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Distinctive impact of polystyrene nano-spherules as an emergent pollutant toward the environment

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Abstract

The increasing load of nanoplastic pollution in the environment has become a major concern toward human and environmental safety. The current investigation mainly focused on assessing the toxic behavior of nanoplastics (polystyrene nano-spheres (PNS)) toward blood cells and marine crustacean. The study also investigated the temporal stability of PNS under different water matrices and its size-dependent sedimentation behavior in the sea water dispersion. The nano-dispersion showed mean particle size of 561.4 ± 0.80 and 613.7 ± 0.11 nm for PNS 1 and 781.4 ± 0.80 and 913.7 ± 0.11 nm for PNS 2 in lake and seawater, respectively after 48-h incubation, which is ~ 8-fold increase from its original size. The LC50 value against Artemia salina and lymphocytes were found to be 4.82 and 8.79 μg/mL, and 75 μg/mL, respectively for PNS 1 and PNS 2. The genotoxic study reveals that around 50% of lymphocytes were affected by both PNS at 50 μg/mL concentration, whereas the cytotoxic studies on RBC and lymphocytes showed 50% toxicity only at 100 μg/mL concentration. The genotoxic study displayed numerous tri- and multi-nucleated cells. The biochemical profile of A. salina exposed to lethal concentration demonstrated a significant decrease in the total protein, reduced glutathione, and catalase activity and increase in lipid peroxidation activity as a result of PNS permeation to tissues. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the polystyrene nano-spheres are emerging pollutant in the environment and are hazardous to humans.

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Acknowledgements

We extend our profound thanks to VIT, Vellore for providing the proper lab amenities to carry out this research work. We greatly appreciate the efforts of Dr. P.M.Gopinath, DST-NPDF, Centre for Nanobiotechnology, VIT University, Vellore, in the data analysis and revision process.

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  1. Centre for Nanobiotechnology, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India

    Prabhakar Mishra, Saranya Vinayagam, Kuppendran Duraisamy, Shrigouri Ravindrakumar Patil, Jueelee Godbole, Alina Mohan, Amitava Mukherjee & Natarajan Chandrasekaran

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  1. Prabhakar Mishra
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  2. Saranya Vinayagam
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  3. Kuppendran Duraisamy
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Correspondence to Natarajan Chandrasekaran.

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Mishra, P., Vinayagam, S., Duraisamy, K. et al. Distinctive impact of polystyrene nano-spherules as an emergent pollutant toward the environment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 1537–1547 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3698-z

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