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Effects of microplastics and mercury on manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum: Feeding rate, immunomodulation, histopathology and oxidative stress
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Researchers exposed Manila clams to polyethylene microplastics and mercury, both individually and in combination, to study their effects on feeding, immune response, and tissue health. The study found that while microplastics were ingested and spread to various tissues, they played a negligible role in transporting mercury into the clams. Both pollutants independently reduced filtration rates, impaired immune function, and caused tissue damage in the gills and digestive glands.
Plastic pollution, which is one of the most important environmental problems at the present time, has been understood recently, and the effects of this pollution on ecosystem and biota are becoming a growing problem, especially in the aquatic ecosystems. Direct or indirect exposure to those particles leads to adverse effects on marine organisms. In the marine environment, plastic materials interact with other pollutants such as metals, thereby affecting the uptake levels of those pollutants in marine organisms. In the present study, the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum was exposed to polyethylene microbeads and mercury chloride in single, combined and incubated form at environmentally relative concentrations for one week in controlled laboratory conditions. The uptake and tissue distribution of both stressors as well as the vector role of microplastics on mercury uptake in the organisms were investigated. Filtration rates, biomarkers for immunomodulation and oxidative stress, and histological alterations were also evaluated. Microplastics were ingested by the clams, and translocated to the various tissues. However, contaminated microplastics displayed a negligible vector role in terms of mercury bioaccumulation in the clams. The single and interactive exposure of the stressors reduced the filtration rate in the clams. Both pollutants affected the immune system of the organisms. Histological alterations were determined in the gill and digestive gland tissues of the clams among the treatment groups, although oxidative stress biomarkers remained unchanged. This study suggests that the vector role of polyethylene microplastics in mercury uptake is negligible and reveals that the single and interactive one-week exposure of two pollutants induce toxicity in the manila clams.
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Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and a toxic organic pollutant (benzo[a]anthracene) on Manila clams. The study found that when the pollutant was present alongside microplastics, the clams showed more severe stress responses than from either contaminant alone. Evidence indicates that microplastics can act as carriers for harmful chemicals, potentially amplifying their toxic effects on marine shellfish.
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Researchers exposed two types of shellfish (clams and scallops) to polyethylene and PET microplastics and found that both species accumulated the particles in their digestive glands and gills. The exposure caused oxidative stress, disrupted energy and fat metabolism, and damaged tissue, with PET generally being more toxic than polyethylene. Since these are commonly eaten shellfish, the findings raise concerns about microplastic contamination affecting the safety of seafood for human consumers.
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