Autore: Tiziano Bonato, Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, via Loredan 18, 35131 Padova, Italy
tiziano.bonato@ubep.unipd.it
Clara Benna
Categoria Primaria: Ambiente e salute
Introduction The presence of both Nanoplastics (NPs) (plastic particles < 1 µm) and Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is ubiquitous in the environment and through the water can be transferred to the food chain posing great risks to human health. Although plastics in the environment can interact with pollutants due to their inherent hydrophobic properties, little is known about their combined effects on living organisms.
Objectives The objective of the present study was to fill these knowledge gaps by evaluating the genotoxic effects of NPs and two of the most representative PFAS, PFOA, and PFHxA, both alone and in combination, on D. magna, a widely distributed model organism throughout the planet in all types of freshwater systems and part of the food chain.
Methods Experiments were carried out that examined the interactions of PFOA, PFHxA (both linear and branched) and NPs on physiological endpoints in D. magna. Furthermore, the transcriptional responses of ten target genes related to detoxification, molting and reproduction (DHR96, P-gp, CYP360A8, GST, CYP314, EcRb, Vtg, CAT, GPX, and GCLC) were determined by performing a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR) after juvenile D. magna was exposed for 96 hours.
Results The results showed that the simultaneous presence of PFAS and NPs affected development and reproduction more after chronic exposure than PFAS alone. In addition, in juvenile D. magna, gene expression was significantly altered by PFOA and PFHxA (DHR96, CYP260A8, and GCLC), both linear and branched, by NPs (DHR96, CYP360A8, EcRb, Vtg, CYP314, and GCLC) and up to five times more in mixtures of PFOA, PFHxA and NPs.
Conclusions Our results emphasized that PFOA and PFHxA should be of concern when interacting with coexisting NPs in the aquatic environment.