Bioassay guided analysis coupled with non-target chemical screening in polyethylene plastic shopping bag fragments after exposure to simulated gastric juice of Fish

In this study, fragments of polyethylene plastic bags were treated with simulated gastric juice of fish for 16 h. Following solid-phase extraction, methanol eluents caused acute toxicity to embryos and larvae of Japanese medaka. Chromatographic fractions (polar to more non-polar with numbers increasing) of the extract were evaluated for toxicity and estrogenic activity using medaka and an estrogen receptor (ER) cell-line. Fractions 6 and 9 had the highest estrogenic effects with relative hydrophobic chemicals. The vtg expression in fraction 6 was 22-fold higher than control, and the ER cellular response in fraction 9 was 8.5-fold higher than controls. Following non-target screening (NTS), several novel phthalates and phenols were identified in the above two fractions. Fractions 1 and 2 appeared to be primarily responsible for the acute toxicity observed with the whole extract. The hatching rate decreased to 36 % in fraction 2, and was not observed following exposure to fraction 1. NTS of these fractions indicated 635 and 808 entities, respectively, most without toxicity information. These results indicate plastic leachates from gastric juices of fish are complex mixtures of many compounds that can have acute reproductive and sublethal endocrine impacts in fish.