1. Direct and indirect effects of different types of microplastics on freshwater prey (Corbicula fluminea) and their predator (Acipenser transmontanus)
- Author
-
Mark Anthony Browne, Chelsea M. Rochman, Sebastian Serrato, Eric J. Reiner, Swee J. Teh, J. Mark Parnis, Matthew Robson, Miriam Diamond, Thomas M. Young, and Mukherjee, Amitava
- Subjects
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Polymers ,Biomagnification ,lcsh:Medicine ,Marine and Aquatic Sciences ,Fresh Water ,010501 environmental sciences ,01 natural sciences ,Predation ,Sturgeon ,Water Pollutants ,lcsh:Science ,Polyvinyl Chloride ,Predator ,Multidisciplinary ,biology ,Chemistry ,Ecology ,Fishes ,Eukaryota ,food and beverages ,Plants ,Polychlorinated Biphenyls ,Macromolecules ,Osteichthyes ,Polyethylene ,Bioaccumulation ,Environmental chemistry ,Acipenser transmontanus ,Physical Sciences ,Vertebrates ,Plastics ,Research Article ,Freshwater Environments ,Microplastics ,Bivalves ,Algae ,Materials by Structure ,General Science & Technology ,Materials Science ,Sturgeons ,Chemical ,Animals ,Corbicula fluminea ,Polystyrene ,Corbicula ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,lcsh:R ,Ecology and Environmental Sciences ,Organisms ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Aquatic Environments ,Molluscs ,biology.organism_classification ,Polymer Chemistry ,Invertebrates ,Fish ,Good Health and Well Being ,Predatory Behavior ,Earth Sciences ,lcsh:Q ,Water Pollutants, Chemical - Abstract
We examined whether environmentally relevant concentrations of different types of microplastics, with or without PCBs, directly affect freshwater prey and indirectly affect their predators. Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene, polyvinylchloride (PVC) or polystyrene with and without polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for 28 days. Their predators, white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), were exposed to clams from each treatment for 28 days. In both species, we examined bioaccumulation of PCBs and effects (i.e., immunohistochemistry, histology, behavior, condition, mortality) across several levels of biological organization. PCBs were not detected in prey or predator, and thus differences in bioaccumulation of PCBs among polymers and biomagnification in predators could not be measured. One of the main objectives of this study was to test the hypothesis that bioaccumulation of PCBs would differ among polymer types. Because we could not answer this question experimentally, a bioaccumulation model was run and predicted that concentrations of PCBs in clams exposed to polyethylene and polystyrene would be greater than PET and PVC. Observed effects, although subtle, seemed to be due to microplastics rather than PCBs alone. For example, histopathology showed tubular dilation in clams exposed to microplastics with PCBs, with only mild effects in clams exposed to PCBs alone.
- Published
- 2017