C.R. Nobre, M.F.M. Santana, A. Maluf, F.S. Cortez, A. Cesar, C.D.S.
Pereira, A. Turra, Assessment of microplastic toxicity to embryonic
development of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus (Echinodermata:
Echinoidea), Marine Pollution Bulletin, Available online 7 February
2015, ISSN 0025-326X, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.12.050.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X15000107)
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.
Keywords: Toxicity; Sea urchin; Plastic pellets; Microplastics;
Pollutants; Additives