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Exposure to Plasticiser DEHP Affects Eggs Spawned by Blue Mussels: A Possible Risk to Fertilisation?
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Researchers exposed blue mussels to the plasticizer DEHP, a chemical commonly found in plastic products and marine waters, and examined its effects on egg production during spawning. They found that even at environmentally relevant concentrations, DEHP exposure reduced the number of eggs spawned by female mussels. The study suggests that widespread plasticizer contamination in ocean waters could pose a risk to the reproductive success of filter-feeding marine organisms.
The endocrine disruptive chemical DEHP is a plasticiser often found in marine waters. Here, we assessed the effect of this additive on the number and size of eggs spawned by female mussels during a synchronised spawning event. After achieving the ripeness of the gonads, mussels of both sexes were exposed to two environmentally relevant concentrations of DEHP (nominal concentrations 0.5 and 50 µg/L) for one week. A spawning event was then induced and eggs were collected, counted, and their size measured (area and diameter). A slight but not significant effect was observed in lowering the number of eggs spawned when increasing the DEHP concentration. This effect was greater when adding spent gonads (possibly fully spawned females) to the total number of females. A significant effect of the lower dose on the average egg sizes was noticed, with a smaller area and diameter measured with respect to the control and the higher concentrated treatments. These results once again underline the importance for ecotoxicological studies to address the nonlinear dose-response effects of endocrine disruptive chemicals environmentally present at concentrations in the order of just a few µg/L that could not elicit a strong defence mechanism at low levels and be absorbed by filter feeder animals such as mussels.
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Reproductive Effects of Phthalates and Microplastics on Marine Mussels Based on Adverse Outcome Pathway
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Researchers found that microplastics and the chemical plasticizer DEHP that leaches from them work together to disrupt reproductive function in female mussels by interfering with estrogen signaling and reducing hormone levels. While this study focused on marine mussels, DEHP is a known endocrine disruptor in humans as well, and the findings illustrate how microplastics can release harmful chemicals that affect hormone systems.
Consequences of combined exposure to thermal stress and the plasticiser DEHP in Mytilus spp. differ by sex
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Scientists found that warming waters and DEHP (a chemical used to soften plastics) affect male and female mussels differently, with males being more sensitive to heat stress and females showing changes tied to the plastic chemical. This matters because mussels are a popular seafood, and these combined stressors could disrupt their breeding cycles, potentially affecting seafood supplies as ocean temperatures rise and plastic pollution continues, while also raising questions about how DEHP exposure (which humans encounter too, through food and plastic products) might affect reproductive health more broadly.
Polystyrene Microplastic Exposure Adversely Affects Oocyte Quality and Ovary Health Status in Mytilus galloprovincialis
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Scientists found that mussels exposed to tiny plastic beads (the same kind found in everyday plastic pollution) for just 48 hours showed damaged egg cells, stress responses, and disrupted metabolism in their reproductive organs. Since mussels are filter feeders often used to gauge ocean pollution levels—and are also a food source for humans—this research is a warning sign that microplastics may harm reproductive health in marine life, raising questions about what similar exposure could mean for other animals, including us, as plastic pollution continues to build up in the food chain.
Environmental microplastics compromise reproduction of the marine invertebrate Mytilus galloprovincialis: A holistic approach
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Exposing Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) gametes to 50 or 100 µg/L environmental microplastics for 1 hour reduced fertilization success, increased larval malformation rates, and caused DNA degradation, demonstrating reproductive toxicity from environmentally realistic MP concentrations.
Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Aquatic Microenvironments Affect Sperm Metabolism and Fertilization of Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamark, 1819)
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Researchers exposed mussel sperm to amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes and measured the effects on fertilization. The study found that 50-nanometer particles caused structural damage to sperm membranes, DNA damage, and reduced motility and fertilizing capacity, while 100-nanometer particles had no significant effect. These findings suggest that the smallest nanoplastic particles may pose the greatest threat to reproductive success in marine organisms.
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