Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment and can be frequently ingested by zooplankton, leading to various effects. Brine shrimp (Artemia parthenogenetica) has an important role in the energy flow through trophic levels in different seawater systems. In this work, the influence of polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) MPs on the growth of brine shrimp and corresponding changes of gut microbiota were investigated. Our results showed that the MPs remarkably reduced the growth rate of brine shrimp, and the two types of MPs have different impacts. The average body length of brine shrimps was reduced by 17.92 and 14.95% in the PE group and PS group, respectively. MPs are mainly found in the intestine, and their exposure evidently affects the gut microbiota. By using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing, 32 phyla of bacteria were detected in the intestine, and the microbiome consisted mainly of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. MPs’ exposure significantly increased the gut microbial diversity. For the PE group, the proportion of Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes increased by 45.26 and 2.73%, respectively. For the PS group, it was 54.95 and 1.27%, respectively. According to the analysis on genus level, the proportions of Ponticoccus, Seohaeicola, Polycyclovorans, and Methylophaga decreased by 46.38, 1.24, 1.07, and 2.66%, respectively, for the PE group and 57.87, 1.43, 0.88, and 2.24%, respectively, for the PS group. In contrast, the proportions of Stappia, Microbacterium, and Dietzia increased by 1.12, 23.27, and 11.59%, respectively, for the PE group, and 1.09, 3.79, and 42.96%, respectively, for the PS group. These experimental results demonstrated that the ingestion of MPs by brine shrimp can alter the composition of the gut microbiota and lead to a slow growth rate. This study provides preliminary data support for understanding the biotoxicity of MPs to invertebrate zooplankton and is conducive to the further risk assessment of MP exposure.
Highlights
Microplastics (MPs), as a new type of pollutant, have become one of the hotspots of studies by scientists in recent years
There was no significant difference between the treatment group (PE and PS) and the CK group on the growth rate
The disorder degree of gut microbiota was consistent with growth rate inhibition: PE MP exposure induced a more severe disorder of gut microbiota and led to a greater inhibition on the growth rate
Summary
Microplastics (MPs), as a new type of pollutant, have become one of the hotspots of studies by scientists in recent years. MPs are plastic wastes that broke down into smaller particles or plastic microspheres by processes such as ultraviolet radiation, waves, ocean current (Law et al, 2010), and microbial degradation (Cozar et al, 2014) They can enter the water environment through different pathways, like fishing plastic tools and marine litter transported from rivers, and through indirect pathways such as ocean currents and wind (Browne et al, 2007; Andrady, 2011). Due to their inert nature and small size, MPs can present in the environment for a long time and be absorbed by surrounding organisms. MPs have the potential to be transferred through the food chain to animals and humans, which will pose a serious threat to the safety of ecosystem and human health
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