Limited effects of environmentally-relevant concentrations in seawater of dibutyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, bisphenol A, and 4-nonylphenol on the reproductive products of coral-reef organisms

Plastic additives (PAs) are chemical compounds incorporated into the plastic during the manufacturing process. Phthalate acid esters, bisphenols, and nonylphenols are all PAs found in marine environments and associated with endocrine-disrupting processes. However, our knowledge regarding the impact of endocrine-disrupting PAs on coral-reef organisms is limited. As reef population structure is directly linked to reproduction and larval settlement processes, interference with hormonal systems can impact coral-reef community structure, particularly if the effects of PAs differ among species. In the current study we exposed the reproductive products of four tropical coral-reef invertebrates to environmentally-relevant concentrations of four prevalent PAs in seawater: dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate, (DMP), 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), and bisphenol A (BPA), as well as to 10