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Assessing the Effects of a Diet of BPA Analogue-Exposed Microalgae in the Clam Ruditapes philippinarum
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This research examines whether BPA analogues — chemicals used as replacements for bisphenol A — can transfer through the food chain when fish consume microalgae that have been exposed to these compounds. The study found measurable uptake of BPA analogues in fish tissues, suggesting trophic transfer is a meaningful exposure pathway. These results raise concerns about the safety of BPA substitutes and the broader ecological impacts of plastic-associated endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
In our previous study, we demonstrated that the microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum can bioaccumulate bisphenol A analogues. Since this microalgae species is part of the diet of marine filter-feeding organisms, such as bivalves, in this study we tested the hypothesis that a diet based on exposed microalgae can exert negative effects on the clam Ruditapes philippinarum. Microalgae were exposed for 7 days to 300 ng/L of bisphenol AF (BPAF), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol S (BPS), alone or as a mixture (MIX), to allow bioaccumulation. Microalgae were then supplied as food to bivalves. After 7 and 14 days of diet, the effects of exposed microalgae were evaluated on a battery of biomarkers measured in haemolymph/haemocytes, gills and digestive glands of clams. In addition, bioaccumulation of the three bisphenols was investigated in clams by UHPLC-HRMS. The results obtained demonstrated that total haemocyte count (THC) increased in clams following ingestion for 7 days of BPAF- and BPF-exposed microalgae, while BPS-exposed microalgae significantly reduced THC after 14 days of diet. MIX- and BPS-exposed microalgae increased haemocyte proliferation. The diet of exposed microalgae affected acid and alkaline phosphatase activity in clams, with an opposite response between haemolymph and haemocytes. Regarding antioxidants, an increase in catalase activity was observed in clams after ingestion of BPA analogue-exposed microalgae. The results also demonstrated marked oxidative stress in gills, the first tissue playing an important role in the feeding process. Oxidative damage was recorded in both the gills and digestive glands of clams fed BPA analogue-exposed microalgae. Alterations in epigenetic-involved enzyme activity were also found, demonstrating for the first time that BPA analogue-exposed food can alter epigenetic mechanisms in marine invertebrates. No bioaccumulation of BPA analogues was detected in clam soft tissues. Overall, this study demonstrated that a diet of BPA analogue-exposed microalgae can induce significant alterations of some important biological responses of R. philippinarum. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the effects of ingestion of BPA analogue-exposed microalgae in the clam R. philippinarum, suggesting a potential ecotoxicological risk for the marine food chain, at least at the first levels.
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Assessing the Effects of a Diet of BPA Analogues-Contaminated Microalgae in the Clam Ruditapes philippinarum
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Researchers fed the clam Ruditapes philippinarum a diet of microalgae that had bioaccumulated bisphenol A analogues, finding measurable transfer of BPA substitutes through the food chain into bivalve tissue, raising concerns about trophic exposure to plastic-associated endocrine disruptors in marine food webs.
Ecotoxicological effects and bioaccumulation of BPA analogues and their mixture in the clam Ruditapes philippinarum
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Researchers exposed clams to three common bisphenol A substitutes (BPAF, BPF, and BPS) at environmentally relevant concentrations to evaluate whether these replacement chemicals are truly safer. The study found that all three BPA analogues caused oxidative stress, cellular damage, and neurotoxic effects in clam tissues, suggesting that these widely used substitutes may pose similar ecological risks as the compound they were designed to replace.
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Researchers exposed grooved carpet clams to bisphenol A (BPA) in water and found it caused oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, and damage to the digestive gland, demonstrating that multi-biomarker approaches can effectively reveal the wide-ranging harm that plastic-associated chemicals inflict on marine bivalves.
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Researchers exposed the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum to multiple bisphenol A analogues and found dose-dependent ultrastructural damage, elevated reactive oxygen species, disrupted photosynthetic pigments, and intracellular bioaccumulation, indicating that BPA substitutes pose significant ecotoxicological risks to aquatic primary producers.
Can BPA Analogs Affect Cellular and Biochemical Responses in the Microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin?
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Researchers tested three bisphenol A analogs (BPAF, BPF, BPS) and their mixture on the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum at environmentally relevant concentrations of 300 ng/L, measuring growth, cell size, and oxidative stress biomarkers. All three analogs and their mixture affected the microalga, raising concerns about the ecological risks of BPA substitutes in marine environments.
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