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Combined effects of copper and microplastics on physiological parameters of Tubastrea aurea corals

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Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) have been a serious environmental problem because it can carry pollution like heavy metals and organic pollutants. However, the combined effect of MPs and bivalent copper ion (Cu(II)) on the coral azooxanthellate has been rarely studied. In the present study, the combined effects of PVC and Cu(II) on the physiological responses of Tubastrea aurea were studied. Our results showed that MPs alone enhanced the activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reduced glutathione (GSH). The mixture groups had the same effects on the CAT and GSH, which enhanced CAT and GSH activity by 97% and 53% respectively. MPs alone and the combined treatment groups decreased the activity of lipid peroxide (LPO) and the content of metallothionein (MT) by 45% and 20% of the coral Tubastrea aurea. Cu(II) exposure always had negative effect on the physiological parameters of coral, and MPs decreased the toxicity of Cu(II) in the combined groups. This work is the first time to report the combined effects of Cu(II) and microplastics on azooxanthellate coral, which will provide important preliminary data for the following research.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors were grateful to all of the laboratory members for their continuous technical advice and helpful discussions.

Funding

The study was funded by Shenzhen Science and Technology R&D Fund (project number: KJYY20180213182720347, JCYJ20200109144803833, KCXFZ202002011011057), Guangdong Key Area R & D Program Project (project number: 2020B1111030002), Project of Enhancing School with Innovation of Guangdong Ocean University (2020ZDZX2029).

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  1. Baohua Xiao and Junjie Wang contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shenzhen Institute of Guangdong Ocean University, Shenzhen, 518114, Guangdong, China

    Baohua Xiao, Junjie Wang, Baolin Liao, Huina Zheng, Xiaodong Yang, Ziqiang Xie, Dongdong Li & Chengyong Li

  2. School of Chemistry and Environment, College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, 524088, China

    Baohua Xiao & Chengyong Li

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  1. Baohua Xiao
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Contributions

Baohua Xiao: conceptualization, methodology, investigation, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing. Junjie Wang: conceptualization, methodology, investigation, writing—original draft, writing—review and editing. Baolin Liao: validation, methodology, formal analysis, funding acquisition. Huina Zheng: validation, methodology, formal analysis. Xiaodong Yang: investigation, methodology. ZiqiangXie: methodology. Dongdong Li: methodology. Chengyong Li: formal analysis, writing—review and editing, supervision, funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to Chengyong Li.

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Xiao, B., Wang, J., Liao, B. et al. Combined effects of copper and microplastics on physiological parameters of Tubastrea aurea corals. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 14393–14399 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16665-6

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