engleski

Embryotoxicity and oxidative stress in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus after co-exposure to PMMA microparticles and the drug indomethacin

The use of microplastics is increasing every year in a broad range of areas such as cosmetics, medicine, abrasive pellets manufacturing, detergents, paints, etc. In parallel, the possibility that such microplastics find their way into various environmental compartments such as freshwater systems, soil, estuarine or marine waters also increases. Microplastics may also originate from secondary sources due to the degradation of bulkier plastic waste such as plastic bags, synthetic clothing, plastic packaging, polystyrene, electronic products, bottles etc. While microplastic particles are considered biochemically inert, they often contain chemical compounds such as emollients, antioxidants, colorants and xenobiotics, to increase their performance. These additives may be leached from microplastic particles depending on various abiotic factors including temperature, pH, wave action, etc. And may present a more important threat than the polymers themselves. Further, microplastics may act as a vector for other hydrophobic organic compounds absorbed on the microplastic particles surface. In this study, co-exposure to 10 μm Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microparticles and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin on sea urchin species Paracentrotus lividus has been investigated. Co-exposure of sperm to PMMA and indomethacin did not affect fertilization success and offspring after 48h did not show significant developmental delays or malformations. A decrease in normal larvae percentage was observed only when fertilised eggs were treated with high concentrations of indomethacin (100 μM). PMMA concentrations in the range 1-10 μg L-1 generated statistically significant oxidative stress in comparison to controls while co-exposure to indomethacin in the concentration range 10-100 μM decreased the observed oxidative stress. Lipid peroxidation in single and co-exposure scenarios gave equivocal results. Finally, up-take and accumulation of microplastic particles was observed in P. lividus larvae gastrointestinal tracts 48h post fertilisation at PMMA concentrations in the range 1-10 μg L-1. Further investigations of the effects of co-exposure to PMMA and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on marine organisms is warranted.

microplastics ; PMMA ; indomethacin ; sea urchins ; embryotoxicity ; oxidative stress ; lipid peroxidation ; internalization

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