First report on the toxicity of SARS-CoV-2, alone and in combination with polyethylene microplastics in neotropical fish

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented negative impacts in the modern era, including economic, social, and public health losses. On the other hand, the potential effects that the input of SARS-CoV-2 in the aquatic environment from sewage may represent on non-target organisms are not well kno...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Ferreira, Raíssa de Oliveira, Guimarães, Abraão Tiago Batista, Luz, Thiarlen Marinho da, Rodrigues, Aline Sueli de Lima, Islam, Abu Reza Md Towfiqul, Rahman, Md Mostafizur, Ragavendran, Chinnasamy, Kamaraj, Chinnaperumal, Charlie-Silva, Ives, Durigon, Edison Luiz, Braz, Helyson Lucas Bezerra, Arias, Andrés Hugo, Santiago, Omar Cruz, Barceló, Damià, Malafaia, Guilherme
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/307858
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/307858
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85153578293
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Plastic particles
Aquatic pollution
Ecotoxicology
New coronavirus
Non-target organisms
http://metadata.un.org/sdg/6
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Descripción
Sumario:The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented negative impacts in the modern era, including economic, social, and public health losses. On the other hand, the potential effects that the input of SARS-CoV-2 in the aquatic environment from sewage may represent on non-target organisms are not well known. In addition, it is not yet known whether the association of SARS-CoV-2 with other pollutants, such as microplastics (MPs), may further impact the aquatic biota. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the possible ecotoxicological effects of exposure of male adults Poecilia reticulata, for 15 days, to inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (0.742 pg/L; isolated SARS.CoV2/SP02.2020.HIAE.Br) and polyethylene MP (PE MPs) (7.1 × 104 particles/L), alone and in combination, from multiple biomarkers. Our data suggest that exposure to SARS-CoV-2 induced behavioral changes (in the open field test), nephrotoxic effect (inferred by the increase in creatinine), hepatotoxic effect (inferred by the increase in bilirubin production), imbalance in the homeostasis of Fe, Ca, and Mg, as well as an anticholinesterase effect in the animals [marked by the reduction of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity]. On the other hand, exposure to PE MPs induced a genotoxic effect (assessed by the comet assay), as well as an increase in enzyme activity alpha-amylase, alkaline phosphatase, and carboxylesterases. However, we did not show synergistic, antagonistic, or additive effects caused by the combined exposure of P. reticulata to SARS-CoV-2 and PE MPs. Principal component analysis (PCA) and values from the "Integrated Biomarker Response" index indicate that exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was determinant for a more prominent effect in the evaluated animals. Therefore, our study sheds light on the ecotoxicity of the new coronavirus in non-target organisms and ratifies the need for more attention to the impacts of COVID-19 on aquatic biota.