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Effects of ocean acidification and polystyrene microplastics on the oysters Crassostrea gigas: An integrated biomarker and metabolomic approach
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Researchers exposed oysters to polystyrene microplastics of two sizes under both normal and acidified ocean conditions to simulate climate change. They found that ocean acidification and microplastics interacted in complex ways, with smaller microplastics under acidic conditions altering the oysters' metabolic profiles in their digestive organs. This study highlights that climate change may change how microplastics affect the shellfish many people eat.
The adverse impacts of microplastics (MPs) or ocean acidification (OA) on mollusks have been widely reported, however, little is known about their combined effects on mollusks. The oysters Crassostrea gigas were exposed to two sizes of polystyrene MPs with 1 × 10 particles/L (small polystyrene MPs (SPS-MPs): 6 μm, large polystyrene MPs (LPS-MPs): 50-60 μm) at two pH levels (7.7 and 8.1) for 14 days. The antagonistic effects between MPs and OA on oysters were mainly observed. Single SPS-MPs exposure can induce CAT enzyme activity and LPO level in gills, while LPS-MPs exposure alone can increase PGK and PEPCK gene expression in digestive glands. Ocean acidification can increase clearance rate and inhibit antioxidant enzyme activity, whereas combined exposure of OA and SPS-MPs can affect the metabolomic profile of digestive glands. This study emphasized that the potential toxic effects of MPs under the scene of climate change should be concerned.
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Oysters under anthropogenic pressure: A cellular perspective on the interactive effects of microplastic pollution and climate change
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Researchers exposed oysters to microplastics under combined conditions of elevated temperature and ocean acidification, finding that climate change stressors significantly altered the cellular response to MP pollution. Temperature had a stronger effect than acidification, and combined stressors produced non-additive interactions in immune and oxidative stress markers.
Metabolic profiles and protein expression responses of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) to polystyrene microplastic stress
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Researchers exposed Pacific oysters to polystyrene microplastics for 21 days and found the particles caused oxidative stress and disrupted the oysters' metabolism, particularly amino acid processing. Different microplastic concentrations triggered different metabolic changes in the oysters. Since oysters are a popular seafood, these findings raise questions about food safety and whether microplastic-stressed shellfish could affect consumer health.
Microplastics and low tide warming: Metabolic disorders in intertidal Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas)
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Researchers exposed Pacific oysters to environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics during a simulated tidal cycle and then subjected them to warming during low tide. They found that microplastic exposure disrupted the oysters' metabolism and made them more vulnerable to heat stress, with effects worsening over time even at very low particle concentrations. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may reduce the ability of intertidal shellfish to cope with rising temperatures.
Microplastics and warming: Metabolic disorders in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) from the intertidal zone
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Researchers exposed intertidal Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) to environmentally realistic concentrations of polystyrene microplastic beads (0.025 and 25 µg/L) under simulated tidal cycling, then analyzed gill and digestive gland metabolomes by 1H-NMR spectroscopy at multiple time points. Initial results showed that neither MP exposure nor short-term warming significantly altered the oyster metabolome under the tested conditions.
Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis of the toxic effects of PE microplastics on the Kumamoto oyster (Crassostrea sikamea)
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (from everyday polyethylene, used in bags and packaging) cause real damage to oysters—stressing their cells, disrupting their metabolism, and weakening their immune systems—and smaller particles caused more harm than larger ones. Since oysters are commonly eaten seafood that filter these particles from water, this research is a reminder that the microplastics accumulating in our oceans could be building up in the food we eat, making it important to understand these effects as we assess risks to both marine life and human health.
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