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Effect of microplastics on the activity of carboxylesterase and phosphatase enzymes in Scinax squalirostris tadpoles

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Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are critical emerging pollutants around the world. There is a growing interest in the effects of MP ingestion, non-digestion, and toxicity on aquatic organisms. Amphibian tadpoles are the vertebrate group that has received the least attention regarding this issue. The aim of the present study was to determine the ingestion of polyethylene MPs by Scinax squalirostris tadpoles by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and to evaluate the activities of carboxylesterase (CbE, using 4-naphthyl butyrate-NB-, and 1-naphthyl acetate –NA- as substrates) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) under MP exposure. Enzyme activities were analyzed spectrophotometrically at 2 and 10 days of exposure. Tadpoles were exposed to two different treatments during 10 days: a negative control (CO, dechlorinated water) and MP (60 mg L−1). AFM images of the digestive contents of tadpoles revealed the presence of MPs. After 10 days of MP exposure, CbE (NB) activity was significantly higher and CbE (NA) activity was significantly lower in MP treatments than in controls. ALP activity decreased in MP treatments after 2 and 10 days of exposure. The detection of MP particles in the intestinal contents and the effects on metabolic enzymes in a common frog species evidenced the potential health risk of MP to aquatic vertebrates. Thus, the differential response in enzymes and substrates demonstrate the need for considering the complex effects of contaminants and nutrients on ecosystems for ecotoxicological risk characterization.

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The datasets generated and analyzed during the study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Laboratorio de Física de Superficies e Interfaces (LASUI, IFIS-Litoral, CONICET-UNL) for lending us the SPM equipment and P. Felaj for technical support in AFM experiments.

Funding

This study was supported in part by National Agency for Promotion of Science and Technology (PICT 2018 Nº 3293) and Course of Action for Research and Science Promotion (CAI + D-UNL, PICT Nº 50620190100036LI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (FBCB-UNL-CONICET), El Pozo S/N, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Andrés M. Attademo, Ana P. Cuzziol Boccioni, Paola M. Peltzer & Rafael C. Lajmanovich

  2. CONICET-FBCB-UNL, El Pozo S/N, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Andrés M. Attademo, Ana P. Cuzziol Boccioni, Paola M. Peltzer & Rafael C. Lajmanovich

  3. Catedra de Toxicología (FBCB-UNL), El Pozo S/N, Santa Fe, Argentina

    María F. Simoniello

  4. Laboratorio de Física de Superficies e Interfaces, Instituto de Física del Litoral (LASUI-IFIS Litoral; CONICET-UNL), Güemes 3450, S3000, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Vanina G. Franco & Mario C. G. Passeggi

  5. Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral (FIQ-UNL), Santiago del Estero 2829, S3000, Santa Fe, Argentina

    Mario C. G. Passeggi

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  1. Andrés M. Attademo
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  7. Rafael C. Lajmanovich
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Contributions

Andres M. Attademo: conception, design, execution (measurement), interpretation, and writing. Rafael C. Lajmanovich: conception, design, execution (sampling), and interpretation. Paola Peltzer: design and interpretation. Ana Paula Cuzziol Boccioni: execution (sampling) and interpretation. Fernanda Simonielo: execution (measurement) and interpretation. Vanina G. Franco: execution (measurement) and interpretation. Mario C.G. Passeggi: interpretation.

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Correspondence to Andrés M. Attademo.

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The animals used in this research have been treated according to the criteria of the ASIH (2004) and with approval by the Animal Ethics Committee of the Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas (FBCB), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina. http://www.fbcb.unl.edu.ar/pages/investigacion/comite-deetica.php.

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Attademo, A.M., Cuzziol Boccioni, A.P., Peltzer, P.M. et al. Effect of microplastics on the activity of carboxylesterase and phosphatase enzymes in Scinax squalirostris tadpoles. Environ Monit Assess 194, 718 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10322-2

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