Preliminary Ecological Risk Assessment of Textile Microfibers in Marine Ecosystems (Fashiontox)

• Grant number: 25/07606-9
• Support Opportunities: FAPESP Program for the South Atlantic and Antarctica (PROASA) - Regular Program Grants
• Start date: January 01, 2026
• End date: December 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Oceanography - Chemical Oceanography
• Principal Investigator: Paloma Kachel Gusso Choueri
• Grantee: Paloma Kachel Gusso Choueri
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria Acadêmica. Universidade Santa Cecília (UNISANTA). Santos , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: Santos
• Associated researchers: Caio Rodrigues Nobre ; Denis Moledo de Souza Abessa ; Fabiane Gallucci ; Fabio Ruiz Simões ; Gabriel Massaine Moulatlet ; Lucas Buruaem Moreira ; Luis Felipe de Almeida Duarte ; Mariana Vellosa Capparelli ; Renata de Britto Mari ; Rodrigo Brasil Choueri

Abstract

The rise of fast fashion has intensified the production of textile fibers and worsened environmental pollution. Although the impacts of synthetic microfibers on marine biota are increasingly studied, little is known about the toxic potential of natural microfibers, such as cotton, which may contain harmful additives. The main goal of this project is to assess the ecological risk associated with the exposure of marine invertebrates to textile microfibers (MFs), considering different fiber compositions and the effect of their residence time in seawater on toxicity. The hypothesis is that synthetic fibers are more toxic than natural fibers, their toxicity may change over time as they persist in the environment, and their toxic effects vary among species. To this end, responses at subcellular, cellular, tissue, population, behavioral, and community levels will be analyzed using biomarkers and endpoints such as mortality, embryonic-larval development, offspring production, and impacts on benthic meiofauna. Target species include sand dollars, brine shrimp, amphipods, mangrove crabs, and the meiobenthic community. Two scenarios will be simulated: freshly immersed MFs and MFs immersed for 30 days in seawater, evaluating changes in toxicity over time. Statistical analyses (PERMANOVA) will consider three fixed factors: condition (new and aged), concentration, and fiber type. Sub-individual and individual responses will be analyzed using univariate statistics, while community-level responses will be addressed through multivariate analyses. After the experiments, a risk analysis will be conducted for exposure to these particles. This study aims to understand the impacts of MFs on the health of marine organisms, particularly vulnerable species, and to provide insights for consumption and management practices that mitigate contamination in the marine environment. (AU)