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Combined toxicity of microplastics and copper on Goniopora columns
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Researchers found that when microplastics and copper are present together in ocean water, they cause significantly more damage to coral than microplastics alone, reducing polyp length, killing symbiotic algae, and overwhelming the coral's antioxidant defenses. The combined exposure caused oxidative stress within just one day and progressively worsened over a week. This matters for human health because coral reef decline threatens the fisheries and coastal protection that millions of people depend on.
As microplastics (MP) become ubiquitous, their interactions with heavy metals threatens the coral ecosystem. This study aimed to assess the combined toxicity of MP and copper (Cu) in the environment of coral. Goniopora columna was exposed to polyethylene microplastics (PE-MP) combined with Cu at 10, 20, 50, 100, and 300 μg/L for 7 days. Polyp length and adaptability were recorded daily, and coral samples were collected at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days to analyse zooxanthellae density and antioxidant activity. Tissue observations and the analysis of MP and Cu accumulation were conducted on the 7th day. After 1 day of exposure, PE-MP combined with different concentrations of Cu significantly decreased polyp length and adaptability compared with PE-MP alone. Simultaneously, a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content, lead to coral oxidative stress, which was a combined effect with PE-MP. After 3 days of exposure, PE-MP combined with Cu at >50 μg/L significantly reduced zooxanthellae density, damaging the coral's symbiotic relationship. In antioxidant enzyme activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity decreased significantly after 1 day of exposure. After 3 days of exposure, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity significantly increased with Cu at >20 μg/L. After 5 days of exposure, PE-MP combined with different concentrations of Cu significantly reduced catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione transferase (GST) activity, disrupting the antioxidant enzyme system, and acting antagonistically to PE-MP alone. Tissue observations revealed that the PE-MP combined with Cu at >50 μg/L caused severe mesenteric atrophy, vacuolar, and Cu accumulation in the coral mesenteric compared with PE-MP alone. The results suggest that combined exposure of PE-MP and copper leads to more severe oxidative stress, disruption antioxidant enzyme system, tissue damage, and Cu accumulation, resulting in a significant maladaptation of corals to the environment.
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