Negative impacts of realistic doses of spherical and irregular microplastics emerged late during a 42 weeks-long exposure experiment with blue mussels.

Hamm, Thea and Lenz, Mark (2021) Negative impacts of realistic doses of spherical and irregular microplastics emerged late during a 42 weeks-long exposure experiment with blue mussels. Open Access Science of the Total Environment, 778 . Art.Nr. 146088. DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146088.

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Supplementary data:

Abstract

Highlights:
• Effects of microplastics on Mytilus spp. were assessed over the course of 42 weeks.
• Effects were seen even at the lowest MP concentration (15 particles/individual/week).
• At the highest PS dose, clearance rates decreased significantly only after 36 weeks.
• SOD and MDA concentrations declined as a consequence of exposure to microplastics.

Abstract:
Microplastics have been found in all compartments of the environment, and numerous life forms are known to take up the anthropogenic particles. Marine filter feeders are particularly susceptible to ingest suspended microplastics, but long-term studies on the potential effects of this uptake are scarce. We exposed juvenile Mytilus spp. to environmentally realistic doses of irregularly shaped polyvinylchloride (PVC) particles (15, 1500, 15,000, 150,000, 1,500,000 particles/individual/week calibrated in the size range 11–60 μm) and regularly shaped polystyrene (PS) beads (15, 1500, 15,000 particles/individual/week, 40 μm) over 42 weeks. During this period, we monitored physiological traits such as clearance rate, byssus production, growth rate, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations, and the condition index (CI). Negative effects of the tested microplastics on mussel performance emerged late in the experiment and were rather weak. Interestingly, even after having received the lowest particle dose of PS, SOD activity in the gill was significantly lower in mussels exposed to microplastics compared to a group of conspecifics that were kept in clean water. However, growth and CI, which are both closely related to the fitness of the mussels, were not found to be impaired at the end of the exposure phase. This is the so far longest laboratory microplastic exposure study on mussels and we worked with particle doses that reflect todays pollution levels. The small effect sizes we observed for the response variables assessed suggest that these specific microplastics pose only a minor threat to blue mussel populations.

Document Type: Article
Keywords: Long-term exposure; Microplastics; Mytilus; Irregular particles; Spherical particles
Research affiliation: OceanRep > GEOMAR > FB3 Marine Ecology > FB3-EOE-B Experimental Ecology - Benthic Ecology
Main POF Topic: PT6: Marine Life
Refereed: Yes
Open Access Journal?: No
Publisher: Elsevier
Related URLs:
Date Deposited: 13 Apr 2021 09:36
Last Modified: 07 Feb 2024 15:39
URI: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/52266

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