Abstract:
Micro/nanoplastics can act as vectors for organic pollutants and enhance their toxicity, which has been attributed to the ingestion by organisms and the \"Trojan horse effect\". In this study, we disclosed a non-ingestion pathway for the toxicity enhancement effect of nanoplastics. Initially, the combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics (40 μm) or nanoplastics (50 nm) with three disinfection byproducts (DBPs) to a marine polychaete, Platynereis dumerilii, was investigated. No toxic effect was observed for the micro/nanoplastics alone. The microplastics showed no effect on the toxicity of the three DBPs, whereas the nanoplastics significantly enhanced the toxicity of two aromatic DBPs when the polychaete was in its non-feeding early life stage throughout the exposure period. The microplastics showed no interaction with the P. dumerilii embryos, whereas the nanoplastics agglomerated strongly on the embryonic chorion and fully encapsulated the embryos. This could contribute to higher actual exposure concentrations in the microenvironment around the embryos, as the concentrations of the two aromatic DBPs on the nanoplastics were 1200 and 120 times higher than those in bulk solution. Our findings highlight an important and previously overlooked mechanism by which nanoplastics and organic pollutants, such as DBPs, pose a higher risk to marine species at their vulnerable early life stages. This study may contribute to a broader understanding of the environmental impacts of plastic pollution and underscore the necessity to mitigate their risks associated with DBPs.
摘要:
微/纳米塑料可以作为有机污染物的载体并增强其毒性,这归因于生物体的摄入和“特洛伊木马效应”。在这项研究中,我们公开了纳米塑料毒性增强作用的非摄取途径。最初,聚苯乙烯微塑料(40μm)或纳米塑料(50nm)与三种消毒副产物(DBP)对海洋多毛菌的综合毒性,Platynerererii,被调查。对于单独的微米/纳米塑料没有观察到毒性作用。微塑料对三种DBP的毒性没有影响,而纳米塑料显着增强了两种芳香族DBPs的毒性,当多毛类在整个暴露期间处于其非进食早期生命阶段时。微塑料没有显示出与杜马里里伊人胚胎的相互作用,而纳米塑料在胚胎绒毛膜上强烈聚集并完全包裹胚胎。这可能导致胚胎周围微环境中更高的实际暴露浓度,因为纳米塑料上的芳香族DBPs的浓度是本体溶液中的1200和120倍。我们的发现强调了一个重要的和以前被忽视的机制,纳米塑料和有机污染物,例如DBP,对处于脆弱早期生命阶段的海洋物种构成更高的风险。这项研究可能有助于更广泛地了解塑料污染对环境的影响,并强调必须减轻与DBP相关的风险。