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Toxics
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Spotlight on the Ecotoxicological Impacts of Plastic Pollution
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Spotlight on the Ecotoxicological Impacts of Plastic Pollution

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Emerging Contaminants".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (16 May 2024) | Viewed by 7425

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mariana Capparelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Ocean Sciences and Limnology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México | UNAM, Ensenada 22860, Mexico
Interests: marine pollution; ecotoxicology; ecophysiology
Dr. Denis Abessa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Santos 11330-900, SP, Brazil
Interests: aquatic toxicology; marine pollution; environmental management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue entitled “Spotlight on Ecotoxicological Impacts of Plastic Pollution” intends to discuss, but is not limited to, the presence, fate and behavior of nano and microplastics in the environment, their uptake by the biota, and the ecotoxicological effects that may occur at different levels of biological organization as a consequence of exposure to plastics. It involves also manuscripts regarding the chemical composition of plastics and/or leachates obtained from plastics, and their toxicity, and the hazards associated to such contaminants.

This issue intends to join some of the main authors in this field, providing a sound discussion about the problem of plastic pollution and its ecotoxicological effects. This issue also intends to provide up to date information and innovative results on the topic.

Dr. Mariana Capparelli
Prof. Dr. Denis Abessa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • microplastics
  • toxicity
  • aquatic pollution
  • plastic pollution
  • marine litter
  • nanoplastics
  • microbeads

