Intestinal alterations in European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758) exposed to microplastics: Preliminary results. (May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pedà, Cristina; Caccamo, Letteria; Fossi, Maria Cristina; Gai, Francesco; Andaloro, Franco; Genovese, Lucrezia; Perdichizzi, Anna; Romeo, Teresa; Maricchiolo, Giulia
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 212(2016)
• Page Start: 251
• Page End: 256
• Publication Date: 2016-05
• Subjects: Microplastics ingestion -- European sea bass -- Intestinal alterations -- Histopathology; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.01.083
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: This study investigates, for the first time, the intestinal responses of European sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax chronically exposed to microplastics through ingestion. Fish (n = 162) were fed with 3 different treatment diets for 90 days: control, native polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polluted polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pellets. Intestines were fixed and processed for histological analysis using standard techniques. Histopathological alterations were examined using a score value (from 0 to 4). The distal part of intestine in all samples proved to be the most affected by pathological alterations, showing a gradual change varying from moderate to severe related to exposure times. The histological picture that characterizes both groups especially after 90 days of exposure, suggests that the intestinal functions can be in some cases totally compromised. The worst condition is increasingly evident in the distal intestine of fish fed with polluted PVC pellets respect to control groups (p < 0.05) to different exposure times. These first results underline the need to assess the impact of increasing microplastics pollution on the marine trophic web. Highlights: Data on microplastics ingestion in European sea bass are reported. After 60 and 90 days severe histological changes in distal intestine were observed. Results suggest that the ingestion of microplastics alters intestinal tissues. Plastics ingestion in fish represents a hazard for the effects on marine ecosystem. Abstract : Alterations in intestines of European sea bass exposed to microplastics.