Bio-plastic recognition by mussels hemocytes

Abstract

The growing use of bio-polymers derivatives poses an increasingly pressing problem regarding their environmental sustainability. In particular, it should be still ascertained the claimed absence of direct and indirect influence on ecosystems and the health of living organisms, including humans. Our goal was about assessing the potential effects of poly-lactates and polyhydroxyalkanoates, the most widely used bio polymers classes with promising different applications for replacing conventional plastics on natural aquatic environments. We chose M. galloprovincialis as sentinel species since their extensive filter-feeding activity. When it is exposed to microparticles can bioaccumulate them in soft tissues and organs. In the immunobiological investigation, to highlight if bio-polymers can influence the marine ecosystems, in vitro exposure assays on bivalve mussel have been carried out, and their impacts have been explored, by evaluating the cellular response of hemocytes referred to their phagocytic and/or encapsulation activity. Preliminary evidences have shown that bioplastic particles behave in a very similar way to fossil plastic triggering the immuno-system and activating the elimination of non-self particles via cellular response. As future perspectives, although it is widely recognized that in vitro testing is an effective method for defining the effects of emerging pollutants, the in vitro test will be further deepened with in vivo experiments.