Migration of nonylphenol from food-grade plastic is toxic to the coral reef fish species Pseudochromis fridmani

Migration of nonylphenol from food-grade plastic is toxic to the coral reef fish species Pseudochromis fridmani

•Nonylphenol (NP) migrates from FDA food-grade polyethylene bags to contained seawater.•Seawater levels of NP from the bags in one treatment were similar to 96h LC50 values for P. fridmani.•Dottybacks held in these bags accumulated high body concentrations of NP.•Although labeled as food-grade polye...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 139; pp. 223 - 228
Main Authors: Hamlin, Heather J., Marciano, Kathleen, Downs, Craig A.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2015
Subjects:
Animals
Aquatic animals
Bags
Coral Reefs
Exposure
Fish
Fishes
Marine orchid dottyback
Nonylphenol
Orchidaceae
Phenols - chemistry
Phenols - toxicity
Plastic contaminants
Plastics - chemistry
Polytetrafluoroethylenes
Pseudochromis
Surface-Active Agents - chemistry
Surface-Active Agents - toxicity
Toxic
Toxicity
Toxicology
Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
Marine orchid dottyback
Plastic contaminants
Nonylphenol
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Summary:•Nonylphenol (NP) migrates from FDA food-grade polyethylene bags to contained seawater.•Seawater levels of NP from the bags in one treatment were similar to 96h LC50 values for P. fridmani.•Dottybacks held in these bags accumulated high body concentrations of NP.•Although labeled as food-grade polyethylene, the PE2 bags leached highly toxic levels of NP.•NP could pose a greater risk than might be estimated from testing plastic from a single manufacturer. Nonylphenol (NP) is a non-ionic surfactant used extensively in industrial applications, personal care products, and many plastics. We exposed marine orchid dottybacks (Pseudochromis fridmani) for 48h to either glass, Teflon, or two bags labeled as FDA food-grade polyethylene (PE1 and PE2) from different manufacturers. The PE2 bags leached high levels of NP into the contact water, which were taken up by the fish, and decreased short and long-term survival. Concentrations of NP that leached from the bags were consistent with 96h LC50 values determined in this study, indicating NP is the likely toxic agent. Despite being similarly labeled, the NP concentrations that leached from the bags and the resultant toxicity to the fish varied dramatically between manufacturers. This study highlights that some plastics, labeled as food-safe, can be highly toxic to aquatic animals, and could pose a greater threat to humans than previously realized. This study also highlights risks for aquatic animals exposed to increasing quantities of plastic waste.
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ISSN:0045-6535
1879-1298
DOI:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.06.032