Bioplastics on marine sandy shores: Effects on the key species Talitrus saltator (Montagu, 1808)

Year: 2023

Authors: Martellini T., Russo A., Cincinelli A., Santini S., Lofrumento C., Baini M., Ciattini S., Conti L., Mostardini F., Mercatelli L., Ugolini A.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Florence, Dept Chem Ugo Schiff, Via Lastruccia 3, I-50019 Florence, Italy; Univ Florence, CSGI, Via Lastruccia 3, I-50019 Florence, Italy; Univ Florence, Dept Biol, Via Romana 17, I-50125 Florence, Italy; Univ Siena, Dept Environm Earth & Phys Sci, Via PA Mattioli 4, Siena, Italy; Univ Florence, Ctr Cristallog CRIST, Via Lastruccia 3, I-50019 Florence, Italy; Pack Co, Via Angelo Brunetti 8, I-20156 Milan, Italy; CNR, Natl Inst Opt, Largo E Fermi 6, I-50125 Florence, Italy.

Abstract: Talitrid amphipods are an important component of detritus web, playing a key role in the fragmentation of organic matters of marine and terrestrial origin, and it is well known that sandhoppers ingest microplastics. To assess the ef-fective consumption of bioplastics and their effects on survival rate and on pollutants transfer (i.e. phthalates) on supralittoral arthropods, laboratory experiments were conducted by feeding adult T. saltator with two different types of bioplastic commonly used in the production of shopping bags. Groups of about 20 individuals were fed with 10 x 10 cm sample sheets of the two types of bioplastic for four weeks. The results show that amphipods ingest bioplastics even in the absence of microbial film and that ingestion of bioplastic can have effects on talitrid amphipods. Microtomographic analyses of faecal pellets seem consistent with this finding. The high phthalate concentrations in freshly collected individuals suggest the presence in the environment of these compounds, and the ability of amphi-pods to assimilate them, while the decrease in phthalate concentrations in bioplastic-fed individuals could be attrib-uted to the scavenging effect of virgin plastic, as already observed in a previous study. In summary, the results indicate that different bioplastics may have effects on T. saltator (i.e. survival rate and faecal pellets structure) and con-firm a potential role of amphipods in the degradation of bioplastics in supralittoral zone of marine sandy beaches, even when bioplastics are not colonized by bacterial biofilm that seems to improve palatability.

Journal/Review: SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

Volume: 876      Pages from: 162811-1  to: 162811-7

More Information: The research was funded by the University of Florence (local funds RICATEN) assigned to A.U and A.C. Thanks are due to the Ente Parco Regiona le di Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli (Pisa) for authorization to samplings and CRIST for the technical support. We also would thank all the reviewer for their constructive and helpful suggestions.
KeyWords: Talitrid amphipods; Biobased plastics; Phthalates; NMR; FTIR; Microthomography
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162811

Citations: 3
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