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de França FJ, Moens T, da Silva RB, Pessoa GL, França DA, Dos Santos GA. Short-term microplastic effects on marine meiofauna abundance, diversity and community composition. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17641. [PMID: 39099655 PMCID: PMC11297435 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Due to the copious disposal of plastics, marine ecosystems receive a large part of this waste. Microplastics (MPs) are solid particles smaller than 5 millimeters in size. Among the plastic polymers, polystyrene (PS) is one of the most commonly used and discarded. Due to its density being greater than that of water, it accumulates in marine sediments, potentially affecting benthic communities. This study investigated the ingestion of MP and their effect on the meiofauna community of a sandy beach. Meiofauna are an important trophic link between the basal and higher trophic levels of sedimentary food webs and may therefore be substantially involved in trophic transfer of MP and their associated compounds. Methods We incubated microcosms without addition of MP (controls) and treatments contaminated with PS MP (1-µm) in marine sediments at three nominal concentrations (103, 105, 107particles/mL), for nine days, and sampled for meiofauna with collections every three days. At each sampling time, meiofauna were collected, quantified and identified to higher-taxon level, and ingestion of MP was quantified under an epifluorescence microscope. Results Except for Tardigrada, all meiofauna taxa (Nematoda, turbellarians, Copepoda, Nauplii, Acari and Gastrotricha) ingested MP. Absorption was strongly dose dependent, being highest at 107 particles/mL, very low at 105 particles/mL and non-demonstrable at 103 particles/mL. Nematodes accumulated MP mainly in the intestine; MP abundance in the intestine increased with increasing incubation time. The total meiofauna density and species richness were significantly lower at the lowest MP concentration, while at the highest concentration these parameters were very similar to the control. In contrast, Shannon-Wiener diversity and evenness were greater in treatments with low MP concentration. However, these results should be interpreted with caution because of the low meiofauna abundances at the lower two MP concentrations. Conclusion At the highest MP concentration, abundance, taxonomic diversity and community structure of a beach meiofauna community were not significantly affected, suggesting that MP effects on meiofauna are at most subtle. However, lower MP concentrations did cause substantial declines in abundance and diversity, in line with previous studies at the population and community level. While we can only speculate on the underlying mechanism(s) of this counterintuitive response, results suggest that further research is needed to better understand MP effects on marine benthic communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flávia J.L. de França
- Campus Recife, Center for Biosciences, Department of Zoology, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Tom Moens
- Marine Biology Lab, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Flanders, Belgium
| | - Renan B. da Silva
- Campus Recife, Center for Biosciences, Department of Zoology, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Giovanna L. Pessoa
- Campus Recife, Center for Biosciences, Department of Zoology, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Débora A.A. França
- Campus Recife, Center for Biosciences, Department of Zoology, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Giovanni A.P. Dos Santos
- Campus Recife, Center for Biosciences, Department of Zoology, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
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Wilkens JL, Calomeni-Eck AJ, Boyda J, Kennedy A, McQueen AD. Microplastic in Dredged Sediments: From Databases to Strategic Responses. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2024; 112:72. [PMID: 38689078 PMCID: PMC11061003 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-024-03878-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) accumulate in sediments, yet guidelines for evaluating MP risks in dredged sediments are lacking. The objective of this study was to review existing literature on MPs in sediments to improve fundamental knowledge of MP exposures and develop a publicly available database of MPs in sediments. Twelve percent of the reviewed papers (nine studies) included sediment core samples with MP concentrations generally decreasing with depth, peaking in the top 15 cm. The remaining papers evaluated surficial grab samples (0 to 15 cm depth) from various water bodies with MPs detected in almost every sample. Median MP concentrations (items/kg dry sediment) increased in this order: lakes and reservoirs (184), estuarine (263), Great Lakes nearshore areas and tributaries (290), riverine (410), nearshore marine areas (487), dredge activities (817), and harbors (948). Dredging of recurrent shoaling sediments could be expected to contain MPs at various depths with concentrations influenced by the time elapsed since the last dredging event. These results offer key insights into the presence and variability of MPs in dredged sediments, informing environmental monitoring and risk assessment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Wilkens
- Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA.
