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Ferrari M, Laranjeiro F, Sugrañes M, Oliva J, Beiras R. Weathering increases the acute toxicity of plastic pellets leachates to sea-urchin larvae-a case study with environmental samples. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11784. [PMID: 38782918 PMCID: PMC11116416 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60886-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Microplastics, particles under 5 mm, pervade aquatic environments, notably in Tarragona's coastal region (NE Iberian Peninsula), hosting a major plastic production complex. To investigate weathering and yellowness impact on plastic pellets toxicity, sea-urchin embryo tests were conducted with pellets from three locations-near the source and at increasing distances. Strikingly, distant samples showed toxicity to invertebrate early stages, contrasting with innocuous results near the production site. Follow-up experiments highlighted the significance of weathering and yellowing in elevated pellet toxicity, with more weathered and colored pellets exhibiting toxicity. This research underscores the overlooked realm of plastic leachate impact on marine organisms while proposes that prolonged exposure of plastic pellets in the environment may lead to toxicity. Despite shedding light on potential chemical sorption as a toxicity source, further investigations are imperative to comprehend weathering, yellowing, and chemical accumulation in plastic particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Ferrari
- ECIMAT, Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM), Universidade de Vigo, 36331, Vigo, Galicia, Spain
| | - Filipe Laranjeiro
- ECIMAT, Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM), Universidade de Vigo, 36331, Vigo, Galicia, Spain
| | - Marta Sugrañes
- Associació Good Karma Projects, Manila 49 Àtic 2, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Oliva
- Associació Good Karma Projects, Manila 49 Àtic 2, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ricardo Beiras
- ECIMAT, Centro de Investigación Mariña (CIM), Universidade de Vigo, 36331, Vigo, Galicia, Spain.
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2
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Bucci K, Bayoumi M, Stevack K, Watson-Leung T, Rochman CM. Microplastics may induce food dilution and endocrine disrupting effects in fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), and decrease offspring quality. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 345:123551. [PMID: 38350533 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics are a complex environmental contaminant that have been reported to cause a variety of impacts, although the mechanism of these impacts remains unclear. Many studies have investigated either sub-organismal or apical endpoints, while very few have attempted to integrate and link endpoints seen at multiple levels of organization. Here, we exposed fathead minnows to microplastics for their entire lifecycle, from the egg stage through to reproduction, and raised a subset of the offspring in clean water. We show that both preconsumer and environmentally sourced microplastics impact adult growth, lipid storage, and external colouration, suggesting a potential food dilution effect. Environmentally sourced microplastics, but not preconsumer microplastics, had further endocrine disrupting impacts on the parental generation and their offspring in the low concentration treatments such that egg production began later, eggs were less viable, and the offspring had higher rates of malformation. Low dose effects are a typical dose-response for endocrine disrupting contaminants. These results suggest that microplastic exposure, at concentrations relevant to what is being found in the environment, has potential implications for forage fish populations. Our findings also highlight the importance of using an integrative approach to understanding the mechanisms behind how and why microplastics impact organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennedy Bucci
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, M5S 3B1, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Malak Bayoumi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, M5S 3B1, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kathleen Stevack
- Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, M9P 3V6, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
| | - Trudy Watson-Leung
- Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, M9P 3V6, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chelsea M Rochman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, M5S 3B1, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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3
