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Commercial product-derived microplastics based on polypropylene and polylactic acid and their harmful effects on the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lmk) embryos: Morphological and gene expression analysis

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Loredana Manfra, Giovanni Libralato Francesca Biandolino, Amalia Amato, Loredana Manfra, Francesca Biandolino, Amalia Amato, Amalia Amato, Amalia Amato, Amalia Amato, Amalia Amato, Amalia Amato, Giovanni Libralato Ermelinda Prato, Amalia Amato, Amalia Amato, Amalia Amato, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Francesca Biandolino, Francesca Biandolino, Ermelinda Prato, Roberta Esposito, Francesca Biandolino, Amalia Amato, Giovanni Libralato Loredana Manfra, Amalia Amato, Loredana Manfra, Ermelinda Prato, Ermelinda Prato, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Roberta Esposito, Valerio Zupo, Loredana Manfra, Giovanni Libralato Francesca Biandolino, Maria Costantini, Maria Costantini, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Davide Caramiello, Davide Caramiello, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Francesca Biandolino, Giovanni Libralato Davide Caramiello, Loredana Manfra, Giovanni Libralato Roberta Esposito, Amalia Amato, Davide Caramiello, Giovanni Libralato Loredana Manfra, Francesca Biandolino, Amalia Amato, Giovanni Libralato Loredana Manfra, Valerio Zupo, Valerio Zupo, Davide Caramiello, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Davide Caramiello, Loredana Manfra, Francesca Biandolino, Giovanni Libralato Ermelinda Prato, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Davide Caramiello, Ermelinda Prato, Davide Caramiello, Loredana Manfra, Valerio Zupo, Maria Costantini, Loredana Manfra, Maria Costantini, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Giovanni Libralato Giovanni Libralato Giovanni Libralato Giovanni Libralato Giovanni Libralato Giovanni Libralato Ermelinda Prato, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Valerio Zupo, Giovanni Libralato Giovanni Libralato Loredana Manfra, Giovanni Libralato Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Giovanni Libralato Maria Costantini, Loredana Manfra, Valerio Zupo, Maria Costantini, Loredana Manfra, Ermelinda Prato, Loredana Manfra, Giovanni Libralato Loredana Manfra, Valerio Zupo, Maria Costantini, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Loredana Manfra, Giovanni Libralato Ermelinda Prato, Giovanni Libralato Giovanni Libralato Maria Costantini, Valerio Zupo, Maria Costantini, Maria Costantini, Valerio Zupo, Giovanni Libralato Maria Costantini, Maria Costantini, Maria Costantini, Valerio Zupo, Valerio Zupo, Giovanni Libralato Giovanni Libralato

Summary

Researchers examined the toxic effects of polypropylene and polylactic acid microplastics derived from commercial products on embryos of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, assessing morphological changes and gene expression. They found that both polymer types caused developmental harm, with plastic additives and degradation byproducts contributing to the toxic effects observed.

Polymers

PLA PP

Body Systems

Reproductive

Plastics provide a range of benefits in our society, even if waste plastics are representing a worrying issue for the environment. In addition, various additives, i.e., chemical substances added to plastic polymers to enhance their properties, create complications in their lifecycle. In fact, inappropriate use and recycling of plastics inevitably leads to the release of toxic substances. In this work we analyzed the possible toxic effects of microplastics obtained from commercial cups made from polypropylene (PP) and from the biodegradable polymer poly (lactic acid) (PLA), on the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lmk) embryos. We exposed eggs of P. lividus to microplastics derived from PLA and PP cups for 10 min at increasing concentrations. The eggs were then fertilized and the embryonic development was followed until the pluteus stage at 48 h post fertilization (hpf). Our results showed that neither PLA nor PP microplastics had a measurable effect on fertilization, but both affected the first mitotic division, induced delay of embryonic development with many embryos still at blastula and gastrula stages at 48 hpf, and caused malformations in embryos that reached the pluteus stage. Moreover, the expression level of several genes involved in different functional pathways linked to stress and detoxification responses, development, differentiation and skeletogenesis were followed by Real time qPCR , with the aim of identifying the molecular targets of PLA and PP. These morphological effects were a result of the up-regulation of most of the genes analyzed and used by the embryos to react to the detrimental effects induced by plastics. Our findings highlighted the important issue of plastic additives, which can be released during the various recycling and recovery processes of contaminated ecosystems. • Polylactic acid and polypropylene plastics induced delay of embryo development and their malformations. • Effects of commercial polylactic acid were stronger than those of virgin polylactic acid. • P. lividus embryos up-regulated most of the genes analyzed. • Plastic additives are harmful for marine invertebrates.

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