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Petroleum-based and biodegradable microplastics alter tissue structure and fecundity in the eastern mudsnail (Ilyanassa obsoleta)
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Researchers found that both petroleum-based and biodegradable (PLA) microplastics caused tissue damage to the digestive gland and reduced fecundity in eastern mudsnails at high exposures, with environmentally relevant concentrations of petroleum-based microplastics already inducing subtle but significant histological changes.
Microplastics are hazardous to aquatic life. Most experiments focus on the effects of a single type of microbead, while in the environment, organisms are exposed to irregularly shaped fragments belonging to several chemical groups. The effects of biodegradable plastics are unknown. We tested the effects of mixed-source (MS) petroleum-based and biodegradable (polylactic acid, PLA) microplastics on the intertidal eastern mudsnail, Ilyanassa obsoleta (Say, 1822), a benthic grazer. MS plastics were collected from local coastal areas (polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene terephthalate, combined) and were tested at three exposures, including one similar to concentrations found locally (2250 particles/kg sediment). Plastics were milled to be similar in size to the biofilm–sediment mix provided to the snails as food (32.94 µm 2 for sediment, 137.99 µm 2 for MS, and 31.16 µm 2 for PLA). Locally relevant exposures of MS microplastics disrupted digestive gland histology, while extreme exposures additionally increased the number of hemocytes and reduced fecundity. Effects of PLA were similar to those of MS microplastics, at the extreme exposure tested here. These results indicate that both petroleum-based and biodegradable microplastics disrupt the structure of the digestive gland and that environmentally relevant exposures induce “hidden” tissue-level changes that are invisible without specialized techniques.
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Researchers exposed the freshwater snail Biomphalaria alexandrina to PVC microplastics and measured behavioral, physiological, and histological outcomes. They found concentration-dependent harm including reduced feeding and survival, oxidative stress, and damage to digestive glands.
Dietary consumption of polypropylene microplastics alter the biochemical parameters and histological response in freshwater benthic mollusc Pomacea paludosa
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Researchers exposed freshwater snails (Pomacea paludosa) to polypropylene microplastics through their diet at three concentrations over 28 days and measured biochemical and tissue-level responses. They found significant changes in antioxidant enzyme activity and histological damage in the digestive gland, with effects worsening at higher concentrations. The study suggests that dietary microplastic exposure can cause oxidative stress and organ damage in freshwater benthic organisms.
Toxic effects of exposure to microplastics with environmentally relevant shapes and concentrations: Accumulation, energy metabolism and tissue damage in oyster Crassostrea gigas
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Researchers exposed oysters to irregularly shaped polyethylene and PET microplastics at two concentrations for 21 days and measured accumulation, energy metabolism, and tissue damage. They found that the microplastics accumulated in oyster tissues, disrupted energy metabolism, and caused histological damage, with effects varying by polymer type and concentration. The study suggests that environmentally realistic microplastic shapes and concentrations can cause measurable harm to commercially important shellfish species.
Polyethylene Microplastics Affected Survival Rate, Food Intake and Altered Oxidative Stress Parameters in Freshwater Snail Indoplanorbis exustus
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Researchers exposed freshwater snails to various concentrations of low-density polyethylene microplastics and measured the effects on survival and physiology. The study found significant increases in oxidative stress markers and lipid peroxidation, along with reduced food intake and body weight, at higher concentrations. Evidence indicates that microplastics cause broad physiological impairment in freshwater invertebrates, and affected snails failed to recover even after exposure ended.
Are microplastics impacting shellfish?
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Researchers investigated whether microplastic contamination measurably impacts shellfish physiology, growth, reproduction, and health outcomes, assessing the ecological and food safety implications of microplastic exposure in commercially and ecologically important bivalve species.
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