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Accumulation, Depuration, and Biological Effects of Polystyrene Microplastic Spheres and Adsorbed Cadmium and Benzo(a)pyrene on the Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis
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Researchers found that mussels accumulated polystyrene microplastics in a size- and concentration-dependent manner, and that microplastics acted as carriers for the organic pollutant benzo(a)pyrene but not cadmium, with short-term exposure causing digestive gland alterations.
Filter feeders are target species for microplastic (MP) pollution, as particles can accumulate in the digestive system, disturbing feeding processes and becoming internalized in tissues. MPs may also carry pathogens or pollutants present in the environment. This work assessed the influence of polystyrene (PS) MP size and concentration on accumulation and depuration time and the role of MPs as vectors for metallic (Cd) and organic (benzo(a)pyrene, BaP) pollutants. One-day exposure to pristine MPs induced a concentration-dependent accumulation in the digestive gland (in the stomach and duct lumen), and after 3-day depuration, 45 µm MPs appeared between gill filaments, while 4.5 µm MPs also occurred within gill filaments. After 3-day exposure to contaminated 4.5 µm MPs, mussels showed increased BaP levels whilst Cd accumulation did not occur. Here, PS showed higher affinity to BaP than to Cd. Three-day exposure to pristine or contaminated MPs did not provoke significant alterations in antioxidant and peroxisomal enzyme activities in the gills and digestive gland nor in lysosomal membrane stability. Exposure to dissolved contaminants and to MP-BaP caused histological alterations in the digestive gland. In conclusion, these short-term studies suggest that MPs are ingested and internalized in a size-dependent manner and act as carriers of the persistent organic pollutant BaP.
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Researchers exposed Mediterranean mussels to environmentally collected microplastics from a beach, both alone and combined with the pollutant benzo[a]pyrene, at ecologically relevant concentrations. The study found that even short-term exposure caused cellular and molecular responses in the mussels, and the combination of microplastics with chemical pollutants produced different effects than either contaminant alone.
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Researchers investigated whether microplastics influence the bioaccumulation of emerging contaminants in Mediterranean mussels. The study found that the presence of microplastics altered how certain chemical pollutants accumulated in mussel tissue, suggesting that microplastics can act as carriers that change the uptake and distribution of other contaminants in marine organisms.
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