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Effects of polystyrene microbeads in marine planktonic crustaceans
Summary
Researchers exposed barnacle larvae and brine shrimp to polystyrene microbeads at various concentrations and measured effects on survival, swimming behavior, and enzyme activity. While the microplastics accumulated in both species without causing mortality, high concentrations significantly altered swimming speed and cholinesterase enzyme activity. The study suggests that sublethal effects of microplastics on behavior and neurological function may be more ecologically relevant than direct mortality in marine crustaceans.
Plastic debris accumulates in the marine environment, fragmenting into microplastics (MP), causing concern about their potential toxic effects when ingested by marine organisms. The aim of this study was to verify whether 0.1µm polystyrene beads are likely to trigger lethal and sub-lethal responses in marine planktonic crustaceans. MP build-up, mortality, swimming speed alteration and enzyme activity (cholinesterases, catalase) were investigated in the larval stages of Amphibalanus amphitrite barnacle and of Artemia franciscana brine shrimp exposed to a wide range of MP concentrations (from 0.001 to 10mgL) for 24 and 48h. The results show that MP were accumulated in crustaceans, without affecting mortality. Swimming activity was significantly altered in crustaceans exposed to high MP concentrations (> 1mgL) after 48h. Enzyme activities were significantly affected in all organisms exposed to all the above MP concentrations, indicating that neurotoxic effects and oxidative stress were induced after MP treatment. These findings provide new insight into sub-lethal MP effects on marine crustaceans.