Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Aquatic Microenvironments Affect Sperm Metabolism and Fertilization of Mytilus galloprovincialis (Lamark, 1819)

Abstract

The continuous and unregulated discharge of wastes and pollutants into the aquatic environment has required constant monitoring of the risks incurred by aquatic ecosystems. Alarmism arises from plastic pollution as larger artifacts release nanoscale fragments that can contact free-living stages such as gametes, embryos, and larvae. Specifically, the interaction between spermatozoa, released in water in externally fertilizing species, and the surrounding microenvironment is essential for successful fertilization. Activation and kinematics of movement, proper maintenance of ionic balance, and chemotactism are processes highly sensitive to even minimal perturbations caused by pollutants such as polystyrene nanoplastics. Spermatozoa of Mytilus galloprovincialis (M. galloprovincialis), an excellent ecotoxicological model, undergo structural (plasma membrane ruptures, DNA damage) and metabolic (reduced motility, fertilizing capacity) damage upon exposure to 50 nm amino-modified polystyrene nanoplastics (nPS-NH2). Nanoplastics of larger diameter (100 nm) did not affect sperm parameters. The findings highlighted the negative impact that plastic pollution, related to nanoparticle diameter and concentration, could have on sperm quality and reproductive potential of organisms, altering the equilibrium of aquatic ecosystems.