthrene. The differences may be attributed to higher adsorption of phenanthrene on 50-nm NPs than 10-μm MPs. Our findings underlined the high potential ecological risks of FPs, and suggested that NPs should be given more concerns, in terms of their interaction with hydrophobic pollutants in the environment.
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Microplastic Particles’ Effects on Aquatic Organisms and Their Role as Transporters of Organic Pollutants
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Researchers tested the effects of polyethylene microplastics, both pure and contaminated with pesticides and hydrocarbons, on water fleas and ostracods. While pure microplastics alone did not cause significant harm, particles loaded with pollutants like chlorpyrifos and phenanthrene reduced reproduction and survival over longer exposure periods. The study provides evidence that microplastics primarily pose risks to aquatic organisms by acting as carriers of more toxic chemical pollutants.
Particle Size, Shape, and Polymer Composition as Determinants of Microplastic and Nanoplastic Toxicity in Freshwater Biota: A Mechanistic and Critical Synthesis
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This review summarizes existing freshwater research on microplastics and nanoplastics, finding that smaller particles, fibers, and certain polymers tend to cause stronger effects in lab studies, though results vary. It notes most lab effect levels are far higher than concentrations measured in real freshwater, and proposes a framework for predicting toxicity based on particle traits.
Nanopolystyrene size effect and its combined acute toxicity with halogenated PAHs on Daphnia magna
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Researchers tested how nanopolystyrene particle size affects toxicity to Daphnia magna water fleas alone and in combination with halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, finding smaller particles (30 nm) were far more toxic than larger ones (1 µm) and that the plastic-chemical mixtures showed antagonistic effects — reducing combined toxicity below what either contaminant caused alone.
Toxicity Evaluation of Microplastics Exposure in Water Contaminated with Pyrene and Methyl Chlorpyrifos Using Daphnia magna
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Scientists tested how two microplastic types, combined with two common water pollutants, affected small water fleas (Daphnia magna) in lab experiments. The pollutants stuck to the microplastics, and exposure to both together increased harm, including reduced survival and reproduction, especially when one plastic type carried the adsorbed pollutants.
Toxicological effects of microplastics and heavy metals on the Daphnia magna
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Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics of two sizes adsorb heavy metals and how their combined presence affects the water flea Daphnia magna. They found that smaller microplastics had higher adsorption capacity for metals, and the combined toxicity shifted from antagonistic to additive effects as microplastic concentrations increased. The study reveals that smaller microplastics pose a greater toxicological risk when combined with heavy metals in aquatic environments.
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