Pollutants bioavailability and toxicological risk from microplastics to marine mussels

Microplastics represent a growing environmental concern for the oceans due to their potential of adsorbing chemical pollutants, thus representing a still unexplored source of exposure for aquatic organisms. In this study polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) microplastics were shown to adsorb pyren...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental pollution (1987) 2015-03, Vol.198, p.211-222
Main Authors: Avio, Carlo Giacomo, Gorbi, Stefania, Milan, Massimo, Benedetti, Maura, Fattorini, Daniele, d'Errico, Giuseppe, Pauletto, Marianna, Bargelloni, Luca, Regoli, Francesco
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Aquatic Organisms
Bioavailability
Biomarkers
Bivalvia - metabolism
Cellular
DNA Damage
Exposure
Gills - metabolism
Hazardous Substances - metabolism
Microplastic
Mussels
Mytilus - metabolism
Mytilus galloprovincialis
Oceans and Seas
PAHs
Plastics - metabolism
Plastics - toxicity
Pollutants
Polyallylamine hydrochloride
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - metabolism
Polyethylenes
Polystyrene resins
Pyrenes
Risk Assessment
Transcriptomics
Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism
Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Microplastics represent a growing environmental concern for the oceans due to their potential of adsorbing chemical pollutants, thus representing a still unexplored source of exposure for aquatic organisms. In this study polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) microplastics were shown to adsorb pyrene with a time and dose-dependent relationship. Results also indicated a marked capability of contaminated microplastics to transfer this model PAH to exposed mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis; tissue localization of microplastics occurred in haemolymph, gills and especially digestive tissues where a marked accumulation of pyrene was also observed. Cellular effects included alterations of immunological responses, lysosomal compartment, peroxisomal proliferation, antioxidant system, neurotoxic effects, onset of genotoxicity; changes in gene expression profile was also demonstrated through a new DNA microarray platform. The study provided the evidence that microplastics adsorb PAHs, emphasizing an elevated bioavailability of these chemicals after the ingestion, and the toxicological implications due to responsiveness of several molecular and cellular pathways to microplastics. •Polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics efficiently adsorbed pyrene.•Pyrene adsorbed on microplastics was readily bioavailable for mussels.•Microplastics affected several molecular and cellular pathways.•Potential toxicological risk can arise from virgin and contaminated microplastics. Pyrene adsorbed on microplastics is accumulated in tissues of marine mussels. Transcriptional and cellular responses highlight the potential risk of virgin and contaminated polymers.
ISSN:0269-7491
1873-6424
DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2014.12.021