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Effect-Directed Analysis of Ah Receptor-Mediated Potencies in Microplastics Deployed in a Remote Tropical Marine Environment
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Researchers used effect-directed analysis to measure the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activating potency of chemical mixtures extracted from microplastics collected in the field. Field-deployed plastics carried compounds capable of triggering toxic cellular responses, with potency varying by plastic type.
To facilitate the study of potential harmful compounds sorbed to microplastics, an effect-directed analysis using the DR CALUX® assay as screening tool for Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-active compounds in extracts of marine deployed microplastics and chemical analysis of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) was conducted. Pellets of three plastic polymers (low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS)) were deployed at Heron Island in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, for up to 8 months. Detected AhR-mediated potencies (bio-TEQs) of extracted plastic pellets ranged from 15 pg/g to 100 pg/g. Contributions of target HOCs to the overall bioactivities were negligible. To identify the major contributors, remaining plastic pellets were used for fractionation with a gas chromatography (GC) fractionation platform featuring parallel mass spectrometric (MS) detection. The bioassay analysis showed two bioactive fractions of each polymer with bio-TEQs ranging from 5.7 pg/g to 14 pg/g. High resolution MS was used in order to identify bioactive compounds in the fractions. No AhR agonists could be identified in fractions of HDPE or LDPE. Via a multivariate statistical approach the polystyrene (PS) trimer 1e- Phenyl-4e-(1- phenylethyl)-tetralin was identified in fractions of HIPS and in fractions of the blank polymer of HIPS.
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Researchers deployed different plastic types in the field and found that their ability to activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) — a marker for toxic chemical exposure — varied significantly by polymer type. This shows that different plastics carry distinct toxic chemical profiles, and plastic composition matters when assessing environmental health risks.
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