Identification and toxicity towards aquatic primary producers of the smallest fractions released from hydrolytic degradation of polycaprolactone microplastics

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 303; p. 134966
• Main Authors: Tamayo-Belda, Miguel, Pulido-Reyes, Gerardo, González-Pleiter, Miguel, Martín-Betancor, Keila, Leganés, Francisco, Rosal, Roberto, Fernández-Piñas, Francisca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2022
• Subjects: Bioplastics; Cyanobacteria; Nanoplastics; Oligomers; PCL degradation; Toxicity; Oligomers; Bioplastics; PCL degradation; Toxicity; Cyanobacteria; Nanoplastics
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134966
• EISSN: 1879-1298
• ISSN: 0045-6535

Bioplastics are thought as a safe substitute of non-biodegradable polymers. However, once released in the environment, biodegradation may be very slow, and they also suffer abiotic fragmentation processes, which may give rise to different fractions of polymer sizes. We present novel data on abiotic hydrolytic degradation of polycaprolactone (PCL), tracking the presence of by-products during 132 days by combining different physicochemical techniques. During the study a considerable amount of two small size plastic fractions were found (up to ∼ 6 mg of PCL by-product/g of PCL beads after 132 days of degradation); and classified as submicron-plastics (sMPs) from 1 μm to 100 nm and nanoplastics (NPs, <100 nm) as well as oligomers. The potential toxicity of the smallest fractions, PCL by-products < 100 nm (PCL-NPs + PCL oligomers) and the PCL oligomers single fraction, was tested on two ecologically relevant aquatic primary producers: the heterocystous filamentous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, and the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942. Upon exposure to both, single and combined fractions, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) overproduction, intracellular pH and metabolic activity alterations were observed in both organisms, whilst membrane potential and morphological damages were only observed upon PCL-NPs + PCL oligomers exposure. Notably both PCL by-products fractions inhibited nitrogen fixation in Anabaena, which may be clearly detrimental for the aquatic trophic chain. As conclusion, fragmentation of bioplastics may render a continuous production of secondary nanoplastics as well as oligomers that might be toxic to the surrounding biota; both PCL-NPs and PCL oligomers, but largely the nanoparticulate fraction, were harmful for the two aquatic primary producers. Efforts should be made to thoroughly understand the fragmentation of bioplastics and the toxicity of the smallest fractions resulting from that degradation.
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•Abiotic hydrolytic degradation of polycaprolactone (PCL) was tracked along 132 days.•Submicron-plastics (sMPs), nanoplastics (NPs) and PCL oligomers were identified.•The smallest PCL by-products fractions were tested in two freshwater cyanobacteria.•PCL Oligomers and, to a larger extent NPs, were toxic.•N2 fixation, critical to the aquatic trophic chain, was inhibited by both fractions.