Accumulation of nylon microplastics and polybrominated diphenyl ethers and effects on gut microbial community of Chironomus sancticaroli

Palacio-Cortés, A. M., Horton, A. A., Newbold, L., Spurgeon, D., Lahive, E., Pereira, M. G., Grassi, M. T., Moura, M. O., Disner, G. R., Cestari, M. M., Gweon, H. S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6218-6301 and Navarro-Silva, M. A. (2022) Accumulation of nylon microplastics and polybrominated diphenyl ethers and effects on gut microbial community of Chironomus sancticaroli. Science of the Total Environment, 832. 155089. ISSN 0048-9697 doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155089

Abstract/Summary

Microplastics (MP) are emerging contaminants with the capacity to bind and transport hydrophobic organic compounds of environmental concern, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The aim of this study was to investigate the ingestion of nylon (polyamide) MP alone and when associated with PBDEs and their effects on Chironomus sancticaroli larvae survival and microbiome structure. Survival, PBDE uptake and microbial community composition were measured in fourth instar larvae exposed for 96 h to BDEs- 47, 99, 100 and 153 in the presence and absence of 1% w/w MP in sediment. Microbiome community structures were determined through high throughput sequencing of 16S small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (16S rRNA). Initial experiments showed that larvae ingested MP faster at 0.5% w/w MP, while depuration was more efficient at 1% w/w MP, although retention of MP was seen even after 168 h depuration. No mortality was observed as a result of PBDEs and MP exposure. MP had a negative effect on PBDE concentration within larvae (η2 = 0.94) and a negative effect on sediment concentrations (η2 = 0.48). In all samples, microbial communities were dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. Bacterial alpha diversity was not significantly affected by PBDEs or MP exposure. However, the abundance of discrete bacterial taxa was more sensitive to MP (X2 = 45.81, p = 0.02), and PBDE exposure. Our results highlight that C. sancticaroli showed no acute response to MPs and PBDEs, but that MPs influenced bacterial microbiome structure even after only short-term acute exposure.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/104656
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155089
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Biological Sciences > Biomedical Sciences Life Sciences > School of Biological Sciences > Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Publisher	Elsevier
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