Determining the effects of microplastic (MP) ingestion by marine organisms, especially during the sensitive larval stages, is an important step in understanding wider ecosystem responses. We investigated the ingestion, retention (1–5 μm), and short-term exposure effects (1–4 μm) of spherical MPs by larvae of the sea urchin Pseudechinus huttoni. Larvae ingested MPs in a dose-dependent manner and successfully egested particles after a short retention period. Survival was not significantly affected by exposure to MPs over the 10-day experimental period, however, a teratogenic response in terms of delayed development resulted in an increase of larval arm asymmetry. Additionally, MP exposure resulted in oxidative damage to lipids and proteins in larval body tissue despite a significant upregulation of antioxidant defences. The findings indicate MP exposure may impair cellular function, leading to negative consequences for an organism's fitness and survival.

确定海洋生物（特别是在敏感幼体阶段）摄入微塑料（MP）的影响，是了解更广泛的生态系统响应的重要一步。我们调查了海胆P的幼虫对球形MP的摄入，保留（1-5μm）和短期暴露影响（1-4μm）。。幼虫以剂量依赖的方式摄取MP，并在短暂的保留期后成功繁殖出颗粒。在10天的实验期内，暴露于MP不会对存活率产生显着影响，但是，就发育延迟而言，致畸反应导致幼虫臂的不对称性增加。此外，尽管抗氧化剂防御能力显着上调，但MP暴露仍会导致幼虫体组织中脂质和蛋白质的氧化损伤。研究结果表明，MP暴露可能会损害细胞功能，从而对生物体的健康和生存产生负面影响。