Toxic impact of polystyrene microplastic particles in freshwater organisms

Nugnes, Roberta; Lavorgna, Margherita; Orlo, Elena; Russo, Chiara; Isidori, Marina

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134373

Cited by 55 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…In plant cells, ROS molecules can be formed as the by-products of metabolic functions seen primarily in peroxisomes, chloroplasts, and mitochondria during electron transport, as well as in small amounts in the endoplasmic reticulum. In this work, polystyrene nanoparticles were shown to induce increased ROS molecule synthesis in C. closterium cells, consistent with the results reported by Nugnes et al [57], wherein polystyrene microparticles caused increased ROS molecule synthesis in C. dubia after only 24 h. ROS molecules can interact in cells, not only with biologically important molecules, such as proteins and DNA but also with lipids, leading to their peroxidation and, in cases of severe oxidative stress, leading to cell death [30,58]. We have shown that exposure to both types of polystyrene nanoparticles leads to lipid peroxidation (Figure 6), probably through the increased synthesis of ROS molecules, which consequently interact with lipid molecules, as is consistent with the results reported by Hazeem et al [27].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Nanoplastic-Induced Nanostructural, Nanomechanical, and Antioxidant Response of Marine Diatom Cylindrotheca closterium

Radić

Vukosav

Komazec

et al. 2022

Water

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The aim of this study was to examine the effect of positively charged (amine-modified) and negatively charged (carboxyl-modified) polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs) on the nanostructural, nanomechanical, and antioxidant responses of the marine diatom Cylindrotheca closterium. The results showed that both types of PS NPs, regardless of surface charge, significantly inhibited the growth of C. closterium during short-term exposure (3 and 4 days). However, longer exposure (14 days) to both PS NPs types did not significantly inhibit growth, which might be related to the detoxifying effect of the microalgal extracellular polymers (EPS) and the higher cell abundance per PS NPs concentration. The exposure of C. closterium to both types of PS NPs at concentrations above the corresponding concentrations that resulted in a 50% reduction of growth (EC50) demonstrated phytotoxic effects, mainly due to the excessive production of reactive oxygen species, resulting in increased oxidative damage to lipids and changes to antioxidant enzyme activities. Diatoms exposed to nanoplastics also showed a significant decrease in cell wall rigidity, which could make the cells more vulnerable. Atomic force microscopy images showed that positively charged PS NPs were mainly adsorbed on the cell surface, while both types of PS NPs were incorporated into the EPS that serves to protect the cells. Since microalgal EPS are an important food source for phytoplankton grazers and higher trophic levels, the incorporation of NPs into the EPS and interactions with the cell walls themselves may pose a major threat to marine microalgae and higher trophic levels and, consequently, to the health and stability of the marine ecosystem.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Nanoplastic-Induced Nanostructural, Nanomechanical, and Antioxidant Response of Marine Diatom Cylindrotheca closterium

Radić

Vukosav

Komazec

et al. 2022

Water

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“…To ensure consistency of the evolution assay and ensure that the emergence of gene mutations is attributed to the sole presence of PS microplastics, we used uniform spherical PS microplastics with a consistent size (1 μm) with no additives to ensure that PS microplastics are the only stimuli inducing bacterial evolution. The microplastic sizes of 1 μm were consistent with the microplastic size classification scheme, and PS is one of the most common plastic pollutants in the environment with toxicity to organisms. , PS is known to cause toxicity to bacteria, , so it serves as an environmental stress to promote bacterial mutations. We also used 1 mg/L of PS microplastics for the assay, whose concentration was within the concentration range used in research and in polluted environments. , …”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 76%

“…The microplastic sizes of 1 μm were consistent with the microplastic size classification scheme, 21 and PS is one of the most common plastic pollutants in the environment with toxicity to organisms. 22,23 PS is known to cause toxicity to bacteria, 24,25 so it serves as an environmental stress to promote bacterial mutations. We also used 1 mg/L of PS microplastics for the assay, whose concentration was within the concentration range used in research and in polluted environments.…”

Section: Growth Of Biofilms With Microplasticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial–Enzymatic Combinatorial Approach to Capture and Release Microplastics

Chan

Wong

Kwan

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett.

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Difficult-to-remove microplastic pollution poses serious risks to ecosystems and human health. Sewage treatment plants also cannot remove microplastics completely with filters or harsh chemical treatments. It is imperative to develop biotechnologies that aggregate microplastics into larger sizes for rapid removal from polluted waters. Using experimental evolution, we generated microplastic aggregators (MAGs) from the environmentally prevalent Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which are evolved to aggregate microplastics into sizable aggregates via biofilm formation. This is mediated by upregulation of a cyclic-di-GMP (c-di-GMP) secondary messenger signaling system found in most bacterial species. Comparative genomic analysis of MAGs revealed mutations in the yfiR gene, which is the repressor of tpbB, a c-di-GMP synthesizing diguanylate cyclase (DGC). Derepression of tpbB conferred MAGs with high intracellular c-di-GMP content and production of a CdrA biofilm matrix protein, resulting in higher biofilm formation and aggregation of microplastics with various sizes and materials. To release microplastics from the aggregates for downstream resource recovery, we employed protease (trypsin) to degrade CdrA and disrupt the biofilm matrix. As a proof-of-concept method, we demonstrated that a capture-then-release approach could mitigate microplastic pollution in seawater samples collected in the vicinity of a sewage outfall. Hence, our work provides insights into efficient biological removal of other micropollutants or biofilm-enabled catalysis of microparticles.

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“…It is reasonable to assume that microplastics could be produced if the microfibres (as seen in Fig. 4 ) degrade in an uncontrolled manner and eventually enter the environment via aquatic routes or food chains 53 . The current methods for treating disposable masks, e.g., landfill and incineration, will not significantly improve this situation 54 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasma degradation of contaminated PPE: an energy-efficient method to treat contaminated plastic waste

et al. 2023

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The use of PPE has drastically increased because of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic as disposable surgical face masks made from non-biodegradable polypropylene (PP) polymers have generated a significant amount of waste. In this work, a low-power plasma method has been used to degrade surgical masks. Several analytical techniques (gravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection-infra-red spectroscopy (ATR-IR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry (TGA/DSC) and wide-angle x-ray scattering (WAXS)) were used to evaluate the effects of plasma irradiation on mask samples. After 4 h of irradiation, an overall mass loss of 63 ± 8%, through oxidation followed by fragmentation, was observed on the non-woven 3-ply surgical mask, which is 20 times faster than degrading a bulk PP sample. Individual components of the mask also showed different degradation rates. Air plasma clearly represents an energy-efficient tool for treating contaminated PPE in an environmentally friendly approach.

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Toxic impact of polystyrene microplastic particles in freshwater organisms

Cited by 55 publications

References 64 publications

Nanoplastic-Induced Nanostructural, Nanomechanical, and Antioxidant Response of Marine Diatom Cylindrotheca closterium

Nanoplastic-Induced Nanostructural, Nanomechanical, and Antioxidant Response of Marine Diatom Cylindrotheca closterium

Microbial–Enzymatic Combinatorial Approach to Capture and Release Microplastics

Plasma degradation of contaminated PPE: an energy-efficient method to treat contaminated plastic waste

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