Maternal transfer of nanoplastics to offspring in zebrafish (Danio rerio): A case study with nanopolystyrene
Open accessAbstract
Plastics are ubiquitous anthropogenic contaminants that are a growing concern in aquatic environments. The ecological implications of macroplastics pollution are well documented, but less is known about nanoplastics. The current study investigates the potential adverse effects of nanoplastics, which likely contribute to the ecological burden of plastic pollution. To this end, we examined whether a dietary exposure of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) to polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) could lead to the transfer of nanoplastics to the offspring, and whether nanoplastics exposure affects zebrafish physiology. Specifically, adult female and male zebrafish (F0 generation) were exposed to PS NPs via diet for one week and bred to produce the F1 generation. Four F1 groups were generated: control (unexposed females and males), maternal (exposed females), paternal (exposed males), and co-parental (exposed males and females). Co-parental PS NP exposure did not significantly affect reproductive success. Assessment of tissues from F0 fish revealed that exposure to PS NPs significantly reduced glutathione reductase activity in brain, muscle, and testes, but did not affect mitochondrial function parameters in heart or gonads. Assessment of F1 embryos and larvae revealed that PS NPs were present in the yolk sac, gastrointestinal tract, liver, and pancreas of the maternally and co-parentally exposed F1 embryos/larvae. Bradycardia was also observed in embryos from maternal and co-parental exposure groups. In addition, the activity of glutathione reductase and the levels of thiols were reduced in F1 embryos/larvae from maternal and/or co-parental exposure groups. Mitochondrial function and locomotor activity were not affected in F1 larvae. This study demonstrates that (i) PS NPs are transferred from mothers to offspring, and (ii) exposure to PS NPs modifies the antioxidant system in adult tissues and F1 larvae. We conclude that PS NPs could bioaccumulate and be passed on to the offspring, but this does not lead to major physiological disturbances.
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At least for fish, nanoplastics can cross the blood brain barrier, accumulate in several vital organs, and disrupt metabolism and hormonal signalling.
“Noteworthy is that at least for sh, nanoplastics can cross the blood brain barrier, 16 accumulate in several vital organs, 158,159 and disrupt metabolism and hormonal signalling.158”
From The fate of plastic in the ocean environment – a minireview (2021) · cites this paper as [159]
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- Authors
- Pitt, J. A., Trevisan, R., Massarsky, A., Kozal, J. S., Levin, E. D., & Di Giulio, R. T.
- Affiliations
- SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (US)
- Duke University (US)
- Duke Medical Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Trevisan, Rafael
- Venue
- Science of The Total Environment
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-12
- Volume
- 643
- Pages
- 324-334
- ISSN
- 0048-9697 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7012458
- OpenAlex
- W2809581146
- Cited by
- 413
- References
- 62
- Citations by year
- 2026: 39 · 2025: 63 · 2024: 64 · 2023: 64 · 2022: 75 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 17
- FWCI
- 10.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- The Science of The Total Environment (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Duke's Superfund Research Center (NIEHS P42-ES010356)
- Duke's Program in Environmental Health (NIEHS T32-ES021432)
- Duke's Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (NSF 3331894)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Keywords
- nanoplastics, polystyrene nanoparticles, maternal transfer, transgenerational transfer, zebrafish, dietary exposure, glutathione reductase, antioxidant defense, thiols, mitochondrial function, bradycardia, embryonic development, bioaccumulation, plastic pollution
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Female, Larva, Male, Polystyrenes, Reproduction, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Zebrafish, Nanoparticles
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