Cell size matters: Nano- and micro-plastics preferentially drive declines of large marine phytoplankton due to co-aggregation
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Cell size matters : Nano- and micro-plastics preferentially drive declines of large marine phytoplankton due to co-aggregation. / Dedman, Craig J.; Christie-Oleza, Joseph A.; Fernández-Juárez, Víctor; Echeveste, Pedro.
In: Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 424, No. Part B, 127488, 2022.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Cell size matters
T2 - Nano- and micro-plastics preferentially drive declines of large marine phytoplankton due to co-aggregation
AU - Dedman, Craig J.
AU - Christie-Oleza, Joseph A.
AU - Fernández-Juárez, Víctor
AU - Echeveste, Pedro
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Marine plastic pollution represents a key environmental concern. Whilst ecotoxicological data for plastic is increasingly available, its impact upon marine phytoplankton remains unclear. Owing to their predicted abundance in the marine environment and likely interactions with phytoplankton, here we focus on the smaller fraction of plastic particles (~50 nm and ~2 µm polystyrene spheres). Exposure of natural phytoplankton communities and laboratory cultures revealed that plastic exposure does not follow traditional trends in ecotoxicological research, since large phytoplankton appear particularly susceptible towards plastics exposure despite their lower surface-to-volume ratios. Cell declines appear driven by hetero-aggregation and co-sedimentation of cells with plastic particles, recorded visually and demonstrated using confocal microscopy. As a consequence, plastic exposure also caused disruption to photosynthetic functioning, as determined by both photosynthetic efficiency and high throughput proteomics. Negative effects upon phytoplankton are recorded at concentrations orders of magnitude above those estimated in the environment. Hence, it is likely that impacts of NPs and MPs are exacerbated at the high concentrations typically used in ecotoxicological research (i.e., mg L-1).
AB - Marine plastic pollution represents a key environmental concern. Whilst ecotoxicological data for plastic is increasingly available, its impact upon marine phytoplankton remains unclear. Owing to their predicted abundance in the marine environment and likely interactions with phytoplankton, here we focus on the smaller fraction of plastic particles (~50 nm and ~2 µm polystyrene spheres). Exposure of natural phytoplankton communities and laboratory cultures revealed that plastic exposure does not follow traditional trends in ecotoxicological research, since large phytoplankton appear particularly susceptible towards plastics exposure despite their lower surface-to-volume ratios. Cell declines appear driven by hetero-aggregation and co-sedimentation of cells with plastic particles, recorded visually and demonstrated using confocal microscopy. As a consequence, plastic exposure also caused disruption to photosynthetic functioning, as determined by both photosynthetic efficiency and high throughput proteomics. Negative effects upon phytoplankton are recorded at concentrations orders of magnitude above those estimated in the environment. Hence, it is likely that impacts of NPs and MPs are exacerbated at the high concentrations typically used in ecotoxicological research (i.e., mg L-1).
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127488
DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127488
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34678560
VL - 424
JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials
JF - Journal of Hazardous Materials
SN - 0304-3894
IS - Part B
M1 - 127488
ER -
ID: 337347386