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Transgenerational Reproductive Toxicity of Sediment-Associated Microplastics in the Marine Amphipod, Monocorophium uenoi
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A multigenerational toxicity study with the marine amphipod Monocorophium uenoi found that chronic exposure to PET microplastics reduced first-generation offspring production to 55% of controls, with complete reproductive suppression in the second generation confirmed by Raman spectroscopy detection of particles in tissues. This demonstrates that sediment-associated microplastics can cause escalating, transgenerational reproductive failure in marine invertebrates—a stark warning for the long-term health of benthic ecosystems.
본 연구는 미세플라스틱의 퇴적물 침적이 해양 저서성 무척추동물의 생식에 미치는 영향을 평가하기 위해 수행되었다. 실험에는 해양 단각류 Monocorophium uenoi를 모델 생물로 사용하였으며, 미세플라스틱(PET)을 서식 기질로 대체한 장기 노출 실험을 통해 급성독성 및 생식력(fecundity)에 대한 영향을 확인하였다. 급성 노출(96시간)에서는 유의한 생존율 감소가 관찰되지 않았으나, 1세대의 만성 노출(28일) 시 자손 생산은 대조군 대비 약 55% 수준으로 감소하였다. 2세대의 만성 노출 시 암컷 단독 노출군과 암수 모두 노출군에서 정량적으로 자손 생산이 완전히 억제되었다. 조직 및 장기 내 미세플라스틱은 라만분광법(Raman spectroscopy)을 통해 확인하였으며, 이러한 생식 독성이 미세플라스틱의 물리적 존재와 연관됨을 뒷받침하였다. 본 연구는 퇴적물 내 미세플라스틱이 단순 입자성 물질의 단기적 생존 영향을 넘어, 여러 세대에 걸쳐 단각류의 생식 능력을 완전히 상실시킬 수도 있는 잠재적 위협임을 실증하였다.
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