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Effect of Microplastic on the Gills of the Shore Crab Carcinus maenas
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Researchers investigated the effect of polystyrene microspheres on the gills of the shore crab Carcinus maenas. The study found that inhaled microplastics caused significant but transient effects on branchial function, demonstrating that microplastics can affect respiratory organs in marine crustaceans even through short-term exposure.
Microscopic plastic debris (microplastics, <5 mm in diameter) is ubiquitous in the marine environment. Previous work has shown that microplastics may be ingested and inhaled by the shore crab Carcinus maenas, although the biological consequences are unknown. Here, we show that acute aqueous exposure to polystyrene microspheres (8 μm) with different surface coatings had significant but transient effects on branchial function. Microspheres inhaled into the gill chamber had a small but significant dose-dependent effect on oxygen consumption after 1 h of exposure, returning to normal levels after 16 h. Ion exchange was also affected, with a small but significant decrease in hemolymph sodium ions and an increase in calcium ions after 24 h post-exposure. To further asses the effects on osmoregulation, we challenged crabs with reduced salinity after microplastic exposure. Neither microspheres nor natural sediments altered the crab's response to osmotic stress regardless of plastic concentration added. Carboxylated (COOH) and aminated (NH2) polystyrene microspheres were distributed differently across the gill surface, although neither had a significant adverse impact on gill function. These results illustrate the extent of the physiological effects of microplastics compared to the physiological resilience of shore crabs in maintaining osmoregulatory and respiratory function after acute exposure to both anthropogenic plastics and natural particles.
More Papers Like This
Effect of microplastic on the gills of the Shore Crab Carcinus maenas
AI summary Read the abstract
Acute aqueous exposure of shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) to polystyrene microspheres with different surface coatings showed small but significant dose-dependent effects on oxygen consumption and ion exchange, returning to normal by 16-24 hours. The findings suggest microplastics transiently impair branchial function but that crabs can recover from short-term exposures.
Uptake and Retention of Microplastics by the Shore Crab Carcinus maenas
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Researchers discovered that shore crabs can take up microplastics not only by eating them but also by breathing them in across their gills, a route that had not been well studied before. Microspheres that entered through the gills were retained in the body for up to 21 days, significantly longer than particles that were ingested orally. The study reveals that gill ventilation may be an underappreciated but important route of microplastic exposure for marine crustaceans.
Gill dysfunction and metabolic disruption: the size-dependent effects of microplastics on Chiromantes haematocheir
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Researchers exposed the brackish-water crab Chiromantes haematocheir to polystyrene particles at three sizes (75 nm, 500 nm, 1000 nm) for 21 days and found that smaller particles caused greater gill accumulation, elevated oxidative stress, and more pronounced disruption of immune function, energy metabolism, and apoptotic pathways.
Gill dysfunction and metabolic disruption: the size-dependent effects of microplastics on Chiromantes haematocheir
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Researchers exposed the brackish-water crab Chiromantes haematocheir to polystyrene particles at three sizes (75 nm, 500 nm, 1000 nm) for 21 days and found that smaller particles caused greater gill accumulation, elevated oxidative stress, and more pronounced disruption of immune function, energy metabolism, and apoptotic pathways.
Ingestion of Plastic Microfibers by the Crab Carcinus maenas and Its Effect on Food Consumption and Energy Balance
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Researchers fed polypropylene rope microfibers to the shore crab Carcinus maenas and found that fibers were retained in the gut for extended periods and reduced energy consumption — a measure of metabolic impact. The study is one of the first to demonstrate that fiber-shaped microplastics, not just spherical particles, can impair physiological function in a commercially important crustacean.
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