Do nanoplastics impact the ability of the polychaeta Hediste diversicolor to regenerate?

Abstract

For decades the oceans have been a sink for plastic debris. Over the years several studies have been focused on the effects of macro- and microplastics on vertebrates, but few have had benthic invertebrates as their research subject or studied small-sized plastic particles of sizes below 100 nm. The aim of this study was to understand the effect of waterborne 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs, 0.0005–5 mg/L) on the regenerative capacity of the marine polychaeta Hediste diversicolor, a keystone species in intertidal and coastal environments with high ecological and economic importance. Results showed that PS NPs tend to aggregate/agglomerate along the exposure time and induce significant decreases on the regenerative capacity of these organisms at higher con- centrations (0.005–5 mg/L). This study highlighted the potential consequences of the presence of NPs to or- ganisms, supporting the need for further studies.