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Volume 4
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Article

Effects of Commercially Available Plastics on Estuarine Sediment Dweller Polychaeta Hediste diversicolor

by
David Daniel
1,2,
João Pinto da Costa
1,3,
Ana Violeta Girão
4 and
Bruno Nunes
1,2,*
1
Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar (CESAM), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
2
Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
3
Departamento de Química, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
4
Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais e Cerâmica, CICECO, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Microplastics 2025, 4(3), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics4030046
Submission received: 31 October 2024 / Revised: 13 May 2025 / Accepted: 7 June 2025 / Published: 30 July 2025
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Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are a major contaminant in aquatic environments. Due to their size, they are likely to cause deleterious effects. In this study, we assessed the effects of MPs obtained from two commercially available plastics (PP and PET) in the polychaeta Hediste diversicolor after different periods (4 and 28 days). Toxic effects were assessed by measuring burrowing and spontaneous activities, phase I (CYP1A1, 1A2, and 3A4) activities), conjugation metabolism (GSTs), and antioxidant defense (CAT). Behavioral traits and phase I activities were nonresponsive to the presence of both plastics and for the two durations of exposure, indicating that these organisms are not affected by exposure to MPs and do not metabolize them. Conjugation metabolism was inhibited, which may be explained by the MPs’ capability of inhibiting certain enzymes. CAT activity was increased in animals acutely exposed to PP and decreased in animals chronically exposed to PET. This study shows that PP- and PET-MPs do not cause adverse effects on H. diversicolor.
Keywords: behavioral traits; biomarkers; ecotoxicology; microplastics; ragworm behavioral traits; biomarkers; ecotoxicology; microplastics; ragworm

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MDPI and ACS Style

Daniel, D.; da Costa, J.P.; Girão, A.V.; Nunes, B. Effects of Commercially Available Plastics on Estuarine Sediment Dweller Polychaeta Hediste diversicolor. Microplastics 2025, 4, 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics4030046

AMA Style

Daniel D, da Costa JP, Girão AV, Nunes B. Effects of Commercially Available Plastics on Estuarine Sediment Dweller Polychaeta Hediste diversicolor. Microplastics. 2025; 4(3):46. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics4030046

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel, David, João Pinto da Costa, Ana Violeta Girão, and Bruno Nunes. 2025. "Effects of Commercially Available Plastics on Estuarine Sediment Dweller Polychaeta Hediste diversicolor" Microplastics 4, no. 3: 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics4030046

APA Style

Daniel, D., da Costa, J. P., Girão, A. V., & Nunes, B. (2025). Effects of Commercially Available Plastics on Estuarine Sediment Dweller Polychaeta Hediste diversicolor. Microplastics, 4(3), 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics4030046

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