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Physiological and cellular responses of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum exposed to different shapes and sizes of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics
Summary
This study exposed Manila clams to PET microplastics of different shapes (fragments and fibers) and sizes for 28 days, finding that fibrous microplastics caused greater oxidative stress and lysosomal membrane destabilization than fragments and that smaller particles produced stronger physiological responses.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in marine environments and have become a major source of environmental pollution. Although fragmented and fibrous MPs are the most abundant shapes in marine environment, studies on shape- and size-dependent MP toxicity in marine benthic bivalves remain limited. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the chronic effects of different shapes and sizes of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) MPs on Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum, and investigate their physiological and cellular responses. The mortality of R. philippinarum showed no changes at all concentrations of fragmented and fibrous MPs. The respiration rate of R. philippinarum induced by large fragmented MPs was recovered to the control level at 6 h, however, fibrous MPs significantly decreased compared to the control. In particular, fibrous MPs significantly increased and decreased filtration rate and lysosomal membrane stability, respectively, whereas the fragmented MPs showed no significant differences. These results enhance our understanding of the potential toxicological risks posed by MPs of various shapes and sizes to benthic organisms in marine environment.