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Effects of surgical masks exposed to different weathering conditions on behavior and growth of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
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Researchers exposed whiteleg shrimp to new and weathered surgical masks and measured effects on behaviour, growth, and feeding. Weathered mask-derived microplastics caused more pronounced behavioural changes and growth inhibition than new masks, suggesting that environmental degradation of COVID-19 mask waste amplifies its ecological impact on benthic marine organisms.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in the global demand for surgical masks. These masks can be a new source of plastic pollution in the ocean. Discarded masks often end up in coastal areas, undergoing weathering and microbial attachment, eventually settling on the seabed and potentially impacting benthic marine life. This study focuses on whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), a benthic species native to coastal areas and known to ingest microplastics. We exposed shrimp to new surgical masks, sun-exposed surgical masks, and seawater-soaked surgical masks, and studied shrimp-mask interactions and the effects of chronic exposure on shrimp behavior and growth. Initial encounters with seawater-soaked masks resulted in reduced activity levels. After a 28-day exposure period, shrimp subjected to sun-exposed masks demonstrated lower activity levels. In terms of feeding behavior, shrimp in contact with seawater-soaked masks showed reduced interest in food. No significant effects were observed on shrimp growth or microplastic bioaccumulation. These findings indicate that contact with or chronic exposure to weathered surgical masks significantly impacts the behavior of whiteleg shrimp.
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Researchers exposed whiteleg shrimp to varying concentrations of environmentally weathered polyethylene microplastics to assess ingestion rates and toxic effects. The study found that weathered microplastics caused dose-dependent changes in growth and antioxidant enzyme activity, indicating that real-world weathered microplastics may be more harmful to commercially important shrimp species than pristine laboratory particles.
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Researchers found that discarded surgical facemasks in seawater hosted more diverse microbial communities than conventional plastic waste, with higher degradation-related enzyme activity and more pronounced physicochemical changes during aging, raising concerns about their environmental impact.
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Ingestion of weathered high density polyethylene microplastics-induced oxidative stress and modulation of antioxidant responses in post larval stages of Litopenaeus vannamei
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Post-larval whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) exposed to weathered high-density polyethylene microplastics showed elevated oxidative stress markers and upregulated antioxidant enzyme activity, demonstrating that even environmentally weathered PE particles remain toxic to marine invertebrates at early life stages.
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