Seeley Meredith Evans, Hale Robert C, Zwollo Patty, Vogelbein Wolfgang, Verry Gaelan, Wargo Andrew R
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062, United States of America.
Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, VA 23062, United States of America.
Sci Total Environ. 2023 Mar 25;866:161191. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161191. Epub 2022 Dec 30.
Microplastics are a persistent and increasing environmental hazard. They have been reported to interact with a variety of biotic and abiotic environmental stressors, but the ramifications of such interactions are largely unknown. We investigated virus-induced mortalities in a commercially important salmonid following exposure to microplastics, plastic microfibers, and natural (non-plastic) microparticles. Microplastics or microparticles alone were not lethal. Mortality increased significantly when fish were co-exposed to virus and microplastics, particularly microfibers, compared to virus alone. This presents the unique finding that microplastics (not natural microparticulate matter) may have a significant impact on population health when presented with another stressor. Further, we found that mortality correlated with host viral load, mild gill inflammation, immune responses, and transmission potential. We hypothesize that microplastics can compromise host tissues, allowing pathogens to bypass defenses. Further research regarding this mechanism and the interplay between microplastics and infectious disease are paramount, considering microplastics increasing environmental burden.
微塑料是一种持续存在且日益严重的环境危害。据报道，它们会与各种生物和非生物环境压力源相互作用，但其相互作用的后果在很大程度上尚不清楚。我们研究了一种具有商业重要性的鲑科鱼类在接触微塑料、塑料微纤维和天然（非塑料）微粒后由病毒引起的死亡率。单独的微塑料或微粒并不致命。与仅接触病毒相比，当鱼类同时接触病毒和微塑料（尤其是微纤维）时，死亡率显著增加。这呈现出一个独特的发现，即当存在另一种压力源时，微塑料（而非天然微粒物质）可能会对种群健康产生重大影响。此外，我们发现死亡率与宿主病毒载量、轻度鳃炎症、免疫反应和传播潜力相关。我们推测，微塑料会损害宿主组织，使病原体能够绕过防御机制。鉴于微塑料不断增加的环境负担，对这种机制以及微塑料与传染病之间相互作用的进一步研究至关重要。
