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Article

A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis

Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Sant’ Alberto 163, 48123 Ravenna, Italy
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Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editor: Joachim Clement
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(3), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11030649
Received: 13 February 2021 / Revised: 27 February 2021 / Accepted: 2 March 2021 / Published: 7 March 2021
The ocean contamination caused by micro- and nano-sized plastics is a matter of increasing concern regarding their potential effects on marine organisms. This study compared the effects of a 21-day exposure to 1.5, 15, and 150 ng/L of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MP, 3-µm) and nanoplastics (PS-NP, 50-nm) on a suite of biomarkers measured in the Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Endpoints encompassed immunological/lysosomal responses, oxidative stress/detoxification parameters, and neurotoxicological markers. Compared to PS-MP, PS-NP induced higher effects on lysosomal parameters of general stress. Exposures to both particle sizes increased lipid peroxidation and catalase activity in gills; PS-NP elicited greater effects on the phase-II metabolism enzyme glutathione S-transferase and on lysozyme activity, while only PS-MP inhibited the hemocyte phagocytosis, suggesting a major role of PS particle size in modulating immunological/detoxification pathways. A decreased acetylcholinesterase activity was induced by PS-NP, indicating their potential to impair neurological functions in mussels. Biomarker data integration in the Mussel Expert System identified an overall greater health status alteration in mussels exposed to PS-NP compared to PS-MP. This study shows that increasing concentrations of nanoplastics may induce higher effects than microplastics on the mussel’s lysosomal, metabolic, and neurological functions, eventually resulting in a greater impact on their overall fitness. View Full-Text
Keywords: polystyrene; nano-fragmentation; marine bivalves; biomarkers polystyrene; nano-fragmentation; marine bivalves; biomarkers
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    Doi: 10.5281/zenodo.4587500
    Link: https://zenodo.org/record/4587500
    Description: Section S1. Selected polystyrene micro- (PS-MP) and nano-sized particles (PS-NP); Table S1: Tissue treatment preliminary to the analysis of biochemical biomarkers.
MDPI and ACS Style

Capolupo, M.; Valbonesi, P.; Fabbri, E. A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 649. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11030649

AMA Style

Capolupo M, Valbonesi P, Fabbri E. A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Nanomaterials. 2021; 11(3):649. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11030649

Chicago/Turabian Style

Capolupo, Marco, Paola Valbonesi, and Elena Fabbri. 2021. "A Comparative Assessment of the Chronic Effects of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on the Physiology of the Mediterranean Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis" Nanomaterials 11, no. 3: 649. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11030649

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