"Influence of particle size on the toxicity of secondary PET microplastics isolated and in binary combinations with Chloroquine diphosphate: emphasis on histological and biochemical biomarkers of Danio rerio"

• Grant number: 25/03816-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Renata Fracácio Francisco
• Grantee: Laura Moura Félix
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Sorocaba. Sorocaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/06037-8 - Aspects of the ecotoxicity of secondary fragments of the microplastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) isolated and in mixture with metallic and organic pollutants as a function of concentration and size", AP.R

Abstract

Aquatic contamination by microplastics is a growing concern due to their widespread dissemination, persistence and potential ecological impact. MPs are characterized by being polymers with sizes ranging from 1¿m to 5¿m and have different types, shapes and granulometries that influence their potential toxicity. It is necessary to study the toxicity of MPs isolated in different granulometries in order to analyze at what fraction the polymer becomes a potential risk to the aquatic environment. However, it is also essential to study the extent of the environmental impact of microplastics when interacting with organic pollutants, adopting an approach closer to reality, given that secondary polymers can act as vectors for chemical substances. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most abundant MPs found, however, it is one of the polymers with the greatest lack of ecotoxicological studies in the literature. In view of the above, the objective of this research will be to evaluate the toxicity aspects of secondary MP fragments of pure polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in different particle size fractions (75 ¿m to 105 ¿m and 300 ¿m - 425 ¿m), with concentrations representative of freshwater (330 particles. L-1) on adults of the fish species Danio rerio. The conditions described above will be tested in a mixture with the organic pollutant Chloroquine diphosphate. In this sense, the biomarkers used will be histological, qualitative-quantitative (gill, liver and gonadal tissues) and biochemical. The results will be analyzed statistically to evaluate the ecotoxicological impact of these pollutants both in isolation and in co-exposure.