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Effects of nano- and micro- fibers derived from surgical face masks in Danio rerio

  • 0Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, DISAT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126, Milan, Italy.
Aquatic Toxicology (amsterdam, Netherlands) +

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April 6, 2025

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April 6, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Plastic face masks shed nano- and micro-fibers (NMFs) that harm aquatic life. Zebrafish exposed to these NMFs showed developmental issues and increased mortality, indicating an ecotoxicological risk from mask pollution.

Area Of Science

  • Environmental toxicology
  • Ecotoxicology
  • Marine biology

Background

  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread surgical face mask use, increasing plastic waste.
  • Surgical face masks, primarily polypropylene (PP), release nano- and micro-fibers (NMFs) into the environment.
  • The ecotoxicological impact of PP-NMFs on aquatic organisms is not fully understood.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To investigate the effects of PP-NMFs from degraded surgical face masks on the model organism Danio rerio (zebrafish).
  • To evaluate the impact of NMFs on embryonic and larval development at various concentrations (0.2, 1, and 5 mg/L).
  • To assess alterations in apical endpoints and gene expression.

Main Methods

  • Exposure of zebrafish embryos and larvae to PP-NMFs at different concentrations.
  • Monitoring of embryonic and larval development, including eye area measurements.
  • Transcriptomic analysis to identify gene expression changes.
  • Observation of mortality rates during critical feeding transition periods.

Main Results

  • Significant reduction in eye area observed after 6 days of exposure.
  • Upregulation of genes involved in negative regulation of development and downregulation of energy metabolism genes.
  • Increased mortality between 9 and 12 days, coinciding with the shift to exogenous feeding.
  • Evidence of impaired foraging behavior linked to NMF exposure.

Conclusions

  • Environmental concentrations of NMFs from surgical face masks pose a significant hazard to aquatic organisms.
  • Improper disposal of surgical face masks contributes to ecotoxicological risks in aquatic ecosystems.
  • Further research is needed to understand the long-term impacts of NMF pollution on aquatic life.

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