| | - A J Calomeni-Eck
- Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
| | - J Boyda
- Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
| | - A Kennedy
- Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
| | - A D McQueen
- Engineer Research and Development Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, 3909 Halls Ferry Rd, Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
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Redondo-Hasselerharm PE, Rico A, Huerta Lwanga E, van Gestel CAM, Koelmans AA. Source-specific probabilistic risk assessment of microplastics in soils applying quality criteria and data alignment methods. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 467:133732. [PMID: 38350316 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
The risk characterization of microplastics (MP) in soil is challenging due to the non-alignment of existing exposure and effect data. Therefore, we applied data alignment methods to assess the risks of MP in soils subject to different sources of MP pollution. Our findings reveal variations in MP characteristics among sources, emphasizing the need for source-specific alignments. To assess the reliability of the data, we applied Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) screening tools. Risk assessment was carried out probabilistically, considering uncertainties in data alignments and effect thresholds. The Hazardous Concentrations for 5% (HC5) of the species were significantly higher compared to earlier studies and ranged between 4.0 × 107 and 2.3 × 108 particles (1-5000 µm)/kg of dry soil for different MP sources and ecologically relevant metrics. The highest risk was calculated for soils with MP entering via diffuse and unspecified local sources, i.e., "background pollution". However, the source with the highest proportion of high-risk values was sewage, followed by background pollution and mulching. Notably, locations exceeding the risk threshold obtained low scores in the QA/QC assessment. No risks were observed for soils with compost. To improve future risk assessments, we advise to primarily test environmentally relevant MP mixtures and adhere to strict quality criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula E Redondo-Hasselerharm
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Andreu Rico
- IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus of the University of Alcalá, Avenida Punto Com 2, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/ Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Esperanza Huerta Lwanga
- Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelis A M van Gestel
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment (A-LIFE), Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1108, 1081H Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Albert A Koelmans
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
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4
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Zhou T, Wu J, Liu Y, Xu A. Seawater Accelerated the Aging of Polystyrene and Enhanced Its Toxic Effects on Caenorhabditis elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17219. [PMID: 38139049 PMCID: PMC10743734 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants and pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems. Although previous studies have documented the mechanisms and toxic effects of aging MPs in various environments, the impact of the marine environment on MPs remains unclear. In the present study, the aging process of polystyrene (PS) in seawater was simulated and the changes in its physicochemical properties were investigated. Our results showed that the surface of the PS eroded in the seawater, which was accompanied by the release of aged MPs with a smaller size. In situ optical photothermal infrared microspectroscopy revealed that the mechanism of PS aging was related to the opening of the carbonyl group and breaking of the bond between carbon and benzene removal. To verify the toxic effects of aged PS, Caenorhabditis elegans was exposed to PS. Aged PS resulted in a greater reduction in locomotion, vitality, and reproduction than virgin PS. Mechanistically, aged PS led to oxidative stress, high glutathione s-transferase activity, and high total glutathione in worms. Together, our findings provided novel information regarding the accelerated aging of PS in seawater and the increased toxicity of aged PS, which could improve our understanding of MPs' ecotoxicity in the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- School of Graduate Students, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jiajie Wu
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- School of Graduate Students, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yun Liu
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- School of Graduate Students, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - An Xu
