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Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Aquatic Microenvironments Affect Sperm Metabolism and Fertilization of Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamark, 1819)
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Researchers exposed mussel sperm to amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes and measured the effects on fertilization. The study found that 50-nanometer particles caused structural damage to sperm membranes, DNA damage, and reduced motility and fertilizing capacity, while 100-nanometer particles had no significant effect. These findings suggest that the smallest nanoplastic particles may pose the greatest threat to reproductive success in marine organisms.
The continuous and unregulated discharge of wastes and pollutants into the aquatic environment has required constant monitoring of the risks incurred by aquatic ecosystems. Alarmism arises from plastic pollution as larger artifacts release nanoscale fragments that can contact free-living stages such as gametes, embryos, and larvae. Specifically, the interaction between spermatozoa, released in water in externally fertilizing species, and the surrounding microenvironment is essential for successful fertilization. Activation and kinematics of movement, proper maintenance of ionic balance, and chemotactism are processes highly sensitive to even minimal perturbations caused by pollutants such as polystyrene nanoplastics. Spermatozoa of Mytilus galloprovincialis (M. galloprovincialis), an excellent ecotoxicological model, undergo structural (plasma membrane ruptures, DNA damage) and metabolic (reduced motility, fertilizing capacity) damage upon exposure to 50 nm amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics (nPS-NH2). Nanoplastics of larger diameter (100 nm) did not affect sperm parameters. The findings highlighted the negative impact that plastic pollution, related to nanoparticle diameter and concentration, could have on sperm quality and reproductive potential of organisms, altering the equilibrium of aquatic ecosystems.
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Environmental contamination with polystyrene micro and nano plastic affects Mytilus galloprovincialis ovaries
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Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) to 5 µm microplastics and 0.1 µm nanoplastics and found that both triggered oxidative stress, disrupted cytoskeletal proteins, and impaired oocyte maturation, with nanoplastics causing more severe suppression of egg cell proliferation and higher rates of cell death — raising concerns for coastal mollusk reproductive health.
In Vitro Nano-Polystyrene Toxicity: Metabolic Dysfunctions and Cytoprotective Responses of Human Spermatozoa
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Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (50 and 100 nm) on mature human sperm cell metabolism in vitro. The study found that smaller 50 nm particles showed higher toxicity, causing acrosomal damage, oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation, and decreased mitochondrial activity, while 100 nm particles primarily affected the acrosome, suggesting size-dependent impacts of nanoplastics on reproductive cell function.
Nanopolystyrene beads affect motility and reproductive success of oyster spermatozoa (Crassostrea gigas)
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Polystyrene nanoplastics with positively charged surfaces caused dramatic reductions in oyster sperm motility and fertilization success at relatively low concentrations, while negatively charged particles only affected motility at higher doses. The study raises concerns about how nanoplastic surface chemistry affects reproductive success in commercially important marine species.
Reproductive cytotoxic and genotoxic impact of polystyrene microplastic on Paracentrotus lividus spermatozoa
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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.
53 | Cytotoxic Effects of Nanoplastics on the Male Gonads of Mytilus Galloprovincialis
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) damaged the sperm-producing tissue in mussels, causing cell stress, damaged cell structures, and cell death that got worse the longer the exposure lasted. While this study was done in mussels, not humans, it adds to growing evidence that nanoplastics—now found throughout our air, food, and water—may harm reproductive health in living organisms, a concern worth taking seriously as plastic pollution continues to rise.
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