Browsing by Author "Benedetti, M."
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- Gender effects of nanoplastics and emerging contaminants mixtures in Mytilus galloprovincialisPublication . Ribeiro Gonçalves, Joanna Melissa; Benedetti, M.; d'Errico, G.; Regoli, F.; Bebianno, MariaThe reproduction of mussels occurs within the water column, and if gametogenesis is successful, gametes are exposed to the surrounding contaminants. Nanoplastics and other emerging contaminants have been gaining vast attention; however, their effects on the reproductive tissues of mussels with sex differentiation are scarce. Here, the effects of polystyrene nanoparticles (50 nm; 10 mu g/L), the cytotoxic drug 5-fluorouracil (10 ng/L), and a mixture of the two were evaluated in the gonads of Mytilus galloprovincialis after a 21-day exposure for a multibiomarker assessment, and after 28 days for the accumulation of nanoplastics. The effects on the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, and lipid peroxidation were evaluated. Moreover, synergistic and antagonistic interactions in the mixture were calculated. A weight of evidence model was also used to elaborate on the hazardous level of biomarker results relative to polystyrene nanoparticles alone and in the mixture. The accumulation of nanoplastics appeared gender and time-specific, with females mostly compromised. According to the data set, a synergistic interaction between the cytotoxic drug and the nano- plastics makes the combination far more dangerous than individual stressors. The Weight Of Evidence model also confirms that females are more compromised at chronic exposure times than males. This study shows that the uptake, fate, and impact of emerging contaminants of concern can be significantly influenced by sex.
- Polystyrene nanoplastics in the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialisPublication . Gonçalves, Joanna M.; Benedetti, M.; d’Errico, G.; Regoli, F.; Bebianno, Maria J.Concerns about plastic pollution and its toxicity towards animals and people are growing. Polystyrene (PS) is a plastic polymer highly produced in Europe for packaging purposes and building insulation amongst others. Whatever their source—illegal dumping, improper waste management, or a lack of treatment for the removal of plastic debris from wastewater treatment plants—PS products ultimately end up in the marine environment. Nanoplastics (<1000 nm) are the new focus for plastic pollution, gaining broad interest. Whether primary or secondary, their small size permits nanoparticles to cross cellular boundaries, consequently leading to adverse toxic effects. An in vitro assay of Mytilus galloprovincialis haemocytes exposed to 10 μg/L of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs; 50 nm) for 24 h was used to test cellular viability along with the luminescence inhibition (LC50) of Aliivibrio fischeri bacteria to evaluate acute toxicity. Cellular viability of mussel haemocytes decreased significantly after a 24 h exposure and PS-NPs LC50 range from 180 to 217, μg/L. In addition, a 28-day exposure of the marine bivalve M. galloprovincialis to PS-NPs (10 μg/L; 50 nm) was performed to evaluate the neurotoxic effects and the uptake of these plastic particles in three bivalve tissues (gills, digestive gland, and gonads). The ingestion of PS-NPs was time- and tissue-specific, suggesting that PS-NPs are ingested through the gills and then translocated through the mussel bloodstream, to the digestive gland and gonads where the highest amount of ingested PS-NPs was reported. Ingested PS-NPs may compromise the digestive glands’ key metabolic function and impair mussels’ gametogenic and reproductive success. Data on acetylcholinesterase inhibition and those previously obtained on a wide range of cellular biomarkers were elaborated through weighted criteria providing a synthetic assessment of cellular hazard from PS-NPs.