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Time-dependent Biochemical Responses of the Zoanthid Zoanthus sp. Exposed to Polyvinyl Chloride Microplastics
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Researchers investigated the time-dependent biochemical responses of the coral reef zoanthid Zoanthus sp. when exposed to polyvinyl chloride microplastics. They found that longer exposure periods led to increased microplastic absorption and elevated markers of oxidative stress and DNA damage. The study demonstrates that even relatively short-term microplastic exposure can trigger measurable biological harm in sensitive reef organisms.
The present study investigates if the polyvinyl chloride microplastics (79-149 μm) could cause any time-dependent responses of the microplastics absorption and biochemical responses (GST, TBARs, DNA strand breaks) for Zoanthus sp. during and acute (7 days) and chronic (14 days) exposures. For the role experiments mini colonies of Zoanthus sp. were exposed to 10 mg/L of PVC microplastics for 7 and 14 days. Exposure time had a direct influence under the PVC microplastics absorption, what consequently contributed for alterations on GST activity, TBARS concentration and DNA damage. These results provide evidence of biochemical damages caused by microplastics in corals, and insights for future perspectives of coral reefs health once plastic debris have been recorded at the ocean for at least 40 years.
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