A new approach for testing contaminated marine sediments: fertilization success of lugworms following parental exposure

Abstract

A sediment bioassay is being developed using several marine benthic invertebrates to assess the effects of parental transfer of contaminants to the gametes. In this preliminary study, the emphasis was placed on developing methods for the in vitro fertilization of lugworm, Arenicola marina, oocytes.Lugworms exposed to contaminated sediments in outdoor mesocosms were brought to the laboratory, just before the beginning of the spawning period. The reliability of an in vitro fertilization procedure was tested by varying several parts of the method. Main results are that eggs and embryos may be physically damaged by cleaning over a sieve. However, as no negative effects were observed when leaving eggs and sperm together for 24 h, the sperm need not be washed off until the embryos are preserved for further examination later on.A first, incomplete screening of the effects of contaminated harbour dredged sediments indicated some effect on the reproductive success.

Effects of Microplastic on Fitness and PCB Bioaccumulation by the Lugworm Arenicola marina (L.)

“…The aim of this study is to investigate the uptake of microplastic by marine (epi)benthic organisms and the effects of uptake of microplastic on their survival, growth, activity and internal PCB concentrations. We chose Arenicola marina (L.) (lugworm) as test organism, because it is a robust and quantitatively important deposit feeder at the base of the North Sea food web and is commonly used in marine sediment toxicity tests. ,, Moreover, microplastics have recently been detected in A. marina collected from the field . The uptake of plastic by the lugworm has been shown before, but only after short exposure and only for one microplastic concentration.…”

Micro- and nanoplastic in the aquatic environment : from rivers to whales

“…The positive relation between the amount of plastic particles in the gut content and plastic exposure concentration (Fig. 4.1.A) is consistent with our expectation that A. marina feeds unselective 179 with respect to particle type. This is also supported by the results from the pilot experiment (Fig.…”

“…183 We selected a narrow PS size range of 400 -1300 µm, which is within the feeding range of A. marina. 179 The bioassay was carried out in two versions. A pilot experiment followed previously described procedures 184 and aimed at the development of the main bioassay, which was optimized to detect effects of plastic particles.…”

“…In the bioassay all groups lost weight. The bioassays were accomplished in autumn, a season in which individual weight loss of A. marina is common 192 and might (partially) be caused by spawning, 179,194 as was observed in various test beakers during the pilot experiment. Spawning was not recorded in the main experiment, but might have occurred there too.…”

“…We chose Arenicola marina (L.) (lugworm) as test organism, because it is a robust and quantitatively important deposit feeder at the base of the North Sea food web and is commonly used in marine sediment toxicity tests. 22,179,180 Moreover, microplastic particles have recently been detected in A. marina collected from the field. 181 The uptake of plastic by the lugworm has been shown before, 22 but only after short exposure and only for one microplastic concentration.…”