Effects of Bisphenol A analogues and their mixture on the crab Carcinus aestuarii: Cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and damage, neurotoxicity, physiological responses, and bioaccumulation

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) analogues are emerging contaminants, whose ecotoxicological profile for aquatic species, particularly marine ones, is little known. In this study, the effects of an environmentally realistic concentration (300 ng/L) of three BPA analogues (BPAF, BPF, and BPS) - alone or as a mixture (MIX) – were evaluated for the first time on the crab Carcinus aestuarii. A multibiomarker approach was adopted to assess the effects of 7 and 14 days of exposure on haemolymph parameters, gill and hepatopancreas biochemical parameters, and physiological responses of crabs. Bioaccumulation of the three bisphenols was also investigated in crabs by UHPLC-HRMS. A significant reduction in total haemocyte counts was recorded in crabs exposed for 7 days to BPAF and MIX and for 14 days to the MIX, whereas an increase was found in crabs treated for 14 days with BPAF. Cell proliferation increased significantly in crabs exposed for 14 days to BPS and MIX. An imbalance of the antioxidant system, as well as oxidative damage, was recorded in gills and hepatopancreas. No neurotoxic effects were observed in crabs. At the physiological level, exposure to MIX increased the respiration rate of crabs. As for bioaccumulation, only bisphenol AF was detected in crabs. Overall, the present study demonstrated that BPA analogues can affect some important cellular parameters, induce oxidative stress and alter physiological responses in crabs.