How a short-term exposure to polystyrene microplastic beads impair gonadal condition in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis: histological and molecular evidence.

A growing environmental concern is the excessive use of plastics, whose degradation leads to the creation of microscopic particles known as microplastics (MPs) [1]. The small size (<1mm) facilitates their accumulation, and now they are found in sea and fresh water, soil and even the air we breathe. In aquatic environments, they can be ingested by a wide range of organisms, from plankton to large marine mammals, thus entering the food chain and potentially reaching humans. The effects of MPs can be effectively studied using the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, an excellent bioindicator of marine pollution. This sessile filter feeder plays a crucial role in the trophic chain.