Plastic pellets make Excirolana armata more aggressive: Intraspecific interactions and mortality in field and laboratory ecotoxicological assays

Gabriel Mendes Izar; Ivan Rodrigo Abrão Laurino; Tjui-Yeuw Tan; Caio Rodrigues Nobre; Paloma Kachel Gusso-Choueri; Beatriz Barbosa Moreno; Denis Moledo de Souza Abessa; Sabrina Teixeira Martinez; Gisele Olímpio da Rocha; Ana Cecília Rizzatti Albergaria-Barbosa

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114325

Plastic pellets make Excirolana armata more aggressive: Intraspecific interactions and mortality in field and laboratory ecotoxicological assays

Mar Pollut Bull. 2022 Dec;185(Pt A):114325. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114325. Epub 2022 Nov 5.

Affiliations

¹ Polytechnic School, Interdisciplinary Center of Energy and Environment, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, s/n, Campus Ondina, 40170-290 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Marine Geochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Geoscience, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, s/n, Campus Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Electronic address: gizarr@gmail.com.
² Oceanographic Institute, University of São Paulo (USP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-120 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
³ Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Praça Infante Dom Henrique, s/n, 11330-900 São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁴ Biosciences Institute, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Praça Infante Dom Henrique, s/n, 11330-900 São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Ecotoxicology, Santa Cecília University, Rua Oswaldo Cruz, 277, 1045-0907 Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ Department of Ecotoxicology, Santa Cecília University, Rua Oswaldo Cruz, 277, 1045-0907 Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁶ Polytechnic School, Interdisciplinary Center of Energy and Environment, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, s/n, Campus Ondina, 40170-290 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
⁷ Polytechnic School, Interdisciplinary Center of Energy and Environment, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, s/n, Campus Ondina, 40170-290 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, s/n, Campus Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; National Institute of Science and Technology in Energy and Environment (INCT), Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, s/n, Campus Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
⁸ Marine Geochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Geoscience, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, s/n, Campus Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

PMID: 36347194
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114325

Abstract

Microplastics, including plastic pellets, get stranded on sandy beaches. They persist in the oceans for long periods and frequently carry contaminants. Acute and chronic toxicity has been observed when marine organisms are exposed to high densities of plastic pellets in laboratory assays. We investigated the toxicity of beach-stranded plastic pellets on macrobenthic populations (Excirolana armata; Crustacea; Isopoda) under natural conditions (in situ). We simulated different pellets densities on a beach not contaminated by pellets, exposing isopods for 6 h and testing possible behavioral responses (i.e., vertical displacement) and mortality effects. No effect was observed on vertical displacement, but higher mortality was reported for organisms exposed to plastic pellets. The lowest pellet density tested commonly found in coastal areas was sufficient to trigger mortality. We also observed that lethargic individuals (near-death) were preyed on by the healthy individuals remaining in the test chambers.

Keywords: Ecological impacts; Ecotoxicology; Field experiments; Marine pollution; Microplastics; Sandy beaches.

MeSH terms

Animals
Aquatic Organisms
Bathing Beaches
Ecotoxicology
Environmental Monitoring
Humans
Isopoda*
Plastics* / toxicity

Substances

Plastics