- Key Laboratory of High Magnetic Field and Ion Beam Physical Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology, High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- School of Graduate Students, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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Liu M, Wang C, Zhu B. Drought Alleviates the Negative Effects of Microplastics on Soil Micro-Food Web Complexity and Stability. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37471306 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Soil ecosystems are under considerable pressure due to anthropogenic factors, including microplastics (MPs) pollution and drought. However, little is known about the interactive effects of MPs and drought on soil organisms, especially soil micro-food web. We conducted a microcosm experiment with MPs pollution (including two types and two sizes of MPs) and drought to investigate their interaction effects on soil microbial, protist, and nematode communities in soil micro-food web. We found that MPs significantly decreased the complexity and stability of soil micro-food web, with greater negative effects of biodegradable and smaller-sized MPs than conventional and larger-sized MPs. Drought had negative effects on soil micro-food web in the non-MPs pollution soils while increasing the complexity and stability of soil micro-food web in the MPs pollution soils. Drought increased the proportion of negative correlations between bacteria and fungi in the biodegradable MPs soils while decreasing the proportion of negative correlations between protists and nematodes in the smaller-sized MPs soils. Our study reveals that drought may alleviate the negative effects of MPs on soil micro-food web by reducing competition among lower trophic levels in the biodegradable MPs pollution soils while reducing competition among higher trophic levels in the smaller-sized MPs pollution soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengli Liu
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chong Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Biao Zhu
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Rendell-Bhatti F, Bull C, Cross R, Cox R, Adediran GA, Lahive E. From the environment into the biomass: microplastic uptake in a protected lamprey species. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 323:121267. [PMID: 36804882 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between the ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the environment and exposure of biota needs to be better understood, particularly for vulnerable species and their habitats. In this study, we address the presence of microplastics in the riverine habitat of a threatened lamprey species (Lampetra sp.), both in habitats with protective interventions in place (designated as Special Areas of Conservation), and those without these protective interventions. By sampling both riverbed sediments and larval lamprey, we provide a direct comparison of the microplastic loadings in both, and insights into how knowledge of sediment loadings might predict biological uptake. Microplastic particles, analysed using micro-Fourier transform infrared (μFTIR) spectroscopy, were detected in all samples of lamprey larvae and paired sediment, ranging in abundance from 1.00 to 27.47 particles g-1 in dry lamprey gastrointestinal tract (GIT) tissue, and 0.40 to 105.41 particles g-1 in dry sediment. The most urbanised catchment exhibited the highest average microplastic particle count in both lamprey and sediment. Across sites, the microplastic abundance in lamprey GIT tissue was not correlated with that of the surrounding sediment, suggesting that either specific polymer types are retained or other factors such as larvae residence time within sediment patches may influence biological uptake. The most encountered polymer types in lamprey from their immediate habitat were polyurethane, polyamide, and cellulose acetate. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to document microplastic contamination of larval lamprey in-situ, contributing another potential stressor to the population status of a vulnerable species. This highlights where further research on the impacts of plastic contamination of freshwater environments is needed to aid conservation management of this ecologically important species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora Rendell-Bhatti
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - Colin Bull
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Richard Cross
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Ruairidh Cox
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Gbotemi A Adediran
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Elma Lahive
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
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7
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Doyle D, Sundh H, Almroth BC. Microplastic exposure in aquatic invertebrates can cause significant negative effects compared to natural particles - A meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 315:120434. [PMID: 36273689 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Many studies have now reported adverse effects of exposure to microplastics in aquatic organisms. Still, relatively few studies have compared the effects of MPs with those of natural particle controls, which makes it difficult to separate particle effects from chemical effects. In this study, we carry out a meta-analysis of 26 studies to compare the effects of MPs and natural particles on aquatic animals using three different endpoints - growth, reproduction, and mortality. This analysis showed that MPs have the capacity to induce more adverse effects on growth, reproduction, and mortality for some taxonomic groups. However, the effects of exposure to MPs are not consistent across each endpoint or between taxonomic groups. We were not able to clearly discern differing impacts resulting from exposure to specific polymer types or shapes, though more negative effects were associated with polylactic acid and polyethylene, as well as fragments as opposed to beads or fibres. Additionally, meta-regression indicated that larger MP sizes, higher experimental temperatures, and longer exposure periods were all generally associated with more adverse effects. Future studies should continue to make use of negative particle controls to allow for better risk assessment of microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darragh Doyle
