title: Assessment of microplastic toxicity to embryonic development of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea).
abstract: Apart from the physiological impacts on marine organisms caused by ingesting microplastics, the toxicity caused by substances leaching from these particles into the environment requires investigation. To understand this potential risk, we evaluated the toxicity of virgin (raw) and beach-stranded plastic pellets to the development of embryos of Lytechinus variegatus, simulating transfers of chemical compounds to interstitial water and water column by assays of pellet-water interface and elutriate, respectively. Both assays showed that virgin pellets had toxic effects, increasing anomalous embryonic development by 58.1% and 66.5%, respectively. The toxicity of stranded pellets was lower than virgin pellets, and was observed only for pellet-water interface assay. These results show that (i) plastic pellets act as a vector of pollutants, especially for plastic additives found on virgin particles; and that (ii) the toxicity of leached chemicals from pellets depends on the exposure pathway and on the environmental compartment in which pellets accumulate.
authors: UNISANTA - Santa Cecília University, Department of Ecotoxicology, Oswaldo Cruz St., 266, 11045-907 Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: C R
authors: CR
authors: Nobre
authors: USP - University of São Paulo, Oceanographic Institute (IO), Department of Biological Oceanography - Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-900, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: M F M
authors: MFM
authors: Santana
authors: UNISANTA - Santa Cecília University, Department of Ecotoxicology, Oswaldo Cruz St., 266, 11045-907 Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Maluf
authors: UNISANTA - Santa Cecília University, Department of Ecotoxicology, Oswaldo Cruz St., 266, 11045-907 Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: F S
authors: FS
authors: Cortez
authors: UNIFESP - Federal University of São Paulo, Department of Marine Science, Almirante Saldanha da Gama Ave., 89, 11030-490 Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Cesar
authors: UNISANTA - Santa Cecília University, Department of Ecotoxicology, Oswaldo Cruz St., 266, 11045-907 Santos, São Paulo, Brazil; UNIFESP - Federal University of São Paulo, Department of Marine Science, Almirante Saldanha da Gama Ave., 89, 11030-490 Santos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: C D S
authors: CDS
authors: Pereira
authors: USP - University of São Paulo, Oceanographic Institute (IO), Department of Biological Oceanography - Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, 05508-900, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: turra@usp.br.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Turra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004447:Echinodermata; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D047331:Lytechinus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology; D010969:Plastics / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Additives; Microplastics; Plastic pellets; Pollutants; Sea urchin; Toxicity