A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i>
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,...
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doaj-c9a2d005c526457a8b562b258721dd9c2021-03-08T00:02:24ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912021-03-011164964910.3390/nano11030649A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i>Marco Capolupo0Paola Valbonesi1Elena Fabbri2Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Sant’ Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Sant’ Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Sant’ Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, ItalyThe 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 <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i>. 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/3/649polystyrenenano-fragmentationmarine bivalvesbiomarkers |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Marco Capolupo Paola Valbonesi Elena Fabbri |
spellingShingle |
Marco Capolupo Paola Valbonesi Elena Fabbri A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> Nanomaterials polystyrene nano-fragmentation marine bivalves biomarkers |
author_facet |
Marco Capolupo Paola Valbonesi Elena Fabbri |
author_sort |
Marco Capolupo |
title |
A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> |
title_short |
A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> |
title_full |
A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> |
title_fullStr |
A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i> |
title_sort |
comparative assessment of the chronic effects of micro- and nano-plastics on the physiology of the mediterranean mussel <i>mytilus galloprovincialis</i> |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Nanomaterials |
issn |
2079-4991 |
publishDate |
2021-03-01 |
description |
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 <i>Mytilus galloprovincialis</i>. 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. |
topic |
polystyrene nano-fragmentation marine bivalves biomarkers |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/3/649 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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