Microplastics and Associated Contaminants in the Aquatic Environment: Ecotoxicological Effects and Potential Impacts on Human Health

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecotoxicology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 1095

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: aquatic ecotoxicology; environmental health assessment; embryotoxicity; cytotoxicity; biomarkers; bivalves; fish; micro- and nanoplastics; environmental pollutants; metabolomics

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: aquatic ecotoxicology; environmental health assessment; embryotoxicity; cytotoxicity; biomarkers; bivalves; fish; micro- and nanoplastics; environmental pollutants; metabolomics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) pollution has become a growing concern worldwide due to its persistence and widespread distribution, associated with often-inadequate collection and recycling systems, thus representing an emerging threat for the aquatic environment. Its small size and increased surface area lead to high biological reactivity, which can be crucial for the health status of biota. Despite several studies investigating the lethal and sublethal endpoints of manufactured MNPs, the body of knowledge regarding the accumulation and biological effects of environmental MNPs is still significantly limited. Moreover, there are still several aspects that necessitate a deeper investigation such as the release of additives from MNPs, the interactions between MNPs and environmental pollutants, and their impact on embryo development, as well as their transfer through different trophic levels following ingestion, with serious implication for predators, including humans.

Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes any novel exciting research on MNP occurrence in aquatic environments, with a special focus on the impact they might have on the ecosystem and biota, including their transfer through the food web and possible implications for human health. Studies exploring innovative bioremediation strategies for the elimination or mitigation of MNP harmfulness, or focusing on natural biodegradable materials that can replace the use of plastics are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Maria Maisano
Dr. Tiziana Cappello
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • aquatic ecotoxicology
  • micro- and nanoplastics
  • microplastic-adsorbed contaminants
  • environmental risk assessment
  • aquatic organisms
  • cytotoxicity
  • embryotoxicity
  • neurotoxicity
  • metabolism disorders
  • bioremediation strategies

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 2523 KiB  
Article
New Insights into the Mechanisms of Toxicity of Aging Microplastics
by Victor Pavlovich Chelomin, Aleksandra Anatolyevna Istomina, Andrey Alexandrovich Mazur, Valentina Vladimirovna Slobodskova, Avianna Fayazovna Zhukovskaya and Nadezhda Vladimirovna Dovzhenko
Toxics 2024, 12(10), 726; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12100726 - 8 Oct 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 733
Abstract
Nowadays, synthetic polymer (plastic) particles are ubiquitous in the environment. It is known that for several decades microplastics (MPs) have been accumulating in the World Ocean, becoming available to a large variety of marine organisms. Particularly alarming is the accumulation of aging plastic [...] Read more.
Nowadays, synthetic polymer (plastic) particles are ubiquitous in the environment. It is known that for several decades microplastics (MPs) have been accumulating in the World Ocean, becoming available to a large variety of marine organisms. Particularly alarming is the accumulation of aging plastic particles, as the degradation processes of such particles increase their toxicity. The diverse display of negative properties of aging MPs and its effect on biota are still poorly understood. In this study, in vitro experiments modeling the interaction of pristine and UV-irradiated aging polypropylene (PP) fragments with hemocytes and mitochondria of bivalve mollusks Mytilus sp. were performed. The appearance of free radicals in the environment was recorded by spectral characteristics of indicator dyes—methylene blue (MB) and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT). It was found that due to photooxidation, aging PP fragments sorbed more than threefold MB on their modified surface compared to pristine samples of this polymer. Using NBT, the formation of reactive oxygen species in seawater in the presence of pristine and photoactivated PP was recorded. It was also found that photodegraded PP fragments largely stimulated the development of lipid peroxidation processes in mitochondrial membranes and reduced the stability of hemocyte lysosome membranes compared to pristine PP fragments. In general, the results obtained concretize and supplement with experimental data the previously stated hypothesis of toxicity of aging MPs. Full article
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