Rodrigues Filipa G, Vieira Hugo C, Campos Diana, Pires Sílvia F S, Rodrigues Andreia C M, Silva Ana L P, Soares Amadeu M V M, Oliveira Jacinta M M, Bordalo Maria D
Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Toxics. 2022 Jan 18;10(2):43. doi: 10.3390/toxics10020043.
Plastic pollution and invasive species are recognised as pervasive threats to marine biodiversity. However, despite the extensive on-going research on microplastics' effects in the biota, knowledge on their combination with additional stressors is still limited. This study investigates the effects of polyamide microplastics (PA-MPs, 1 mg/L), alone and in combination with the toxic exudate from the invasive red seaweed (2%), after a 96 h exposure, in the mussel . Biochemical responses associated with oxidative stress and damage, neurotoxicity, and energy metabolism were evaluated in different tissues (gills, digestive gland, and muscle). Byssus production and PA-MP accumulation were also assessed. Results demonstrated that PA-MPs accumulated the most in the digestive gland of mussels under PA-MP and exudate co-exposure. Furthermore, the combination of stressors also resulted in oxidative damage at the protein level in the gills as well as in a significant reduction in byssus production. Metabolic capacity increased in both PA-MP treatments, consequently affecting the energy balance in mussels under combined stress. Overall, results show a potential increase of PA-MPs toxicity in the presence of exudate, highlighting the importance of assessing the impact of microplastics in realistic scenarios, specifically in combination with co-occurring stressors, such as invasive species.
塑料污染和入侵物种被认为是对海洋生物多样性的普遍威胁。然而，尽管目前正在广泛研究微塑料对生物群的影响，但关于它们与其他压力源结合的知识仍然有限。本研究调查了聚酰胺微塑料（PA-MPs，1毫克/升）单独以及与入侵红藻的有毒渗出物（2%）联合作用96小时后对贻贝的影响。在不同组织（鳃、消化腺和肌肉）中评估了与氧化应激和损伤、神经毒性以及能量代谢相关的生化反应。还评估了足丝的产生和PA-MP的积累。结果表明，在PA-MP和渗出物共同暴露下，PA-MPs在贻贝的消化腺中积累最多。此外，压力源的组合还导致鳃中蛋白质水平的氧化损伤以及足丝产生的显著减少。两种PA-MP处理方式下代谢能力均有所增加，从而影响了联合应激下贻贝的能量平衡。总体而言，结果表明在有渗出物存在的情况下PA-MPs的毒性可能增加，突出了在实际场景中评估微塑料影响的重要性，特别是与同时存在的压力源（如入侵物种）相结合时。