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Medicinaregatan 18A, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Henrik Sundh
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Medicinaregatan 18A, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bethanie Carney Almroth
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Medicinaregatan 18A, Gothenburg, Sweden
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8
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Höss S, Rauchschwalbe MT, Fueser H, Traunspurger W. Food availability is crucial for effects of 1-μm polystyrene beads on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans in freshwater sediments. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 298:134101. [PMID: 35292277 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater sediments represent a sink for microplastic (<5 mm) through various processes. Thus, benthic organisms can be exposed to relatively high concentrations of microplastics. Surprisingly, studies on benthic organisms are still underrepresented in the field of ecotoxicological effect assessment of microplastics. Therefore, we studied the effects of 1-μm polystyrene (PS) beads on the reproduction of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans using a standardized protocol for toxicity testing in freshwater sediments (96 h; ISO 10872:2020), combined with ingestion experiments using fluorescent PS beads. To investigate the role of sediment properties (e.g., textures, organic contents) for ingestion and effects of PS beads, five different artificial and field-collected sediments were used. Body burdens of 1-μm PS beads in the intestinal tract of the nematodes after 96 h differed between the sediments, however, differences were not significant over the whole course of the experiment. EC10 and EC50-values of 1-μm PS beads for C. elegans' reproduction in the various sediments ranged from 0.9 to 2.0 and 4.8 to 11.3 mg PS/g dry sediment, respectively. The ECx-values showed to be considerably higher than values reported for water exposure (EC10/50: 0.2 and 0.6 mg PS/ml, respectively), which was probably due to higher food densities in sediment compared to water exposure. Based on the PS beads/bacteria ratio, ECx-values were comparable between sediment and water exposure, suggesting that also in sediments microplastic reduces the food availability for C. elegans causing lower reproduction. This indirect effect mechanism was confirmed by experiments with varying food densities. Thus, the nutritious conditions might play a crucial role for the overall ecological risk of microplastics in benthic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Höss
- Ecossa, Giselastr. 6, 82319, Starnberg, Germany; Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | | | - Hendrik Fueser
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Walter Traunspurger
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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Rauchschwalbe MT, Höss S, Haegerbaeumer A, Traunspurger W. Long-term exposure of a free-living freshwater micro- and meiobenthos community to microplastic mixtures in microcosms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 827:154207. [PMID: 35240192 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics in a wide range of shapes and polymer types (MPs; <5 mm) accumulate in freshwater sediments, where they may pose an environmental threat to sediment-dwelling micro- and meiobenthos. To date, the effects of MPs on those organisms have mostly been studied in single-species experiments exposed to high particle concentrations. By contrast, there have been few investigations of the effects resulting from the long-term exposure of natural communities to environmental relevant MPs. This research gap was addressed in the present study. A microcosm experiment was conducted to examine the impact of a mixture of MPs of varying polymer composition, shape, and size (50% polystyrene (PS) beads: 1-μm diameter; 37% polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fragments: 32 × 21 μm in size, and 13% polyamide (PA) fibers 104 × 15 μm in size; % based on the total particle number) provided at two concentrations (low: 4.11 × 105 MPs/kg sediment dw and high: 4.11 × 107 MPs/kg sediment dw) and two exposure durations (4 and 12 weeks) on a micro- and meiobenthic community collected from a freshwater sediment. MPs exposure did not alter the abundance of protozoa (ciliates and flagellates) as well as the abundance and biomass of meiobenthic organisms (nematodes, rotifers, oligochaetes, gastrotrichs, nauplii), whereas the abundance and biomass of harpacticoid copepods was affected. Neither nematode species diversity (species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, and evenness) nor the NemaSPEAR[%]-index (pollution-sensitive index based on freshwater nematodes) changed in response to the MPs. However, changes in the structure of the meiobenthic and nematode community in the presence of environmentally relevant MPs mixtures cannot be excluded, such that microcosms experiments may be of value in detecting subtle, indirect effects of MPs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Arne Haegerbaeumer
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Walter Traunspurger
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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10
