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Cesarini G, Secco S, Taurozzi D, Venditti I, Battocchio C, Marcheggiani S, Mancini L, Fratoddi I, Scalici M, Puccinelli C. Teratogenic effects of environmental concentration of plastic particles on freshwater organisms. Sci Total Environ 2023; 898:165564. [PMID: 37467998 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Given the widespread presence of plastics, especially in micro- and nanoscale sizes, in freshwater systems, it is crucial to identify a suitable model organism for assessing the potential toxic and teratogenic effects of exposure to plastic particles. Until now, the early life stage of freshwater organisms and the regeneration capacity in relation to plastic particles exposure is a still poorly investigated topic. In this study, we examine the teratogenic effect on diatom Cocconeis placentula and cnidarian Hydra vulgaris under controlled exposure conditions of poly(styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) (P(S-co-MMA)) particles. Significant effects were observed at the lowest concentrations (0.1 μg/L). A significant increase in the teratological frequency in C. placentula and a significant decrease in the regeneration rate in H. vulgaris were found at the lowest concentration. The delay in hydra regeneration impaired the feeding capacity and tentacles reactivity at 96 h of exposure. No effects on diatom growth were observed upon exposure to P(S-co-MMA) particles (0.1, 1, 100, 10,000 μg/L) for 28 days and these findings agree with other studies investigating algal growth. The application of the Teratogenic Risk Index, modified for diatoms, highlighted a moderate risk for the lowest concentration evaluating C. placentula and low risk at the lowest and the highest concentrations considering H. vulgaris. This study suggests the importance of testing organisms belonging to different trophic levels as diverse teratogenic effects can be found and the need to evaluate environmentally relevant concentrations of plastic particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cesarini
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Secco
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Taurozzi
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - 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
| | - Stefania Marcheggiani
- Department of Environment and Health, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Mancini
- Department of Environment and Health, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Fratoddi
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Scalici
- Department of Sciences, University of Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy.
| | - Camilla Puccinelli
- Department of Environment and Health, Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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Ahmed AIM, Macirella R, Talarico F, Curcio V, Trotta G, Aiello D, Gharbi N, Mezzasalma M, Brunelli E. Short-term effects of the strobilurin fungicide dimoxystrobin on zebrafish gills: A morpho-functional study. Chemosphere 2023; 333:138914. [PMID: 37187376 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Strobilurins represent the most widely used class of fungicides nowadays andare considered relatively non-toxic to mammals and birds but highly toxic to aquatic biota. Dimoxystrobin is one of the novel strobilurins, recently included in the 3rd Watch List of the European Commission as available data indicate that it could pose a significant risk to aquatic species. As yet, the number of studies explicitly assessing the impact of this fungicide on terrestrial and aquatic species is extremely low, and the toxic effects of dimoxystrobin on fish have not been reported. Here we investigate for the first time the alterations induced by two environmentally relevant and very low concentrations of dimoxystrobin (6.56 and 13.13 μg/L) in the fish gills. morphological, morphometric, ultrastructural, and functional alterations have been evaluated using zebrafish as a model species. We demonstrated that even short-term exposure (96 h) to dimoxystrobin alters fish gills reducing the surface available for gas exchange and inducing severe alterations encompassing three reaction patterns: circulatory disturbance and both regressive and progressive changes. Furthermore, we revealed that this fungicide impairs the expression of key enzymes involved in osmotic and acid-base regulation (Na+/K+-ATPase and AQP3) and the defensive response against oxidative stress (SOD and CAT). The information presented here highlights the importance of combining data from different analytical methods for evaluating the toxic potential of currently used and new agrochemical compounds. Our results will also contribute to the discussion on the suitability of mandatory ecotoxicological tests on vertebrates before the introduction on the market of new compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdalmoiz I M Ahmed
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Rachele Macirella
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Federica Talarico
- Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Vittoria Curcio
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Trotta
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Donatella Aiello
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Technologies, University of Calabria, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
| | - Naouel Gharbi
- Fish Biology and Aquaculture Group, Ocean and Environment Department, NORCE Norwegian Research Center, 5006 Bergen, Norway
| | - Marcello Mezzasalma
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Elvira Brunelli
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy.
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Curcio V, Macirella R, Sesti S, Ahmed AIM, Talarico F, Pizzolotto R, Tagarelli A, Mezzasalma M, Brunelli E. The role of exposure window and dose in determining lead toxicity in developing Zebrafish. Chemosphere 2022; 307:136095. [PMID: 35995187 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metal contamination is recognized worldwide as a serious threat to human health and wildlife, and reducing their emissions is a priority of international and EU actions. Due to its persistence, high bioaccumulation tendency, and toxicity properties, lead (Pb) is one of the heavy metals of greatest concern. Even at low concentrations, lead induces various clinical and subclinical conditions in both humans and animals, and it has been included in the priority list of hazardous substances. In the present study, we used zebrafish's early stages as a model, given their well-acknowledged predictive value in the risk assessment of chemicals. This study was designed to investigate the morphological and morphometric alterations induced by Pb during zebrafish's early development and disclose the putative effects stage- and/or dose-dependent. We examined injuries induced by two environmentally relevant and extremely low concentrations of Pb (2.5 μg/L and 5 μg/L) during two exposure windows: early (between 1 and 7 dpf) and late (between 2 and 8 dpf). We clearly demonstrated that the incidence and severity of morphological abnormalities increased with increasing Pb dose and exposure time in both early and late-exposed groups. Furthermore, we revealed that malformation severity was significantly higher in the early exposed group than in the late exposure group at all exposure times and for both tested doses, thus highlighting the high sensitivity of zebrafish during the initial stages of development. The information presented in this paper emphasizes the effectiveness of morphological biomarkers in unveiling threatening situations and supports the role of zebrafish embryos and larvae in risk assessment and environmental monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittoria Curcio
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Rachele Macirella
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Settimio Sesti
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Abdalmoiz I M Ahmed
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Federica Talarico
- Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Roberto Pizzolotto
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Antonio Tagarelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università Della Calabria, Rende, 87036, Italy
| | - Marcello Mezzasalma
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Elvira Brunelli
- Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Science (DiBEST) - University of Calabria, Via P. Bucci 4/B, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy.
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