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Cesarini G, Coppola F, Campos D, Venditti I, Battocchio C, Di Giulio A, Muzzi M, Pestana JLT, Scalici M. Nanoplastic exposure inhibits feeding and delays regeneration in a freshwater planarian. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023:121959. [PMID: 37271363 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The concentration of nanoplastics (NPs) is expected to increase in aquatic environments thus potentially threatening freshwater organisms through interactions with plastic particles that variously float, circulate in the water column or sink into the benthos. Studies into the mechanisms of any NP effects are still scarce, particularly with respect to the regenerative ability of biota for which there is no recognised model organism. The present study therefore aimed to investigate behavioural and regeneration responses of the freshwater planarian Girardia tigrina after 10 days exposed to along a gradient 0.01-10 mg/L of poly (styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) NPs (∼426 ± 175 nm). Exposure to NPs induced a significant reduction in planarian feeding rate even at low concentrations (LOEC of 0.01 mg/L), while head regeneration was delayed in a clear dose response way (LOEC of 0.1 mg/L for blastema length). Planaria locomotion assessed was not affected. Our results highlight the potential adverse effects of exposure to poly (styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) NPs and show that feeding behaviour and regeneration of a freshwater benthic organism can be indicators of the resulting toxicity. Planarians are becoming widely used model organisms in ecotoxicology and can help to address potential effects of plastic polymers on regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cesarini
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Coppola
- CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Diana Campos
- CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Iole Venditti
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Battocchio
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Di Giulio
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Muzzi
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - João L T Pestana
- CESAM & Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Massimiliano Scalici
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy
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