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Amariei G, Rosal R, Fernández-Piñas F, Koelmans AA. Negative food dilution and positive biofilm carrier effects of microplastic ingestion by D. magna cause tipping points at the population level. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 294:118622. [PMID: 34871644 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ingestion of microplastics by aquatic organisms is often harmful due to the dilution of their regular food with low-calorie microplastic particles, but can also be beneficial if nutritious biofilms are present on the microplastic surface. This begs the question: is ingestion of microplastic harmful or beneficial and can the net effect of the two mechanisms be quantified? Here, we quantified these harmful and beneficial effects on Daphnia magna, using dose-response tests with clean and biofouled microplastic respectively, and determined the trade-off between these counteracting effects. A population model was developed to calculate the isoclines for zero population growth, separating the regime where adverse food dilution dominated from that where the beneficial biofilm vector mechanism dominated. Our results show that the organisms grew better when exposed to biofouled microplastic compared to pristine microplastic. Very good model predictions (R2 = 0.868-0.991) of the effects of biofouled microplastic were obtained based on literature parameter values, with optimization required only for the two sub-model parameters driving the dose-effect relationships for pristine microplastic. These results contradict previous sudies were only pristine microplastic were used and demonstrate that the ruling paradigm of unambiguously adverse microplastic effects is not ecologically justifiable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgiana Amariei
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700, DD, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering-Process and Materials Engineering, Aarhus University, Åbogade 40, DK-8200, Aarhus N., Denmark
| | - Roberto Rosal
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Albert A Koelmans
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700, DD, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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11
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Fueser H, Pilger C, Kong C, Huser T, Traunspurger W. Polystyrene microbeads influence lipid storage distribution in C. elegans as revealed by coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 294:118662. [PMID: 34896225 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The exposure of Caenorhabditis elegans to polystyrene (PS) beads of a wide range of sizes impedes feeding, by reducing food consumption, and has been linked to inhibitory effects on the reproductive capacity of this nematode, as determined in standardized toxicity tests. Lipid storage provides energy for longevity, growth, and reproduction and may influence the organismal response to stress, including the food deprivation resulting from microplastics exposure. However, the effects of microplastics on energy storage have not been investigated in detail. In this study, C. elegans was exposed to ingestible sizes of PS beads in a standardized toxicity test (96 h) and in a multigeneration test (∼21 days), after which lipid storage was quantitatively analyzed in individual adults using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. The results showed that lipid storage distribution in C. elegans was altered when worms were exposed to microplastics in form of PS beads. For example, when exposed to 0.1-μm PS beads, the lipid droplet count was 93% higher, the droplets were up to 56% larger, and the area of the nematode body covered by lipids was up to 79% higher than in unexposed nematodes. The measured values tended to increase as PS bead sizes decreased. Cultivating the nematodes for 96 h under restricted food conditions in the absence of beads reproduced the altered lipid storage and suggested that it was triggered by food deprivation, including that induced by the dilutional effects of PS bead exposure. Our study demonstrates the utility of CARS microscopy to comprehensively image the smaller microplastics (<10 μm) ingested by nematodes and possibly other biota in investigations of the effects at the level of the individual organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Fueser
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Christian Pilger
- Bielefeld University, Biomolecular Photonics, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Cihang Kong
- Bielefeld University, Biomolecular Photonics, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Thomas Huser
- Bielefeld University, Biomolecular Photonics, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Walter Traunspurger
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
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12
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Drago C, Weithoff G. Variable Fitness Response of Two Rotifer Species Exposed to Microplastics Particles: The Role of Food Quantity and Quality. TOXICS 2021; 9:toxics9110305. [PMID: 34822696 PMCID: PMC8619062 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9110305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is an increasing environmental problem, but a comprehensive understanding of its effect in the environment is still missing. The wide variety of size, shape, and polymer composition of plastics impedes an adequate risk assessment. We investigated the effect of differently sized polystyrene beads (1-, 3-, 6-µm; PS) and polyamide fragments (5–25 µm, PA) and non-plastics items such as silica beads (3-µm, SiO2) on the population growth, reproduction (egg ratio), and survival of two common aquatic micro invertebrates: the rotifer species Brachionus calyciflorus and Brachionus fernandoi. The MPs were combined with food quantity, limiting and saturating food concentration, and with food of different quality. We found variable fitness responses with a significant effect of 3-µm PS on the population growth rate in both rotifer species with respect to food quantity. An interaction between the food quality and the MPs treatments was found in the reproduction of B. calyciflorus. PA and SiO2 beads had no effect on fitness response. This study provides further evidence of the indirect effect of MPs in planktonic rotifers and the importance of testing different environmental conditions that could influence the effect of MPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Drago
