We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Ingestion Effect of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Nanoparticles on Juveniles of Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei
Summary
Researchers found that feeding PET nanoparticles to juvenile shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) led to increased production of reactive oxygen species, a marker of cellular stress, though cholesterol and triglyceride levels were not significantly affected. The study suggests PET nanoparticles widespread in marine environments may cause oxidative stress in marine invertebrates even at sub-lethal exposures.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is among the major plastics produced, and thus the PET nanoparticles are distributed worldwide in marine systems. In this work, the effects of PET nanoparticles (NanoPET) in the shrimp feed were determined in juveniles of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. No significant changes in the concentrations of triglycerides and cholesterol in hemolymph were detected. A slight but not significantly higher nitrites content in the shrimp hepatopancreas was detected when the NanoPET concentration in the feed was increased, while a significant higher ROS generation was detected at high NanoPET concentration. This increase in ROS generation matched with the increase of gene expression of antioxidative proteins catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, while glutathione transferase was not affected. Thus, these increased levels of antioxidant enzymes in shrimps exposed to NanoPET seem to be a protection response by the generation of free radicals induced by the presence of nanoplastic.