A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Abstract

The ocean contamination caused by micro- and nano-sized plastics is a matter of increasing concern regarding their potential effects on marine organisms. This study compared the effects of a 21-day exposure to 1.5, 15, and 150 ng/L of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MP, 3-µm) and nanoplastics (PS-NP, 50-nm) on a suite of biomarkers measured in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Endpoints encompassed immunological/lysosomal responses, oxidative stress/detoxification parameters, and neurotoxicological markers. Compared to PS-MP, PS-NP induced higher effects on lysosomal parameters of general stress. Exposures to both particle sizes increased lipid peroxidation and catalase activity in gills; PS-NP elicited greater effects on the phase-II metabolism enzyme glutathione S-transferase and on lysozyme activity, while only PS-MP inhibited the hemocyte phagocytosis, suggesting a major role of PS particle size in modulating immunological/detoxification pathways. A decreased acetylcholinesterase activity was induced by PS-NP, indicating their potential to impair neurological functions in mussels. Biomarker data integration in the Mussel Expert System identified an overall greater health status alteration in mussels exposed to PS-NP compared to PS-MP. This study shows that increasing concentrations of nanoplastics may induce higher effects than microplastics on the mussel’s lysosomal, metabolic, and neurological functions, eventually resulting in a greater impact on their overall fitness.

Physisorption and Chemisorption Mechanisms Influencing Micro (Nano) Plastics-Organic Chemical Contaminants Interactions: A Review

“…Evidence of the availability and contamination impacts of such chemicals has been highlighted by many researchers. The adverse effects of microplastics on fishes and large aquatic animals, zooplankton, phytoplankton, microalgae, crustaceans, and seabirds have been widely reported (Boerger et al, 2010;Kögel et al, 2019;Ma et al, 2020;Corinaldesi et al, 2021;Wang et al, 2021), at the population levels (e.g., fertility, mortality, growth and organismal development, feeding activity) (Zarfl et al, 2011;Sussarellu et al, 2016;Heindler et al, 2017;Mouchi et al, 2019;Chapron et al, 2020;Liu G. et al, 2020;Issac and Kandasubramanian, 2021), cellular (e.g., motility; cell fragmentation, membrane stability, apoptosis) (Von Moos et al, 2012;Han et al, 2020;Tallec et al, 2020), and molecular levels (e.g., mortality, gene expression, stress defense, and oxidative stress effects) (Balbi et al, 2017;Liu Z et al, 2018;Yu et al, 2018;Sendra et al, 2020;Capolupo et al, 2021). Corals readily ingest polypropylene microplastics upon exposure to plastic particles, resulting in a variety of biological implications ranging from feeding dysfunction to mucus formation and distorted gene expression (Corinaldesi et al, 2021).…”

Methodological Approaches To Assess Innate Immunity and Innate Memory in Marine Invertebrates and Humans

“…Multiple routes of exposure can be used in in vivo laboratory experiments, the most common being through the water (Figure 1). This mode of exposure resembles the natural conditions and allows for controlling the concentrations of each stimulus (chemicals or micro-organisms) for each individual (Canesi et al, 2014;Capolupo et al, 2021). Exposure via a dietary route integrates complementary concepts, as both contaminants and micro-organisms can be associated with food (i.e., microalgae, particulate matter in suspension), although there is not clear evidence about the exact amount transferred to the animal (Duroudier et al, 2019).…”

Symbiotic Engineering: A Novel Approach for Environmental Remediation

“…Mariculture enterprises can be severely impacted by microplastics because farming sites are usually located in sheltered areas, where microplastics often accumulate . Microplastics are reported to adhere to external appendages of planktonic organisms and the gills of molluscs and shellfish. , Microplastics can be taken up directly via ingestion, either through filtration or scavenging. − Higher loads of microplastics cause low lysosomal stability, increased cellular demand, depleted energy storage, and increased mortality in oysters . However, if microplastic concentrations are reduced, some of the negative effects (e.g., lowered carbohydrate and tissue lipoprotein levels) can be slowly reversed over time. , Thus, microplastic removal is useful for preventing harmful effects to future mollusc populations and also for redressing those negative effects in existing populations.…”

“…75−77 Higher loads of microplastics cause low lysosomal stability, increased cellular demand, depleted energy storage, and increased mortality in oysters. 78 However, if microplastic concentrations are reduced, some of the negative effects (e.g., lowered carbohydrate and tissue lipoprotein levels) can be slowly reversed over time. 78,79 Thus, microplastic removal is useful for preventing harmful effects to future mollusc populations and also for redressing those negative effects in existing populations.…”

“…78 However, if microplastic concentrations are reduced, some of the negative effects (e.g., lowered carbohydrate and tissue lipoprotein levels) can be slowly reversed over time. 78,79 Thus, microplastic removal is useful for preventing harmful effects to future mollusc populations and also for redressing those negative effects in existing populations. Fortunately, kelp has shown a tendency for attaching microplastics.…”