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Micro/nanoplastics enhance multigenerational reproductive toxicity of legacy and alternative per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis
Summary
Researchers assessed the combined toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics with legacy and alternative per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis across multiple generations. They found that the presence of nanoplastics enhanced the lethal and reproductive toxicity of both PFOA and its replacement chemical GenX. The study suggests that co-exposure to microplastics and PFAS may pose greater risks to marine organisms than either contaminant alone.
Micro/Nanoplastics (MNPs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are emerging environmental contaminants of global concern. This study assessed the acute and multigenerational toxicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its alternative, hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, also commercially known as GenX), in the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis, in the presence of 80 nm and 5 μm MNPs. Acute toxicity tests demonstrated that MNPs enhanced the lethality and reproductive toxicity of both PFOA and GenX in a size-dependent manner. At the population level, MNPs exacerbated the inhibitory effects of these compounds on population growth. In multigenerational assays, fecundity was identified as the most sensitive life-history trait, exhibiting cumulative multigenerational impairments that were more pronounced in the presence of NPs. This trend aligned with the expression patterns of reproduction-related genes. Transcriptomic analysis further showed that co-exposure to NPs increased the number of differentially expressed genes, particularly those involved in metabolic and steroid biosynthesis pathways, suggesting elevated energy demands and reproductive toxicity. Collectively, these findings highlight the necessity of incorporating mixture toxicity and multigenerational effects into risk assessment frameworks to achieve more realistic chemical risk characterization and management.