Choi Hoon, Hwang Un-Ki, Lee Moonjin, Kim Youn-Jung, Han Taejun
Maritime Safety and Environmental Research Division, Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO), Daejeon 34103, Republic of Korea.
Tidal Flat Research Institute, Marine Environment Research Division, National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS), Busan 46083, Republic of Korea.
Nanomaterials (Basel). 2025 Feb 24;15(5):349. doi: 10.3390/nano15050349.
Plastics pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems, owing to their slow biodegradability. Microplastics (MPs), in particular, affect marine life and maricultural organisms and can enter the food chain via ingestion by marine organisms, leading to bioaccumulation in predators, including humans. This study assessed the toxic interactions between polystyrene microplastic particles (PSMPs) and cadmium (Cd) and phenanthrene (Phe) using marine bivalves. While PSMPs were non-toxic to Pacific oysters (), the toxicity of Cd and Phe was concentration-dependent. In most conditions, PSMPs reduced the toxicity of Cd and Phe, but in simultaneous exposure, they acted as Cd messengers, altering the toxicity during the adult stage. This study confirms that PSMPs can interact with coastal environmental pollutants, thereby accelerating biotoxicity and posing a significant threat to marine wildlife, mariculture, and human health. It also highlights the need to assess MP toxicity in coastal environments and their interactions with pollutants.
由于塑料的生物降解速度缓慢，它们对海洋生态系统构成了重大威胁。特别是微塑料（MPs），会影响海洋生物和海水养殖生物，并可通过被海洋生物摄入而进入食物链，导致在包括人类在内的捕食者体内生物累积。本研究使用海洋双壳贝类评估了聚苯乙烯微塑料颗粒（PSMPs）与镉（Cd）和菲（Phe）之间的毒性相互作用。虽然PSMPs对太平洋牡蛎无毒，但Cd和Phe的毒性呈浓度依赖性。在大多数情况下，PSMPs降低了Cd和Phe的毒性，但在同时暴露时，它们充当了Cd的信使，在成年阶段改变了毒性。本研究证实，PSMPs可与沿海环境污染物相互作用，从而加速生物毒性，并对海洋野生动物、海水养殖和人类健康构成重大威胁。它还强调了评估沿海环境中MP毒性及其与污染物相互作用的必要性。
