Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Lu, Hsuan-Cheng
• Kumar, Anupama
• Melvin, Steven D.
• Ziajahromi, Shima
• Neale, Peta A.
• Leusch, Frederic D.L.

Titel

Metabolomic responses in freshwater benthic invertebrate, Chironomus tepperi, exposed to polyethylene microplastics: A two-generational investigation

Ist Teil von

• Journal of hazardous materials, 2023-10, Vol.459, p.132097-132097, Article 132097

Ort / Verlag

Netherlands: Elsevier B.V

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Access via ScienceDirect (Elsevier)

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in sediments could pose risks to benthic organisms and their progeny. Here, we examined effects on traditional apical endpoints along with changes to whole body metabolite profiles induced by irregular shaped polyethylene MPs (1–45 µm) at environmentally relevant concentrations (125, 250, 500 and 1000 MPs/kg sediment) in Chironomus tepperi using a two-generation exposure regime. Survival and emergence of C. tepperi were negatively affected in the parental generation at the two highest concentrations, whereas endpoints associated with growth were only impacted at 1000 MPs/kg sediment. Metabolites associated with several amino acid and energy metabolism pathways were present at lower abundances at the highest exposure concentration suggesting an overall impact on bioenergetics which relates to the inhibition of food acquisition or nutrient assimilation caused by ingestion of MPs, rather than a traditional receptor-mediated toxicity response. In contrast, no significant effects on apical endpoints were observed in the continuous exposure of first filial generation, and lactic acid was the only metabolite that differed significantly between groups. Larvae in unexposed conditions showed no differences in survival or metabolite profiles suggesting that effects in the parental generation do not carry over to the next filial generation. The findings provide evidence on the underlying impacts of MP ingestion and potential adaption to MP exposure of C. tepperi. [Display omitted] •First metabolomics assessment in C. tepperi to microplastic (MP) exposure.•Survival and emergence of C. tepperi in parental generation were negatively impacted.•Lower abundance of some metabolites involved in amino acid and energy metabolism.•First filial generation showed no adverse effects in apical endpoints or metabolites.•Negligible carry-over effects in C. tepperi offspring at realistic MP concentrations.