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Reproductive cytotoxic and genotoxic impact of polystyrene microplastic on Paracentrotus lividus spermatozoa
Summary
Researchers exposed sea urchin sperm to polystyrene microplastics and found that the particles reduced sperm viability and movement, caused DNA damage through oxidative stress, and physically stuck to sperm cells, clumping them together. These effects significantly impaired the sperm's ability to fertilize eggs. While this study focused on sea urchins, the reproductive toxicity of microplastics raises broader concerns about how plastic pollution in the environment may threaten fertility across many species, including potentially humans.
In recent decades, industrialization, intensive agriculture, and urban development have severely impacted marine environments, compromising the health of aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Inadequate disposal results in hundreds of tons of plastic products released annually into the environment, which degrade into microplastics (MPs), posing health risks due to their ability to biomagnify and bioaccumulate. Among these, polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) are significant pollutants in marine ecosystems, widely studied for their reproductive toxicological effects. This research aimed to evaluate the reproductive cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of PS-MPs on sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) spermatozoa in vitro. Results showed that PS-MPs significantly reduced sperm viability and motility without altering morphology, and induced sperm DNA fragmentation mediated by reactive oxygen species production. Furthermore, head-to-head agglutination of the spermatozoa was observed exclusively in the sample treated with the plastic agents, indicating the ability of microplastics to adhere to the surface of sperm cells and form aggregates with microplastics on other sperm cells, thereby impeding movement and reducing reproductive potential. These findings suggest that PS-MPs can adversely affect the quality of sea urchin sperm, potentially impacting reproductive events.