We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Nano-scale and micron-scale plastics amplify the bioaccumulation of benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin, as well as their co-exposure effect on disturbing the antioxidant defense system in mussels, Perna viridis
Summary
Researchers studied how nano- and micro-sized plastic particles affect the accumulation of benzophenone-3 and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin in green mussels. They found that smaller plastic particles enhanced the uptake of both chemicals into mussel tissues and caused greater disruption to the animals' antioxidant defense systems. The study demonstrates that plastic particle size matters when assessing how microplastics transport and amplify the effects of other environmental contaminants in marine organisms.
Plastics ranging from nano-scale to micron-scale are frequently ingested by many marine animals. These particles exhibit biotoxicity and additionally perform as vectors that convey and amass adsorbed chemicals within organisms. Meanwhile, the frequency of detection of the benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin can be adsorbed on plastic particles, then accumulated in bivalves, causing biotoxicity. To understand their unknown accumulative kinetics in vivo affected by different plastic sizes and toxic effect from co-exposure, several scenarios were set up in which the mode organism were exposed to 0.6 mg/L of polystyrene carrying benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin in three sizes (300 nm, 38 μm, and 0.6 mm). The live Asian green mussels were chosen as mode organism for exposure experiments, in which they were exposed to environments with plastics of different sizes laden with benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin, then depurated for 7 days. The bioaccumulation and depuration kinetics of benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin were measured using HPLC-MS/MS after one week of exposure and depuration. Meanwhile, their toxic effect were investigated by measuring the changes in six biomarkers (condition index, reactive oxygen species, catalase, glutathione, lipid peroxidation, cytochrome P450 and DNA damage). The bioconcentration factors in mussels under different exposure conditions were 41.48-111.75 for benzophenone-3 and 6.45 to 12.35 for ciprofloxacin. The results suggested that microplastics and nanoplastics can act as carriers to increase bioaccumulation and toxicity of adsorbates in mussels in a size-dependent manner. Overproduction of reactive oxygen species caused by microplastics and nanoplastics led to increased DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and changes in antioxidant enzymes and non-enzymatic antioxidants during exposure. Marked disruption of antioxidant defenses and genotoxic effects in mussels during depuration indicated impaired recovery. Compared to micron-scale plastic with sizes over a hundred micrometers that had little effect on bivalve bioaccumulation and toxicity, nano-scale plastic greatly enhanced the biotoxicity effect.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Size-dominated biotoxicity of microplastics laden with benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin: Enhanced integrated biomarker evaluation on mussels
Researchers found that smaller microplastics laden with benzophenone-3 and ciprofloxacin caused greater toxicity in mussels than larger particles, demonstrating that particle size is the dominant factor driving the combined biotoxicity of microplastics and adsorbed contaminants.
Combined toxic effects of nanoplastics and norfloxacin on mussel: Leveraging biochemical parameters and gut microbiota
Researchers exposed mussels to nanoplastics and the antibiotic norfloxacin, both alone and together, and found that the combination caused greater biochemical stress than either pollutant alone. Nanoplastics appeared to carry the antibiotic into mussel tissues, increasing its bioavailability and impact on gut microbiota. The findings suggest that nanoplastics can amplify the toxicity of other contaminants in marine organisms.
Impact of microplastics pollution on ciprofloxacin bioaccumulation in the edible mussel (Perna viridis): Implications for human gut health risks
Researchers studied how microplastics affect the accumulation of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin in edible green mussels from a mariculture farm. They found that microplastics altered the way mussels absorbed and retained the antibiotic, with implications for human gut health when contaminated seafood is consumed. The study highlights the compounding food safety risks when multiple pollutants interact in aquaculture environments.
Unraveling the toxic trio: Combined effects of thifluzamide, enrofloxacin, and microplastics on Mytilus coruscus
Researchers examined the combined effects of the pesticide thifluzamide, the antibiotic enrofloxacin, and polystyrene microplastics on mussels over four weeks. They found that co-exposure increased the accumulation of both chemicals in mussel tissue and worsened oxidative damage, neurotoxicity, and metabolic disruption compared to single exposures. The study suggests that the presence of microplastics in waterways can amplify the harmful effects of pesticides and antibiotics on edible shellfish.
Microplastics aggravate the bioaccumulation of three veterinary antibiotics in the thick shell mussel Mytilus coruscus and induce synergistic immunotoxic effects
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics interact with three common veterinary antibiotics in thick shell mussels. The study found that when microplastics and antibiotics were present together, mussels accumulated significantly more antibiotics in their tissues and suffered worse immune damage than from either pollutant alone. This synergistic effect included reduced immune cell counts, increased oxidative stress, and disrupted immune gene expression, suggesting that microplastic pollution may amplify the harmful effects of antibiotic contamination in coastal waters.