- Department for Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, University of Potsdam, 14469 Potsdam, Germany;
- Correspondence:
| | - Guntram Weithoff
- Department for Ecology and Ecosystem Modelling, University of Potsdam, 14469 Potsdam, Germany;
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
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13
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Kooi M, Primpke S, Mintenig SM, Lorenz C, Gerdts G, Koelmans AA. Characterizing the multidimensionality of microplastics across environmental compartments. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 202:117429. [PMID: 34304075 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.117429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the multidimensionality of microplastics is essential for a realistic assessment of the risks these particles pose to the environment and human health. Here, we capture size, shape, area, polymer, volume and mass characteristics of >60,000 individual microplastic particles as continuous distributions. Particles originate from samples taken from different aquatic compartments, including surface water and sediments from the marine and freshwater environment, waste water effluents, and freshwater organisms. Data were obtained using state-of-the-art FTIR-imaging, using the same automated imaging post-processing software. We introduce a workflow with two quality criteria that assure minimum data quality loss due to volumetric and filter area subsampling. We find that probability density functions (PDFs) for particle length follow power law distributions, with median slopes ranging from 2.2 for marine surface water to 3.1 for biota samples, and that these slopes were compartment-specific. Polymer-specific PDFs for particle length demonstrated significant differences in slopes among polymers, hinting at polymer specific sources, removal or fragmentation processes. Furthermore, we provide PDFs for particle width, width to length ratio, area, specific surface area, volume and mass distributions and propose how these can represent the full diversity of toxicologically relevant dose metrics required for the assessment of microplastic risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merel Kooi
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands.
| | - Sebastian Primpke
- Shelf Seas Systems Ecology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Germany
| | - Svenja M Mintenig
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
| | - Claudia Lorenz
- Department of The Built Environment, Aalborg University, Thomas Manns Vej 23, 9220 Aalborg Øst, Denmark
| | - Gunnar Gerdts
- Shelf Seas Systems Ecology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Germany
| | - Albert A Koelmans
- Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
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14
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Fueser H, Rauchschwalbe MT, Höss S, Traunspurger W. Food bacteria and synthetic microparticles of similar size influence pharyngeal pumping of Caenorhabditis elegans. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 235:105827. [PMID: 33882407 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Toxicity tests using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans have shown that exposure to small microplastics such as polystyrene (PS) beads lead to high body burdens and dietary restrictions that in turn inhibit reproduction. Pharyngeal pumping is the key mechanism of C. elegans for governing the uptake of food and other particles and can be easily monitored by determining the pumping rates. In this study, pharyngeal pumping of C. elegans was examined in response to increasing quantities of food bacteria (E. coli: 106-1010 cells ml-1) and synthetic particles (107-109 beads ml-1) of similar size (1 µm). While the average pumping rate of C. elegans exposed to E. coli depended on the density of the bacterial cells, this was not the case for the synthetic beads. At 107 items ml-1, bacterial cells and synthetic beads triggered a basic stimulation of the pumping rate, independent of the nutritional value of the particle. At quantities >107 items ml-1, however, the nutritional value was essential to maximize the pumping rate, as it was upregulated only by E. coli cells, which can be chemosensorially recognized by C. elegans. Given the unselective uptake of all particles in the size range of bacteria, restricting the pumping rates for particles with low nutritional value to a basic rate, prevents the nematodes from wasting energy by high-frequency pumping, but still allows a food-quality screening at low food levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hendrik Fueser
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
| | | | - Sebastian Höss
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Ecossa, Giselastr. 6, 82319 Starnberg, Germany
| | - Walter Traunspurger
- Bielefeld University, Animal Ecology, Konsequenz 45, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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