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Polystyrene nanoplastics in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.
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This study investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics affect Mediterranean mussels, an important marine species and human food source. Researchers found that these tiny plastic particles can cross cell membranes, accumulate in tissues, and trigger oxidative stress and immune responses. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution in the ocean could affect both marine ecosystem health and the safety of seafood consumed by people.
Concerns about plastic pollution and its toxicity towards animals and people are growing. Polystyrene (PS) is a plastic polymer highly produced in Europe for packaging purposes and building insulation amongst others. Whatever their source-illegal dumping, improper waste management, or a lack of treatment for the removal of plastic debris from wastewater treatment plants-PS products ultimately end up in the marine environment. Nanoplastics (<1000 nm) are the new focus for plastic pollution, gaining broad interest. Whether primary or secondary, their small size permits nanoparticles to cross cellular boundaries, consequently leading to adverse toxic effects. An in vitro assay of Mytilus galloprovincialis haemocytes exposed to 10 μg/L of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs; 50 nm) for 24 h was used to test cellular viability along with the luminescence inhibition (LC) of Aliivibrio fischeri bacteria to evaluate acute toxicity. Cellular viability of mussel haemocytes decreased significantly after a 24 h exposure and PS-NPs LC range from 180 to 217, μg/L. In addition, a 28-day exposure of the marine bivalve M. galloprovincialis to PS-NPs (10 μg/L; 50 nm) was performed to evaluate the neurotoxic effects and the uptake of these plastic particles in three bivalve tissues (gills, digestive gland, and gonads). The ingestion of PS-NPs was time- and tissue-specific, suggesting that PS-NPs are ingested through the gills and then translocated through the mussel bloodstream, to the digestive gland and gonads where the highest amount of ingested PS-NPs was reported. Ingested PS-NPs may compromise the digestive glands' key metabolic function and impair mussels' gametogenic and reproductive success. Data on acetylcholinesterase inhibition and those previously obtained on a wide range of cellular biomarkers were elaborated through weighted criteria providing a synthetic assessment of cellular hazard from PS-NPs.
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Chronic toxicity of polystyrene nanoparticles in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis
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Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to polystyrene nanoplastics (50 nm, 10 µg/L) for 21 days and found genotoxicity in blood cells and overwhelmed antioxidant defenses in gills and digestive glands, with gills showing the most severe tissue-level oxidative damage over time.
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.
Nanoplastics: From tissue accumulation to cell translocation into Mytilus galloprovincialis hemocytes. resilience of immune cells exposed to nanoplastics and nanoplastics plus Vibrio splendidus combination
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Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics of different sizes accumulate in and affect the immune cells of Mediterranean mussels. They found that the smallest nanoparticles quickly moved from the digestive system into the bloodstream and were taken up by immune cells, altering their function including motility and the ability to produce reactive oxygen species. However, the immune cells showed resilience by recovering their ability to fight bacterial infection after nanoplastic exposure.
Histopathological analysis of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis after foodborne exposure to three sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics: Relevance of confounding factors.
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Scientists fed tiny plastic particles (nanoplastics) to mussels through their food to see if it caused health problems, since mussels are good indicators of ocean health and people eat them. The plastic particles did cause some tissue damage and inflammation in the mussels, but other factors like reproductive cycles and parasites had bigger effects on their health. This suggests that short-term exposure to small amounts of nanoplastics may not be as harmful as previously thought, though longer studies are still needed to understand the risks to both marine life and humans who eat seafood.
Short-term exposure to polystyrene microplastics hampers the cellular function of gills in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis
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Even short-term exposure (72 hours) to polystyrene microplastics disrupted gill function in Mediterranean mussels, a species commonly eaten by humans. The microplastics accumulated in gill tissue and caused metabolic disorders including changes in energy production, nerve signaling, and salt balance, along with oxidative stress. Since mussels are filter feeders that concentrate microplastics from seawater, these findings raise questions about the quality of shellfish as human food.
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