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Exposure to bisphenol A and fiber-type microplastics induce oxidative stress and cell damage in disk abalone Haliotis discus hannai: Bioaccumulation and toxicity
Summary
Researchers exposed disk abalone to bisphenol A and fiber-type microplastics, both individually and in combination, to assess their toxic effects. They found that co-exposure caused greater oxidative stress and cellular damage than either pollutant alone, and that both contaminants accumulated in abalone tissues. The study suggests that the combined presence of microplastics and industrial chemicals in marine environments poses amplified risks to shellfish health.
Along with environmental pollution caused by rapid economic development and industrialization, plastic waste is emerging as a global concern in relation to marine ecosystems and human health. Among the microplastics, fiber-type microfibers (MF) and bisphenol A (BPA), which are widely used as plasticizers, do not decompose well in the ocean, and tend to accumulate in organisms, generating an increased oxidative stress response. This study investigated the abalones' antioxidant and cell death responses following exposure to the environmental pollutants MF and BPA. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and DNA damage increased over time, demonstrating the degree of lipid peroxidation and DNA damage in abalones exposed to individual and combined environmental conditions of MF and BPA. Compared to the single MF and BPA exposure groups, the combined exposure group showed a higher expression of antioxidant enzymes. A similar pattern was seen in the expression of the apoptosis enzyme caspase-3. Both MF and BPA caused oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes were expressed to alleviate it, but it is believed that cell damage occurred because the stress level exceeded the allowed range.