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Weir EM, Kidd KA, Hamilton BM, Wu J, Servos MR, Bartlett AJ, Tetreault GR, Gillis PL. Microparticles in Wild and Caged Biota, Sediments, and Water Relative to Large Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Discharges. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2024. [PMID: 38450757 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenically modified microparticles including microplastics are present in municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents; however, it is unclear whether biotic exposures are elevated downstream of these outfalls. In the fall of 2019, the present study examined whether microparticle levels in resident fish, environmental samples, and caged organisms were elevated near the Waterloo and Kitchener WWTP outfalls along the Grand River, Ontario, Canada. Wild rainbow darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) were collected from a total of 10 sites upstream and downstream of both WWTPs, along with surface water and sediment samples to assess spatial patterns over an approximately 70-km river stretch. Amphipods (Hyalella azteca), fluted-shell mussels (Lasmigona costata), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were also caged upstream and downstream of one WWTP for 14 or 28 days. Whole amphipods, fish digestive tracts, and mussel tissues (hemolymph, digestive glands, gills) were digested with potassium hydroxide, whereas environmental samples were processed using filtration and density separation. Visual identification, measurement, and chemical confirmation (subset only) of microparticles were completed. Elevated abiotic microparticles were found at several upstream reference sites as well as at one or both wastewater-impacted sites. Microparticles in amphipods, all mussel tissues, and wild fish did not show patterns indicative of increased exposures downstream of effluent discharges. In contrast, elevated microparticle counts were found in trout caged directly downstream of the outfall. Across all samples, cellulose fibers (mainly blue and clear colors) were the most common. Overall, results suggest little influence of WWTP effluents on microparticles in biota but rather a ubiquitous presence across most sites that indicates the importance of other point and nonpoint sources to this system. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-15. © 2024 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellie M Weir
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bonnie M Hamilton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jiabao Wu
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark R Servos
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adrienne J Bartlett
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gerald R Tetreault
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patricia L Gillis
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
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4
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Junaid M, Liu S, Chen G, Liao H, Wang J. Transgenerational impacts of micro(nano)plastics in the aquatic and terrestrial environment. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 443:130274. [PMID: 36327853 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plastic particles of diameters ranging from 1 to 1000 nm and > 1 µm to 5 mm are respectively known as nanoplastics and microplastics, and are collectively termed micro(nano)plastics (MNPs). They are ubiquitously present in aquatic and terrestrial environments, posing adverse multifaceted ecological impacts. Recent transgenerational studies have demonstrated that MNPs negatively impact both the exposed parents and their unexposed generations. Therefore, this review summarizes the available research on the transgenerational impacts of MNPs in aquatic and terrestrial organisms, induced by exposure to MNPs alone or in combination with other organic and inorganic chemicals. The most commonly reported transgenerational effects of MNPs include tissue bioaccumulation and transfer, affecting organisms' survival, growth, reproduction, and energy metabolism; inducing oxidative stress; enzyme and genetic responses; and causing tissue damage. Similarly, co-exposure to MNPs and chemicals (organic and inorganic pollutants) significantly impacts survival, growth, and reproduction and induces oxidative stress, thyroid disruption, and genetic toxicity in organisms. The characteristics of MNPs (degree of aging, size, shape, polymer type, and concentration), exposure type and duration (parental exposure vs. multigenerational exposure and acute exposure vs. chronic exposure), and MNP-chemical interactions are the main factors affecting transgenerational impacts. Selecting MNP properties based on their realistic environmental behavior, employing more diverse animal models, and considering chronic exposure and MNP-chemical mixture exposure are salient research prospects for an in-depth understanding of the transgenerational impacts of MNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Junaid
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510641, China; Henry Fok School of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China
| | - Shulin Liu
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Guanglong Chen
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510641, China; Institute of Eco-Environmental Research, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
| | - Hongping Liao
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510641, China
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510641, China; Institute of Eco-Environmental Research, Guangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanning 530007, China.
