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Interplay of microplastics and bioturbation on atrazine dynamics in aquaculture sediments
Summary
Scientists studying tidal flat farms found that microplastics in the sediment can trap the weed-killer atrazine, and when this plastic has been weathered by the environment ("aged"), it traps even more of the chemical. The catch: this trapped pesticide builds up more heavily inside razor clams grown in these waters, meaning the seafood on your plate could carry higher levels of both the pesticide and its breakdown products. This matters because it shows plastic pollution isn't just an isolated problem—it can team up with other pollutants to increase contamination risks in the food we eat.
Tidal flats are increasingly polluted by pesticides and microplastics (MPs). Bioturbation by benthic organisms shapes sedimentary processes and contaminant fate, yet its combined effects with MPs on pollutants like atrazine (ATZ) remain unclear. This study investigated ATZ migration, transformation, and bioaccumulation in sediments simulating Sinonovacula constricta aquaculture under bioturbation and exposure to virgin or aged polystyrene MPs. Results showed that bioturbation facilitated vertical ATZ migration. MPs adsorbed ATZ, with aging enhancing adsorption, thereby suppressing ATZ release into overlying water and promoting sediment retention. Under combined exposure, MPs adsorption-inhibition outweighed bioturbation's transport promotion. ATZ mainly transformed to hydroxyatrazine, with enhanced degradation in surface layers under both influences. Notably, aged MPs significantly increased ATZ and metabolite accumulation in Sinonovacula constricta, indicating potential higher ecological risks. This study highlights the complex interplay between MPs and bioturbation in shaping herbicide fate in coastal sediments, providing insights for risk assessment and management of combined pollution in aquaculture ecosystems.