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The odd couple: Caffeine and microplastics. Morphological and physiological changes in Mytilus galloprovincialis
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Scientists exposed Mediterranean mussels to caffeine and microplastics together to mimic real-world water pollution conditions. The combination caused more damage than either pollutant alone, including gill tissue destruction, cell membrane damage, and signs of inflammation. Since mussels are commonly eaten as seafood, these findings raise questions about the safety of shellfish from waters contaminated with both pharmaceutical and plastic pollution.
In recent years, the presence of pharmaceuticals and microplastics (MPs) in aquatic ecosystems has raised concerns about their environmental impact. This study explores the combined effects of caffeine, a common pharmaceutical pollutant, and MPs on the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Caffeine, at concentrations of 20.0 μg L-1, and MPs (1 mg L-1, 35-50 μm size range), was used to mimic real-world exposure scenarios. Two hundred M. galloprovincialis specimens were divided into four groups: caffeine, MPs, Mix (caffeine + MPs), and Control. After a two-week acclimation period, the mollusks were subjected to these pollutants in oxygen-aerated aquariums under controlled conditions for 14 days. Histopathological assessments were performed to evaluate gill morphology. Cellular volume regulation and digestive gland cell viability were also analyzed. Exposure to caffeine and MPs induced significant morphological changes in M. galloprovincialis gills, including cilia loss, ciliary disk damage, and cellular alterations. The chitinous rod supporting filaments also suffered damage, potentially due to MP interactions, leading to hemocyte infiltration and filament integrity compromise. Hemocytic aggregation suggested an inflammatory response to caffeine. In addition, viability assessments of digestive gland cells revealed potential damage to cell membranes and function, with impaired cell volume regulation, particularly in the Mix group, raising concerns about nutrient metabolism disruption and organ function compromise. These findings underscore the vulnerability of M. galloprovincialis to environmental pollutants and emphasize the need for monitoring and mitigation efforts. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: The synergy of caffeine and microplastics (MPs) in aquatic ecosystems warrants investigation. MPs and caffeine could affect gill morphology of Mytilus galloprovincialis. Caffeine-exposed cells had lower viability than the control group in the NR retention test. MPs and mix-exposed cells struggled to recover their volume.
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Physiological and biochemical responses to caffeine and microplastics in Mytilus galloprovincialis
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Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to caffeine and microplastics both separately and together to measure their combined effects. The combination caused greater oxidative stress and changes in cell function than either pollutant alone. While focused on mussels, the study is relevant to human health because mussels are widely eaten as seafood and can accumulate both microplastics and chemical contaminants.
Alleviation of specific responses in the combined exposure of freshwater mussel Unio tumidus to psychoactive substances and microplastics
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Researchers exposed freshwater mussels to a combination of common psychoactive substances (caffeine and chlorpromazine) and microplastics to see how the mixture affected their biology. Individually, each pollutant caused oxidative damage and disrupted cellular processes, but the combined mixture surprisingly reduced some of these harmful effects. The study suggests that pollutant interactions in real-world conditions can produce unexpected outcomes that differ from single-pollutant studies.
Combined exposure of the bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis to polyethylene microplastics and two pharmaceuticals (citalopram and bezafibrate): Bioaccumulation and metabolomic studies
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Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polyethylene microplastics combined with two pharmaceutical drugs and found that the microplastics altered how the drugs accumulated in mussel tissue and changed the organisms' metabolic responses. The combined exposures caused different metabolic disruptions than single exposures, and not all effects were reversed after a recovery period. This highlights how microplastics in the ocean can interact with pharmaceutical pollution to create unexpected biological effects in seafood species.
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Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to environmentally collected microplastics from a beach, both alone and combined with the pollutant benzo[a]pyrene, at ecologically relevant concentrations. The study found that even short-term exposure caused cellular and molecular responses in the mussels, and the combination of microplastics with chemical pollutants produced different effects than either contaminant alone.
Exploring the effect of microparticles on bivalves: Exposure of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes philippinarum to both microplastics and silt
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Researchers exposed mussels and clams to polyethylene microplastics, natural silt particles, and a combination of both, finding that the mixture caused significantly worse mortality and oxidative stress than either substance alone. Clams were more sensitive to microplastic exposure than mussels, while mussels retained more microplastics in their tissues. The study reveals that the combined presence of natural sediment particles and microplastics in coastal waters creates synergistic harmful effects on filter-feeding shellfish that are greater than the sum of individual exposures.
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