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Hodkovicova N, Hollerova A, Svobodova Z, Faldyna M, Faggio C. Effects of plastic particles on aquatic invertebrates and fish - A review. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 96:104013. [PMID: 36375728 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2022.104013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This review summarises the current knowledge on the effects of microplastics and their additives on organisms living in the aquatic environment, particularly invertebrates and fish. To date, microplastics have been recognised to affect not only the behaviour of aquatic animals but also their proper development, causing variations in fertility, oxidative stress, inflammations and immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and changes in metabolic pathways and gene expression. The ability of microplastics to bind other xenobiotics and cause combined toxicity along side the effect of other agents is also discussed as well. Microplastics are highly recalcitrant materials in both freshwater and marine environments and should be considered extremely toxic to aquatic ecosystems. They are severely problematic from ecological, economic and toxicological standpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Hodkovicova
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - A Hollerova
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Animal Protection and Welfare & Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Z Svobodova
- Department of Animal Protection and Welfare & Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - M Faldyna
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - C Faggio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
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Asselman J. Relevant and Realistic Assessments of Micro- and Nanoplastics in the Environment. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:818-819. [PMID: 34913518 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jana Asselman
- Blue Growth Research Lab, Ghent University, Oostende, Belgium
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7
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Jemec Kokalj A, Dolar A, Drobne D, Marinšek M, Dolenec M, Škrlep L, Strmljan G, Mušič B, Škapin AS. Environmental hazard of polypropylene microplastics from disposable medical masks: acute toxicity towards Daphnia magna and current knowledge on other polypropylene microplastics. MICROPLASTICS AND NANOPLASTICS 2022; 2:1. [PMID: 35005629 PMCID: PMC8724753 DOI: 10.1186/s43591-021-00020-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the use of disposable plastics, including medical masks, which have become a necessity in our daily lives. As these are often improperly disposed of, they represent an important potential source of microplastics in the environment. We prepared microplastics from polypropylene medical masks and characterised their size, shape, organic chemical leaching, and acute toxicity to the planktonic crustacean Daphnia magna. The three layers of the masks were separately milled and characterised. Each of the inner frontal, middle filtering, and outer layers yielded different types of microplastics: fibres were obtained from the inner and outer layer, but irregular fragments from the middle layer. The shape of the obtained microplastics differed from the initial fibrous structure of the intact medical mask layers, which indicates that the material is deformed during cryo-milling. The chemical compositions of plastics-associated chemicals also varied between the different layers. Typically, the inner layer contained more chemicals related to antimicrobial function and flavouring. The other two layers also contained antioxidants and their degradation products, plasticisers, cross-linking agents, antistatic agents, lubricants, and non-ionic surfactants. An acute study with D. magna showed that these microplastics do not cause immobility but do physically interact with the daphnids. Further long-term studies with these microplastics are needed using a suite of test organisms. Indeed, studies with other polypropylene microplastics have shown numerous adverse effects on other organisms at concentrations that have already been reported in the environment. Further efforts should be made to investigate the environmental hazards of polypropylene microplastics from medical masks and how to handle this new source of environmental burden. PLEASE CHECK THE SI WORD DOCUMENT THE AUTHORS ARE NOT LISTED THERE I CANNOT EDIT THAT FILE PLEASE ADD THE AUTHORS SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43591-021-00020-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Jemec Kokalj
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andraž Dolar
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damjana Drobne
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marjan Marinšek
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Chair of Materials and Polymer Science, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 113, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matej Dolenec
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 12, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Luka Škrlep
- Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimičeva ulica 12, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gregor Strmljan
- Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimičeva ulica 12, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Branka Mušič
- Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimičeva ulica 12, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andrijana Sever Škapin
- Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, Dimičeva ulica 12, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Reality Check: Experimental Studies on Microplastics Lack Realism. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11188529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Environmental microplastics are gaining interest due to their ubiquity and the threat they pose to environmental and human health. Critical studies have revealed the abundance of microplastics in nature, while others have tested the impacts of these small plastics on organismal health in the laboratory. Yet, there is often a mismatch between these two areas of research, resulting in major discrepancies and an inability to interpret certain findings. Here, we focus on several main lines of inquiry. First, even though the majority of environmental microplastics are plastic microfibers from textiles, laboratory studies still largely use spherical microbeads. There are also inconsistencies between the measurements of microplastics in the environment as compared to the concentrations that tend to be used in experimental studies. Likewise, the period of exposure occurring in experimental studies and in the environment are vastly different. Lastly, although experimental studies often focus on a particular subset of toxic chemicals present on microplastics, textile microfibers carry other dyes and chemicals that are understudied. They also cause types of physical damage not associated with microspheres. This review will analyze the literature pertaining to these mismatches, focusing on aquatic organisms and model systems, and seek to inform a path forward for this burgeoning area of research.
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