Combined effect of arsenic and polystyrene-nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations in mice liver: Activation of apoptosis, pyroptosis and excessive autophagy.

Environmental microplastics exposure decreases antioxidant ability, perturbs gut microbial homeostasis and metabolism in chicken.

Micro(nano)plastic (MNP) pollutants have not only impacted human health directly, but are also associated with numerous chemical contaminants that increase toxicity in the natural environment. Most recent research about increasing plastic pollutants in natural environments have focused on the toxic effects of MNPs in water, the atmosphere, and soil. The methodologies of MNP identification have been extensively developed for actual applications, but they still require further study, including on-site detection. This review article provides a comprehensive update on the facile detection of MNPs by Raman spectroscopy, which aims at early diagnosis of potential risks and human health impacts. In particular, Raman imaging and nanostructure-enhanced Raman scattering have emerged as effective analytical technologies for identifying MNPs in an environment. Here, the authors give an update on the latest advances in plasmonic nanostructured materials-assisted SERS substrates utilized for the detection of MNP particles present in environmental samples. Moreover, this work describes different plasmonic materials-including pure noble metal nanostructured materials and hybrid nanomaterials-that have been used to fabricate and develop SERS platforms to obtain the identifying MNP particles at low concentrations. Plasmonic nanostructure-enhanced materials consisting of pure noble metals and hybrid nanomaterials can significantly enhance the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra signals of pollutant analytes due to their localized hot spots. This concise topical review also provides updates on recent developments and trends in MNP detection by means of SERS using a variety of unique materials, along with three-dimensional (3D) SERS substrates, nanopipettes, and microfluidic chips. A novel material-assisted spectral Raman technique and its effective application are also introduced for selective monitoring and trace detection of MNPs in indoor and outdoor environments. 

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Advanced microplastic monitoring using Raman spectroscopy with a combination of nanostructure-based substrates

Environmental exposure to microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) is an increasing concern from human health perspectives. Little information on the genotoxic and cytotoxic potential of NP particles in human cells is available. We aimed to assess the cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs) at different concentrations (2000μg/mL, 1000μg/mL, and 500μg/mL) by using chromosomal aberration (CA) and cytokinesis-block micronucleus assays (CBMN) on human peripheral lymphocytes. Dose-dependent hemolytic activity and cell viability were observed against the PSNPs exposure. Increased chromosomal aberrations, such as chromosomal breaks and dicentric chromosomes, and an increase in nucleoplasmic bridge (NBP) formation and nuclear budding (NBUD) were observed. The frequency of mitotic index (MI) decreased significantly in the PSNP-exposed groups from lower to higher concentrations. A significant increase in micronuclei (MN) formation and cytostasis% and a dose-dependent reduction in nuclear division index (NDI) in PSNP-exposed groups indicated oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxicity, DNA damage, and genomic instabilities due to PSNP exposure in human lymphocyte cells. This study highlights the importance of understanding the toxic mechanisms and associated chronic and acute health effects on humans due to exposure to this pervasive environmental pollutant. 

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The Biological Effects of Polystyrene Nanoplastics on Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) pollution has become an increasingly serious environmental problem, drawing widespread attentions. Owing to the small size, they could be potentially accumulated and translocated in different organs, tissues, and organelles of organisms and human beings, which in turn possibly causes adverse effects on human health. Some of the organelles are very sensitive to environmental pollutants, including MPs and NPs. In this review, we summarized and discussed the cellular uptake, intracellular transport, and induced organelle response of MPs and NPs. We first discussed the cellular uptake pathways, as well as the intracellular transportation, of MPs and NPs at sizes ranging from tens of nanometers to microns. Both endocytosis and passive diffusion were required for the cellular uptake of MPs and NPs. In the cells, some organelles, such as endosome, autophagosome, and lysosome, were involved in MPs and NPs transportation. We further introduced the roles of different organelles in toxicity induction of MPs and NPs and the relevant influencing factors including plastic size, surface modification, exposure concentration, and exposure model. The organelles of mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus, and cytoskeleton played important roles in the toxicity induction of MPs and NPs toxicity. Moreover, we proposed further research perspectives with the concern of environmental control and health risk assessment. Owing to the long-term existence of MPs and NPs, the control of production and environmental monitoring of MPs and NPs at the cellular level should be taken into consideration in the future.Graphical Abstract 

Cellular Uptake, Transport, and Organelle Response After Exposure to Microplastics and Nanoplastics: Current Knowledge and Perspectives for Environmental and Health Risks

Nanoplastics aggravate the toxicity of arsenic to AGS cells by disrupting ABC transporter and cytoskeleton

The coexistence of nanoplastics (NPs) and various pollutants in the marine environment has become a problem that cannot be ignored. NPs and marine algae toxins are found in marine organisms and both can enter the human body through the food chain. However, the joint toxic effects of marine algae toxins and NPs on human health remain unknown. In this study, the joint toxic effects and mechanisms of polystyrene (PS) NPs and okadaic acid (OA) were investigated on human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells. AGS cells were exposed to 20 nm PS (0.5, 8 μg mL−1) or/and OA (5, 10 ng mL−1), and their cytotoxicity was assessed by measuring relevant indicators, transcriptomics, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Our data indicated that the joint toxicity of PS and OA to AGS cells was mainly characterized by a decrease in cell viability, depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, and a decrease in IL10 and p53 protein activity, accompanied by an increase in intracellular ROS production and calcium and IL8 levels in comparison with single contaminants. In addition, co-exposure to PS and OA caused cellular damage by activating PI3K/AKT, ERK/c-FOS and caspase-3/caspase-9 signaling pathways. Moreover, the high concentration of PS significantly enhanced the toxicity of OA. WGCNA highlighted enrichment in the Fanconi anemia pathway and MAPK signaling pathway and identified that IER3 was the hub gene in PS and OA co-exposed AGS cells. The results of this study provided insights into the joint toxicity evaluation of NPs and marine algae toxins.

Peichun Lin

Papers

Nanoplastics aggravate the toxicity of arsenic to AGS cells by disrupting ABC transporter and cytoskeleton

Do polystyrene nanoplastics aggravate the toxicity of single contaminants (okadaic acid)? Using AGS cells as a biological model