Nanopolystyrene at predicted environmental concentration enhances microcystin-LR toxicity by inducing intestinal damage in Caenorhabditis elegans.

We employed nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to determine the combinational effect between nanopolystyrene at predicted environmental concentration and microcystin-LR (MC-LR). Prolonged exposure to nanopolystyrene (1 µg/L) increased MC-LR (0.1 µg/L) toxicity in reducing brood size and locomotion behavior and in inducing oxidative stress. Moreover, the adsorption of MC-LR by nanopolystyrene particles played an important role in inducing the enhancement in MC-LR toxicity by nanopolystyrene particles. Additionally, only exposure to resuspension of nanopolystyrene (1 µg/L) caused the increased intestinal permeability in MC-LR (0.1 µg/L) exposed nematodes. Our data indicates the potential of nanopolystyrene at predicted environmental concentration in enhancing MC-LR toxicity on environmental organisms.