Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772, Greece; Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 19013, Anavyssos, Greece.
Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772, Greece.
Environ Pollut. 2024 Dec 15;363(Pt 1):125052. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125052. Epub 2024 Oct 5.
Microplastics (MPs) pollution has gained attention due to its ecological threats and potential economic impacts. Yet significant knowledge gaps remain in understanding MPs effects on marine organisms' physiology. This study quantifies the physiological impacts of MPs on farmed mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) across various locations in the Mediterranean Sea by combining a laboratory experiment with a Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) model. Mussels' clearance rates (CR) were measured under different conditions of microplastics and suspended sediment. The DEB model, driven by satellite data and an MPs distribution model, was validated with literature growth and CR data, supporting further the data extracted from the conducted experiment. Results indicate that while the physiological impacts are minimal in most areas, important reductions in CR (8-25%) were estimated in regions like the Gulf of Napoli, leading to reduced growth (6-16%) and reduced reproductive output (7-19%). In addition to microplastic concentrations, seasonal and spatial variations of food availability and suspended inorganic matter importantly control the impacts, with mussels in oligotrophic environments (such as the Gulf of Napoli) showing higher vulnerability to MPs compared to those in more eutrophic locations. This study underscores the utility of bioenergetics models, such as DEB, in evaluating the ecological risks of microplastics and suggests their broader application in MPs research.
微塑料（MPs）污染因其对生态的威胁和潜在的经济影响而受到关注。然而，在理解 MPs 对海洋生物生理学影响方面仍存在重大知识空白。本研究通过结合实验室实验和动态能量预算（DEB）模型，量化了地中海不同地区养殖贻贝（Mytilus galloprovincialis）中 MPs 的生理影响。在不同的微塑料和悬浮泥沙条件下测量了贻贝的清除率（CR）。由卫星数据和 MPs 分布模型驱动的 DEB 模型，使用文献中的生长和 CR 数据进行了验证，进一步支持了从进行的实验中提取的数据。结果表明，虽然在大多数地区的生理影响很小，但在那不勒斯湾等地区，CR（8-25%）的重要降低，导致生长（6-16%）和生殖输出（7-19%）减少。除了微塑料浓度外，食物供应和悬浮无机物的季节性和空间变化也重要地控制了影响，与富营养化地区相比，寡营养环境（如那不勒斯湾）中的贻贝对 MPs 的脆弱性更高。本研究强调了生物能量学模型（如 DEB）在评估微塑料生态风险方面的效用，并建议在 MPs 研究中更广泛地应用这些模型。
