RT journal article
T1 Surgical face masks as a source of emergent pollutants in aquatic systems: Analysis of their degradation product effects in Danio rerio through RNA-Seq.
A1 Sendra, Marta
A1 Pereiro, Patricia
A1 Yeste Siguenza, María del Pilar
A1 Novoa, B.
A1 Figueras, A.
A2 Ciencia de los Materiales e Ingeniería Metalúrgica y Química Inorgánica
K1 Face mask
K1 Degradation
K1 Danio rerio
K1 Transcriptome
K1 Reproductive processes
K1 Endocrine disruptors
AB Surgical face masks are the most popularised and effective personal equipment for protecting public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are composed of plastic polymer fibres with a large amount of inorganic and organic compounds that can be released into aquatic environments through degradation processes. This source of microplastics and inorganic and organic substances could potentially impact aquatic organisms. In this study, the toxicogenomic effects of face masks at different stages of degradation in water were analysed in zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio) through RNA-Seq. Larvae were exposed for 10 days to three treatments: 1) face mask fragments in an initial stage of degradation (poorly degraded masks -PDM- products) with the corresponding water; 2) face mask fragments in an advanced stage of degradation (highly degraded masks -HDMproducts) with the corresponding water; and 3) water derived from HDM (W-HDM). Transcriptome analyses revealed that the three treatments provoked the down-regulation of genes related to reproduction, especially the HDM products, suggesting that degradation products derived from face masks could act as endocrine disruptors. The affected genes are involved in different steps of reproduction, including gametogenesis, sperm-egg recognition and binding or fertilisation. Immune-related genes and metabolic processes were also differentially affected by the treatments.
PB ELSEVIER
SN 0304-3894
YR 2022
FD 2022-04
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/26518
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/26518
LA eng
NO Our laboratory is funded by projects PID2020-119532RB-I00 from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion), 0474_BLUEBIOLAB from EU FEDER Programa Interreg Espana-Portugal and IN607B 2019/01 from Conselleria de Economia, Emprego e Industria (GAIN), Xunta de Galicia.
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 15-nov-2026