Oyster reproduction is affected by exposure to polystyrene microplastics

By R. Sussarellu, M. Suquet, Y. Thomas, C. Lambert, C. Fabioux, M. Pernet, N. Le Goïc, V. Quillien, C. Mingant, Y. Epelboin and 6 more. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2016

1,528 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Significance Plastics are a contaminant of emerging concern accumulating in marine ecosystems. Plastics tend to break down into small particles, called microplastics, which also enter the marine environment directly as fragments from a variety of sources, including cosmetics, clothing, and industrial processes. Given their ubiquitous nature and small dimensions, the ingestion and impact of microplastics on marine life are a cause for concern, notably for filter feeders. Oysters were exposed to polystyrene microparticles, which were shown to interfere with energy uptake and allocation, reproduction, and offspring performance. A drop in energy allocation played a major role in this reproductive impairment. This study provides ground-breaking data on microplastic impacts in an invertebrate model, helping to predict ecological impact in marine ecosystems. Plastics are persistent synthetic polymers that accumulate as waste in the marine environment. Microplastic (MP) particles are derived from the breakdown of larger debris or can enter the environment as microscopic fragments. Because filter-feeder organisms ingest MP while feeding, they are likely to be impacted by MP pollution. To assess the impact of polystyrene microspheres (micro-PS) on the physiology of the Pacific oyster, adult oysters were experimentally exposed to virgin micro-PS (2 and 6 µm in diameter; 0.023 mg·L−1) for 2 mo during a reproductive cycle. Effects were investigated on ecophysiological parameters; cellular, transcriptomic, and proteomic responses; fecundity; and offspring development. Oysters preferentially ingested the 6-µm micro-PS over the 2-µm-diameter particles. Consumption of microalgae and absorption efficiency were significantly higher in exposed oysters, suggesting compensatory and physical effects on both digestive parameters. After 2 mo, exposed oysters had significant decreases in oocyte number (−38%), diameter (−5%), and sperm velocity (−23%). The D-larval yield and larval development of offspring derived from exposed parents decreased by 41% and 18%, respectively, compared with control offspring. Dynamic energy budget modeling, supported by transcriptomic profiles, suggested a significant shift of energy allocation from reproduction to structural growth, and elevated maintenance costs in exposed oysters, which is thought to be caused by interference with energy uptake. Molecular signatures of endocrine disruption were also revealed, but no endocrine disruptors were found in the biological samples. This study provides evidence that micro-PS cause feeding modifications and reproductive disruption in oysters, with significant impacts on offspring.

Subfields: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Pollution

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/5b3c5c49637989b360baf48db0154b26adc9d1f9

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Citations in the corpus

Occurrence and effects of plastic additives on marine environments and organisms: A review. (2017, background): “…organisms such as zooplankton, bivalves and worms (De Witte et al., 2014; Devriese et al., 2015; Graham and Thompson, 2009; Rochman et al., 2015; Sussarellu et al., 2016; Van Cauwenberghe and Janssen, 2014; Van Cauwenberghe et al., 2015) and by organisms from higher trophic levels such as fish…”
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Bioavailability and effects of microplastics on marine zooplankton: A review. (2019, background): “, 2015) with knock on effects for growth and reproduction (Lee et al., 2013; Sussarellu et al., 2016; Lo and Chan, 2018).”
A Global Perspective on Microplastics (2020, background): “A study investigating the effects of polystyrene microbeads (2 and 6 μm at 32 μg L−1) found that mussels exhibited decreased reproductive capacity following a 2‐month exposure (Sussarellu et al., 2016).”
Atmospheric microplastic deposition in an urban environment and an evaluation of transport (2019, background): “In the environment, microplastics can have detrimental effects on aquatic organisms when ingested (Sussarellu et al., 2016; Wright et al., 2013).”
Ecotoxicological effects of microplastics on biota: a review (2018, background): “Sussarellu et al. 2016 Vertebrates Dicentrarchus labrax (European sea bass) Native and polluted polyvinyl chloride pellets (fragments lower than 0.3 mm) 90 d Histology Distal intestine is most affected by pathological alterations Peda et al. (2016) Bathygobius krefftii (frillgobies) Polyethylene…”
Microplastics in freshwater systems: A review on occurrence, environmental effects, and methods for microplastics detection. (2017, background): “For oysters after being experienced a two-month exposure to PS microplastics, the decreases in oocyte number, diameter and sperm velocity were reported; reproductive disruption for marine filter feeders was expected (Sussarellu et al., 2016).”
Interactions of Microplastics with Freshwater Biota (2018, background): “[62] linked these effects to a disrupted energy uptake, which resulted in a shift of resources from reproduction to growth.”