Field-Recovered Polystyrene Exposure Alters Developmental Endocrine Signaling and Cholinergic Function in the Plastivorous Insect Zophobas morio
- 1School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III Da Varano, I-62032 Camerino, MC, Italy
Abstract
The use of insect larvae for plastic waste biodegradation has attracted increasing attention as a potential strategy to mitigate environmental plastic pollution. However, the toxicological consequences of ingesting plastics recovered from the environment, particularly those acting as vectors for sorbed contaminants, remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the endocrine and neurotoxic effects of field-recovered (environmental) polystyrene (ePS) in the plastivorous insect Zophobas morio. Larvae were fed virgin PS (vPS) or PS collected from a marine coastal area known to be impacted by anthropogenic activities. Chemical analyses revealed that ePS was characterized by a mixture of organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides, with a total complex residue concentration of 23.7 ± 5.5 µg g−1, whereas only trace levels of hexachlorocyclopentadiene (HCCPD) were detected in vPS (2.55 ± 0.65 µg g−1). All compounds detected in ePS were also detected in larvae from the ePS-fed group, indicating effective trophic transfer from plastic to the organism. Despite the absence of mortality, PS-fed larvae exhibited reduced growth compared to controls. At the molecular level, ingestion of ePS caused a significant downregulation of key genes involved in the ecdysteroid signaling pathway (ecdysone receptor, EcR; ultraspiracle, USP; and early response genes E74 and E75), coupled with an upregulation of juvenile hormone-responsive genes (methoprene-tolerant, Met; Krüppel homolog 1, Kr-h1), suggesting endocrine imbalance potentially affecting developmental progression. In parallel, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzymatic activity was significantly inhibited, particularly in larvae fed ePS, despite no changes in AChE or acetylcholine receptor transcript levels, indicating functional neurotoxicity. This study highlights the importance of considering plastic-associated contaminant toxicity when evaluating insect-based plastic biodegradation strategies.
Related
- Bioflocculation of polystyrene microplastics using dried Nostoc spp. biomass: laboratory performance, response modeling, and mechanistic assessment
- Expanded Polystyrene Exposure and Nitrite-Related Absorbance in Eisenia fetida
- Synergistic degradation of polystyrene nanoplastics in water: Harnessing solar and water-driven energy through a Z-scheme SnO2/g-C3N4/PVDF-HFP piezo-photocatalytic system
- From inhibition to recovery: metabolic rebound of Microcystis aeruginosa following pulse exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics
- Polystyrene Nanoplastics Drive β‐Cell Dedifferentiation Through Dendritic Cell‐Intrinsic MHC‐I‐Dependent Inflammatory Crosstalk
BibTeX
@article{cocci2026fieldrecovered,
title = {{Field-Recovered Polystyrene Exposure Alters Developmental Endocrine Signaling and Cholinergic Function in the Plastivorous Insect Zophobas morio}},
author = {Paolo Cocci and Mario Marconi and Gilberto Mosconi and Francesco Alessandro Palermo},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27198794},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/19/8794},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Field-Recovered Polystyrene Exposure Alters Developmental Endocrine Signaling and Cholinergic Function in the Plastivorous Insect Zophobas morio
AU - Paolo Cocci
AU - Mario Marconi
AU - Gilberto Mosconi
AU - Francesco Alessandro Palermo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27198794
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/19/8794
AB - The use of insect larvae for plastic waste biodegradation has attracted increasing attention as a potential strategy to mitigate environmental plastic pollution. However, the toxicological consequences of ingesting plastics recovered from the environment, particularly those acting as vectors for sorbed contaminants, remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the endocrine and neurotoxic effects of field-recovered (environmental) polystyrene (ePS) in the plastivorous insect Zophobas morio. Larvae were fed virgin PS (vPS) or PS collected from a marine coastal area known to be impacted by anthropogenic activities. Chemical analyses revealed that ePS was characterized by a mixture of organochlorine and organophosphorus pesticides, with a total complex residue concentration of 23.7 ± 5.5 µg g−1, whereas only trace levels of hexachlorocyclopentadiene (HCCPD) were detected in vPS (2.55 ± 0.65 µg g−1). All compounds detected in ePS were also detected in larvae from the ePS-fed group, indicating effective trophic transfer from plastic to the organism. Despite the absence of mortality, PS-fed larvae exhibited reduced growth compared to controls. At the molecular level, ingestion of ePS caused a significant downregulation of key genes involved in the ecdysteroid signaling pathway (ecdysone receptor, EcR; ultraspiracle, USP; and early response genes E74 and E75), coupled with an upregulation of juvenile hormone-responsive genes (methoprene-tolerant, Met; Krüppel homolog 1, Kr-h1), suggesting endocrine imbalance potentially affecting developmental progression. In parallel, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzymatic activity was significantly inhibited, particularly in larvae fed ePS, despite no changes in AChE or acetylcholine receptor transcript levels, indicating functional neurotoxicity. This study highlights the importance of considering plastic-associated contaminant toxicity when evaluating insect-based plastic biodegradation strategies.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -