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Polystyrene nanoplastics and benzo[a]pyrene co-exposure differentially impacts earthworm intra- and extracellular lysozyme
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Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics interact with the toxic pollutant benzo[a]pyrene in earthworms and found a surprising dual effect. At the cellular level, nanoplastics actually reduced oxidative stress caused by the pollutant alone, but at the molecular level they worked together to impair a key immune enzyme called lysozyme. The findings reveal that nanoplastics can simultaneously protect and harm organisms depending on the biological scale being examined.
Current research lacks mechanistic insights into cross-hierarchical toxicity interactions between nanoplastics (NPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This study innovatively integrated cellular oxidative stress responses with protein structure-activity relationships to elucidate polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs)' hierarchical-specific roles in co-contamination. Using an earthworm coelomocyte model exposed to Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)/PS NPs with multispectral analysis, we systematically investigated impacts on redox homeostasis and lysozyme (LZM) functionality. Individual BaP exposure significantly reduced the GSH/GSSG ratio and triggered a sharp increase in ROS levels. In contrast, PS NPs co-exposure markedly attenuated intracellular ROS levels (up to 23.1 % reduction relative to BaP alone) while restoring lysozyme (LZM) activity from 67.3 % to 90.1 %. At molecular level, PS NPs synergized with BaP (80 μg/L) to decrease LZM catalytic activity from 86.9 % (BaP alone) to 83.5 % under co-exposure with 8 mg/L PS NPs, accompanied by α-helix elevation and Trp microenvironment perturbation that exacerbated active-site obstruction. These findings revealed PS NPs' dual toxicity profiles: cellular oxidative mitigation versus molecular-level synergistic inhibition. The established "intracellular alleviation-molecular interference" paradigm provided a theoretical foundation for developing a dual-parameter risk warning system integrating membrane integrity and enzyme conformational efficacy.
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Compound effect and mechanism of oxidative damage induced by nanoplastics and benzo [a] pyrene
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Researchers examined how polystyrene nanoplastics and a common environmental pollutant called benzo[a]pyrene work together to cause oxidative damage in earthworm cells. They found that the two contaminants had a synergistic toxic effect, with combined exposure producing significantly higher levels of cell-damaging reactive oxygen species than either pollutant alone. The study suggests that nanoplastics may enhance the harmful effects of other soil pollutants by altering how they interact with living cells.
Molecular mechanisms of nano-sized polystyrene plastics induced cytotoxicity and immunotoxicity in Eisenia fetida
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Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics affect earthworm immune cells and found that exposure caused significant oxidative stress, DNA damage, and weakened immune function. The nanoplastics physically bound to and damaged lysozyme, a key immune protein, impairing the earthworms' ability to fight off infections. Since earthworms are essential soil organisms, this immune damage could have cascading effects on soil health and the agricultural systems that humans depend on.
Amplification of benzo[a]pyrene toxicity persistence in earthworms by polystyrene nanoplastics: From organismal health to molecular responses
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This study found that nanoplastics can make a common cancer-causing pollutant (benzo[a]pyrene) more persistent and toxic in soil. Earthworms exposed to the pollutant carried on nanoplastics showed greater oxidative damage than those exposed to the pollutant alone. This matters because nanoplastics in the environment may act as carriers that amplify the harmful effects of other toxic chemicals.
Environmental relevant concentrations of polystyrene nanoplastics and lead co-exposure triggered cellular cytotoxicity responses and underlying mechanisms in Eisenia fetida
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Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and lead, a toxic heavy metal, interact when earthworm immune cells are exposed to both simultaneously at environmentally realistic concentrations. The combined exposure caused more severe cell damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation than either pollutant alone. The findings suggest that nanoplastics can increase the harmful effects of heavy metals on soil organisms, raising concerns about the real-world impact of mixed contaminant exposure.
New regulatory mechanisms of polystyrene nanoplastics on the ecological risk of zinc: Cellular oxidative injury and molecular toxicity mechanisms in soil sentinel organisms (Eisenia fetida)
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Researchers investigated how nanoplastics and zinc interact to affect earthworm cells and a key antioxidant defense enzyme. While nanoplastics alone had minimal effect, combining them with zinc dramatically increased cell death beyond what zinc caused on its own, and molecular modeling showed nanoplastics can physically bind to and potentially block the antioxidant enzyme. The findings suggest that nanoplastics may worsen the toxicity of heavy metals in soil by interfering with organisms' natural defense mechanisms.
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