title: Effect of Microplastic on the Gills of the Shore Crab Carcinus maenas.
abstract: Microscopic plastic debris (microplastics, <5 mm in diameter) is ubiquitous in the marine environment. Previous work has shown that microplastics may be ingested and inhaled by the shore crab Carcinus maenas, although the biological consequences are unknown. Here, we show that acute aqueous exposure to polystyrene microspheres (8 μm) with different surface coatings had significant but transient effects on branchial function. Microspheres inhaled into the gill chamber had a small but significant dose-dependent effect on oxygen consumption after 1 h of exposure, returning to normal levels after 16 h. Ion exchange was also affected, with a small but significant decrease in hemolymph sodium ions and an increase in calcium ions after 24 h post-exposure. To further asses the effects on osmoregulation, we challenged crabs with reduced salinity after microplastic exposure. Neither microspheres nor natural sediments altered the crab's response to osmotic stress regardless of plastic concentration added. Carboxylated (COOH) and aminated (NH2) polystyrene microspheres were distributed differently across the gill surface, although neither had a significant adverse impact on gill function. These results illustrate the extent of the physiological effects of microplastics compared to the physiological resilience of shore crabs in maintaining osmoregulatory and respiratory function after acute exposure to both anthropogenic plastics and natural particles.
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter , Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew J R
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Watts
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter , Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.|Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción , Casilla 160-C, Concepción, 4070386, Chile.
authors.forename: Mauricio A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Urbina
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter , Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rhys
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goodhead
authors.affiliation: School of Physics, University of Exeter , Exeter, EX4 4QL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moger
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter , Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ceri
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter , Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Tamara S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Galloway
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003386:Brachyura / Q000187:drug effects*; D005880:Gills / Q000187:drug effects*; D006458:Hemolymph; D010969:Plastics / Q000494:pharmacology; D054712:Salinity
chemical_list: D010969:Plastics