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Chronic toxic effects of fragmented polyvinyl chloride on the water flea Moina macrocopa

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Abstract

Background

Although many studies have reported the detrimental potential of commercially synthesized sphere types of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) on aquatic ecosystems, limited information is available on fragmented MPs and their chronic effects.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate potentially harmful effects of fragmented polyvinyl chloride (PVC; < 20 μm) in a range from 0.001 to 500 μg L−1 on a water flea model, Moina macrocopa. Physiological and biochemical effects of fragmented PVC were studied by analyzing the mortality, growth, and reproduction parameters, with evidence retrieved from biochemical components for 14 days.

Results

Waterborne exposure to PVC fragments resulted in temporal bioconcentration through ingestion. The PVC fragments were egested in feces. The mortality was drastically increased by relatively higher concentrations (> 10 μg L−1) of fragmented PVC compared to that of the control group. Two concentrations of PVC fragments (100 and 500 μg L−1) significantly induced growth retardation, with expansion of intermolt periods and decreased the first day of reproduction and the number of neonates per brood. Exposure to PVC fragments induced fluctuations in oxidative status and antioxidant components, with inhibition in acetylcholinesterase activity.

Conclusion

These results imply that fragmentation of MPs can induce a significant physiological and biochemical effects to aquatic crustaceans by inducing strong oxidative stress and impairing antioxidant defense.

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Funding

This work was supported by “Risk assessment to prepare standards for protecting marine ecosystem–KIMST–20220383” funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, South Korea. This research was also supported by the Core Research Institute (CRI) Program, the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), Ministry of Education (NRF–2017R1A6A1A06015181).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Science, College of Natural Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon, 22012, Republic of Korea

    Jaehee Kim & Jae-Sung Rhee

  2. Environmental Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, 34141, South Korea

    Yugyeong Sim & Jinyoung Jeong

  3. KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34113, South Korea

    Yugyeong Sim & Jinyoung Jeong

  4. Risk Assessment Research Center, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Geoje, 53201, South Korea

    Jee-Hyun Jung

  5. Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon, 22012, South Korea

    Jae-Sung Rhee

  6. Yellow Sea Research Institute, Incheon, 22012, South Korea

    Jae-Sung Rhee

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  1. Jaehee Kim
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Contributions

JK and J-SR designed the experiment. JK, YS, JJ, and J-HJ performed the experiments and analyzed results. JK and J-SR wrote the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jae-Sung Rhee.

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Conflict of interest

Jaehee Kim declares that she has no conflict of interest. Yugyeong Sim declares that she has no conflict of interest. Jinyoung Jeong declares that she has no conflict of interest. Jee-Hyun Jung declares that she has no conflict of interest. Jae-Sung Rhee declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Kim, J., Sim, Y., Jeong, J. et al. Chronic toxic effects of fragmented polyvinyl chloride on the water flea Moina macrocopa. Mol. Cell. Toxicol. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13273-023-00372-z

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