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3532 KiB  
Article
Enzymatic Stress Responses of Coreius guichenoti to Microplastics with Different Particle Sizes
by Wenqiong Wu, Junqiang Qiu, Yue Lin, Xike Li, Wenjuan Li, Keyi Ma, Yuanliang Duan and Yuanshuai Fu
Toxics 2023, 11(12), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11121022 - 15 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1426
Abstract
The wild population resources of Coreius guichenoti have sharply declined in recent decades, and any negative factors may have a significant impact on their survival. In this study, the enzymatic stress responses of C. guichenoti to 25 and 48 μm polyethylene fragments were [...] Read more.
The wild population resources of Coreius guichenoti have sharply declined in recent decades, and any negative factors may have a significant impact on their survival. In this study, the enzymatic stress responses of C. guichenoti to 25 and 48 μm polyethylene fragments were explored for the first time. This was achieved by evaluating the changes in physiological and biochemical indicators of the species in response to the environmental stimuli of microplastics. In this study, we observed an early stress response in the external tissues of C. guichenoti following exposure to microplastics. The TP content in skin and muscle and the MDA content in skin, gill and muscle initially showed a significant increase. The skin, gill, and muscle exhibited greater stress responses to M5 particles, whereas M3 particles caused a greater response in the intestine and especially the liver. After the removal of microplastic exposure, the stress state of the C. guichenoti would be alleviated in a short period, but it could not fully recover to the pre-exposure level. In summary, microplastics pose a significant threat to C. guichenoti. While their negative effects can be alleviated by the removal of microplastics exposure, full recovery does not occur in a short period. Continuous monitoring of microplastics in natural waters and targeted aquatic ecological restoration are essential to ensure the normal growth and reproduction of the wild population of C. guichenoti. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spotlight on the Ecotoxicological Impacts of Plastic Pollution)
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16 pages, 4875 KiB  
Article
Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Aquatic Microenvironments Affect Sperm Metabolism and Fertilization of Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamark, 1819)
by Martina Contino, Greta Ferruggia, Stefania Indelicato, Roberta Pecoraro, Elena Maria Scalisi, Antonio Salvaggio and Maria Violetta Brundo
Toxics 2023, 11(11), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11110924 - 11 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1369
Abstract
The continuous and unregulated discharge of wastes and pollutants into the aquatic environment has required constant monitoring of the risks incurred by aquatic ecosystems. Alarmism arises from plastic pollution as larger artifacts release nanoscale fragments that can contact free-living stages such as gametes, [...] Read more.
The continuous and unregulated discharge of wastes and pollutants into the aquatic environment has required constant monitoring of the risks incurred by aquatic ecosystems. Alarmism arises from plastic pollution as larger artifacts release nanoscale fragments that can contact free-living stages such as gametes, embryos, and larvae. Specifically, the interaction between spermatozoa, released in water in externally fertilizing species, and the surrounding microenvironment is essential for successful fertilization. Activation and kinematics of movement, proper maintenance of ionic balance, and chemotactism are processes highly sensitive to even minimal perturbations caused by pollutants such as polystyrene nanoplastics. Spermatozoa of Mytilus galloprovincialis (M. galloprovincialis), an excellent ecotoxicological model, undergo structural (plasma membrane ruptures, DNA damage) and metabolic (reduced motility, fertilizing capacity) damage upon exposure to 50 nm amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics (nPS-NH2). Nanoplastics of larger diameter (100 nm) did not affect sperm parameters. The findings highlighted the negative impact that plastic pollution, related to nanoparticle diameter and concentration, could have on sperm quality and reproductive potential of organisms, altering the equilibrium of aquatic ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spotlight on the Ecotoxicological Impacts of Plastic Pollution)
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12 pages, 1282 KiB  
Article
Expanded Polystyrene-Debris-Induced Genotoxic Effect in Littoral Organisms
by Victor Pavlovich Chelomin, Nadezda Vladimirovna Dovzhenko, Valentina Vladimirovna Slobodskova, Andrey Alexandrovich Mazur, Sergey Petrovich Kukla and Avianna Fayazovna Zhukovskaya
Toxics 2023, 11(9), 781; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11090781 - 14 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1388
Abstract
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a major component of plastic debris in the environment, including coastal and littoral zones. EPS is widely used in various industries including fish farming and aquaculture, which poses a serious potential threat not only to cultured hydrobionts but also [...] Read more.
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a major component of plastic debris in the environment, including coastal and littoral zones. EPS is widely used in various industries including fish farming and aquaculture, which poses a serious potential threat not only to cultured hydrobionts but also to all living organisms, including humans. This paper presents the results of experimental studies on the effects of EPS (0.024 m2/L) on marine mollusks Mytilus trossulus and Tegula rustica, which are typical inhabitants of the upper littoral of Peter the Great Bay (Sea of Japan), belonging to different systematic groups and differing in the type of nutrition. The results of biochemical marker analysis showed the development of oxidative stress processes. Thus, increasing malondialdehyde content relative to control values was registered in the digestive glands of M. trossulus and T. rustica. In the cells of the digestive glands of M. trossulus, integral antioxidant activity decreased more than 1.5 times compared with that of the control. The change in the concentration of protein carbonyls was unchanged in M. trossulus, whereas in T. rustica, there was a 1.5-fold increase. EPS exposure also resulted in significant DNA damage in the studied mollusks—the damage level increased 2.5-fold in M. trossulus and 1.5-fold in T. rustica relative to the control, indicating the genotoxic potential of EPS litters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spotlight on the Ecotoxicological Impacts of Plastic Pollution)
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13 pages, 879 KiB  
Article
A Glow before Darkness: Toxicity of Glitter Particles to Marine Invertebrates
by Denis Moledo de Souza Abessa, Letícia França Albanit, Pedro Henrique Paixão de Moura, Vitória Soares Nogueira, Felipe Teixeira Santana, Kainã Fagundes, Maysa Ueda, Otto Patrão de Oliveira Muller and Caio Cesar-Ribeiro
Toxics 2023, 11(7), 617; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11070617 - 16 Jul 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2504
Abstract
Glitter particles are considered a model of microplastics, which are used in a wide range of products. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity of two types of glitter (green and white, with distinct chemical compositions) dispersions on the embryonic development of the [...] Read more.
Glitter particles are considered a model of microplastics, which are used in a wide range of products. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity of two types of glitter (green and white, with distinct chemical compositions) dispersions on the embryonic development of the sea urchins Echinometra lucunte, Arbacia lixula, and the mussel Perna perna. The Toxicity Identification and Evaluation (TIE) approach was used to identify possible chemicals related to toxicity. Glitter dispersions were prepared using 0.05% ethanol. The tested dispersions ranged from 50 to 500 mg/L. The white glitter was composed of a vinyl chloride–methyl acrylate copolymer. The effective concentrations of green glitter to 50% embryos (EC50) were 246.1 (235.8–256.4) mg/L to A. lixula, 23.0 (20.2–25.8) mg/L to P. perna and 105.9 (61.2–150.2) mg/L, whereas the EC50 of white glitter to E. lucunter was 272.2 (261.5–282.9) mg/L. The EC50 for P. perna could not be calculated; however, the lowest effect concentration was 10 mg/L—that was the lowest concentration tested. The filtered suspension of green glitter had Ag levels exceeding the legal standards for marine waters. TIE showed that metals, volatiles, and oxidant compounds contribute to toxicity. The results showed that glitter may adversely affect marine organisms; however, further studies are necessary to determine its environmental risks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spotlight on the Ecotoxicological Impacts of Plastic Pollution)
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