Nanoplastics amplify 6PPD ocular toxicity in zebrafish

Area of Science:

• Environmental Toxicology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecotoxicology

Background:

• Nanoplastics and tire-derived chemicals are common aquatic co-pollutants.
• These pollutants pose risks to vertebrate development via increased bioavailability and toxicity.
• Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS) can carry chemicals like 6PPD, increasing tissue accumulation and oxidative stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the combined impact of PS and 6PPD on vertebrate visual development.
• To explore the synergistic toxicity of nanoplastics and tire chemicals on ocular morphogenesis.
• To understand the mechanisms behind enhanced toxicity in aquatic organisms.

Main Methods:

• Utilized zebrafish embryos as a model organism for co-exposure studies.
• Integrated phenotypic, histological, and multi-omics analyses.
• Assessed ocular toxicity, cell death, and phototaxis in response to PS and 6PPD.

Main Results:

• Co-exposure to PS and 6PPD caused significant potentiation of ocular toxicity compared to individual exposures.
• Observed myopia-like malformations, increased cell death, impaired phototaxis, lens and retinal damage, and aberrant vascularization.
• PS enhanced 6PPD bioaccumulation in ocular tissues, leading to dysregulated pathways including oxidative stress and retinoic acid metabolism.

Conclusions:

• Nanoplastic-chemical interactions represent an emerging threat to aquatic visual function.
• Combined pollution impacts survival behaviors and ecosystem health.
• Findings underscore the need to address synergistic effects of ubiquitous co-pollutants.