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Effects of polymeric nanoparticles on fish : a multiparametric approach
Summary
This study assessed the effects of polymeric nanoparticles on fish using multiple endpoints including growth, reproduction, and gene expression, finding significant biological effects even at low concentrations. The results support the conclusion that plastic nanoparticles pose risks to aquatic vertebrates and provide data relevant to understanding the safety of nanoparticle-containing consumer products.
The contamination of aquatic systems with several kinds of debris is an emerging environmental crisis. One of the problems associated with plastic pollution is its persistence. Plastic particles do not disappear, they slowly degraded from macro to micro to nano sizes. Although an increasing number of studies are currently assessing the effects of microplastics in aquatic organisms, the effects or nanoplastics are largely unknown. The present study aims to assess the short-term effects of polymeric nanoparticles in fish alone and in the presence of organic matter. Thus, the effects on ontogenic development were assessed in Danio rerio, a freshwater fish, by exposing fish embryos for 96h to PMMA (concentration range from 2.5 to 202.5 mg/L) and PS (concentration range from 2.5 to 1822.5 mg/L) particles (≈ 50 nm). In addition to ontogenic development, behavioural (distance and time swam as well as thigmotaxis) and biochemical effects (NPT, CAT, GPx, GST, GR and LPO) were also assessed. Effects on Dicentrarchus labrax, a marine fish species, were also assessed after 96h exposure. Assessed parameters included genotoxicity (erythrocytes micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities and echinocytes shape differences) and effects on antioxidant status and damage (NPT, CAT, GPx, GST, GR and LPO). Overall, the nanoparticles revealed ability to be pernicious to fish, with PMMA presenting a higher toxicity to fish than PS. D. rerio displayed behavioural alterations associated with overall activity and stress responses. In D. labrax, the tested nanoparticles were genotoxic, as demonstrated by the increase of erythrocytes nuclear abnormalities. the assessed biochemical responses were more responsive in gills and liver than intestine with data confirming that nanoplastics have the ability to affect antioxidant status. The present study results are highly relevant as they demonstrate the ability of the tested nanoplastics to affect fish development and behaviour and that they are cytogenotoxic.
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