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Polystyrene microplastic and bisphenol A Co-exposure drives oxidative collapse, neuroendocrine disruption, apoptotic activation, and hepatopancreatic pathology in Pontogammarus maeoticus.
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A 30-day lab study exposed a small Caspian crustacean (Pontogammarus maeoticus) to polystyrene microplastics, bisphenol A, or both together. Combined exposure caused stronger harmful effects than either substance alone, including increased cell stress and damage markers, hormone disruption, reduced enzyme activity, and more severe liver-like tissue damage.
Microplastics (MPs) and bisphenol A (BPA) are widespread emerging aquatic pollutants that may pose ecological risks to sensitive invertebrates; however, their combined chronic effects on neuroendocrine regulation, apoptotic signaling, and hepatopancreatic integrity in endemic Caspian crustaceans remain uncharacterized. This study assessed the 30-day chronic toxicity of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs, 7.26 µm; 0.05 and 5 mg L⁻¹), BPA (50% LC₅₀), and their combination (5 mg L⁻¹ PS-MPs + 50% LC₅₀ BPA) in Pontogammarus maeoticus using a multi-biomarker approach. Combined exposure produced the highest mean CYP450 level, although it did not differ significantly from MP2 or BPA alone, and the highest cleaved/pro-caspase-3 ratio. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) increased in all exposed groups, peaking under combined exposure at a level not significantly different from BPA alone. SOD activity increased, whereas catalase and total antioxidant capacity were lowest under co-exposure. Crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH), measured as a relative immunoreactive value, was highest in the combined group, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was significantly reduced under the higher PS-MP concentration, BPA, and co-exposure. Reproductive hormones (17β-estradiol and testosterone) decreased in exposed groups, with the lowest values under co-exposure, and hepatopancreatic lesions were most severe in the combined treatment. Overall, co-exposure was empirically associated with stronger oxidative, apoptotic, endocrine, and histological responses than most single exposures. Because BPA adsorption onto PS-MPs and tissue residues were not measured, a carrier-mediated interaction remains a plausible but unproven hypothesis. These findings support further evaluation of P. maeoticus as a candidate bioindicator of plastic-associated pollution in the Caspian Sea.
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