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A short-term preliminary experimental study on the effect of microplastics on Chlorella vulgaris and duckweeds
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Researchers exposed freshwater algae and duckweed — both important food sources for fish and humans — to microplastics and found that even small amounts inhibited growth and reduced photosynthetic pigments. This suggests that microplastic contamination in water could disrupt the base of aquatic food chains that people depend on.
Surface or ground waters are heavily contaminated with numerous toxic substances. One of the emerging contaminants is the Microplastics (MP). MPs are polymers smaller than 5 mm in diameter, which are harmful. Plants are affected in terms of growth inhibition and photosynthetic pigment reduction. Chlorella and Lemna minor are freshwater algae and floating plants, respectively, which are considered a good source of protein for humans and fish due to their high protein content and environmentally friendly production properties. The study aimed to investigate the effect of the plastic microspheres on Lemna minor and Chlorella. The plastic microspheres were exposed to Chlorella and duckweed for 21 and 14 days, respectively. The effects of different doses of microspheres on the growth, photosynthetic pigments, algal cell density, root length, number, and root cell viability were assessed. The growth rate, content of photosynthetic pigments, algal cell density, root length, and root growth have been reduced with an increase in the dose of MP concentration. Evan’s blue staining provided evidence for the incorporation of MPs deep into the layers of roots. It can be concluded that the microspheres can negatively impact floating organisms of freshwater ecosystems.
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Physiological, morphological, and growth effects of microplastics on freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris
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Researchers showed that microplastics inhibit growth, reduce chlorophyll and photosynthetic efficiency, and trigger oxidative stress in the freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting the species could serve as a bioindicator for aquatic microplastic contamination.
The Effects of Microplastics on Growth and Photosynthetic Activity of Chlorella pyrenoidosa: The Role of Types and Sizes
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Researchers exposed the freshwater alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa to polystyrene and PVC microplastics across three size ranges for 14 days, finding that smaller particles caused greater growth inhibition — up to 43% — and that algae responded by secreting extracellular polymers and forming aggregates to resist the particles.
Effects of polyvinyl chloride microplastics on the growth characteristics of Chlorella vulgaris HL01
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Laboratory experiments showed that polyvinyl chloride microplastics inhibited growth of the green alga Chlorella vulgaris at moderate concentrations but paradoxically promoted growth at very high concentrations (300–400 mg/L), with antioxidant enzyme activities and cell morphology confirming a biphasic dose-response. Understanding how PVC microplastics affect primary producers like microalgae is critical because phytoplankton underpin aquatic food webs and oxygen production, so even modest disruptions can cascade through ecosystems.
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