Effects of micro‐ and nanoplastics on the physiology and metabolism of Portunus trituberculatus

Portunus trituberculatus is important in coastal benthic communities and a favorite seafood for coastal residents. However, microplastics have been detected in different tissues of P. trituberculatus, but the toxicological effects of micro‐ and nanoplastics (MNPs) on the different tissues of P. trituberculatus have not been reported. We found that the lethal effect of MNPs on P. trituberculatus is not obvious, but they can stimulate the body's stress response. The responses of P. trituberculatus tissues to MNPs are different, which may be due to differences in enzyme reactions between tissues and organs. Compared with microplastics (MPs), nanoplastics (NPs) have a more significant physiological and metabolic stress effect on P. trituberculatus because of their smaller particle size. In summary, plastic particles have physiological stress effects on the physiological metabolism of P. trituberculatus, which may be closely related to the plastic's particle size and concentration. Pollution of micro‐ and nanoplastics (MNPs) in the ocean had intensified. In this study the oxidative stress response of guts, gills and ovaries as well as the ammonia excretion rate of Portunus trituberculatus to high and low concentrations of polystyrene MNPs have been investigated. MNPs can significantly affect the metabolism of crabs, but there were differences in the oxidative stress response of different tissues.