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Heat stress modulates the size-dependent effects of aminated polystyrene particles on a marine diatom
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Scientists found that warmer ocean temperatures actually helped tiny marine algae (a key base of the ocean food chain) partially cope with damage from plastic pollution particles, though the plastics still slowed their growth overall. This matters because these microalgae support marine ecosystems and fisheries we depend on for food, and this study shows that climate change and plastic pollution interact in complex, sometimes surprising ways that we need to understand to predict future impacts on ocean health.
Microalgae play a crucial role in maintaining marine ecosystem balance, yet they are generally more sensitive to global changes and pollutants. In this study, we assessed the effects of heat stress (elevated 4°C) and aminated polystyrene particles (PS-NH) of different sizes (50 nm, 1 μm, and 10 μm) on the growth of microalgae Skeletonema costatum (S. costatum). Results showed that elevated temperature mitigated the growth inhibition of S. costatum induced by PS-NH particles across all sizes, but could not fully counteract their adverse effects. Transcriptome analysis revealed that S. costatum enhanced energy metabolism under both ambient and elevated temperatures to cope with microplastics (1 μm and 10 μm). However, the concurrent suppression of chlorophyll a synthesis and fatty acid degradation created an energy‑limiting condition that constrained growth. Notably, ribosome biogenesis was up-regulated only under exposed to larger microplastics (10 μm) at both temperature conditions, suggesting a size‑dependent capacity to sustain protein synthesis and proliferation. Under heat stress, both 1 μm and 10 μm microplastics up‑regulated the TCA cycle, thereby alleviating growth inhibition. This study provides new insights into how the biological effects of microplastics on microalgae are modulated by particle sizes and temperatures. It highlights the need for further research on the long-term effects of microplastics particles using environmentally relevant concentrations and heat stress, in order to better predict their enduring impacts on microalgae under ongoing climate change.
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Heatwaves increase the polystyrene nanoplastic-induced toxicity to marine diatoms through interfacial interaction regulation
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Researchers found that marine heatwaves significantly worsen the toxic effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on an important ocean diatom species. The higher temperatures weakened the algal cell walls and increased nanoplastic adhesion, leading to greater membrane damage and reduced photosynthesis and carbon absorption. The findings suggest that climate change and plastic pollution together may pose a compounding threat to ocean productivity.
Each temperature degree counts: warming enhances polystyrene nanoplastic toxicity via metabolic disruption in a marine cellular model
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This study examined how elevated water temperatures — simulating marine heatwaves — amplify the toxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in marine cells, finding that warming enhanced metabolic disruption caused by nanoplastics. The results suggest climate change and plastic pollution interact synergistically to harm marine organisms.
Temperature and polystyrene nano- and microplastics co-exposure alters physiology and metabolome in the invasive snail Pomacea canaliculata
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Scientists found that warmer water makes tiny plastic particles (both microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics) more harmful to freshwater snails, disrupting their metabolism and stress-response systems, especially at high temperatures. This matters because as climate change warms our waterways, plastic pollution already in the environment could become more toxic to aquatic life, a concerning combination worth watching as these particles also make their way into the food we eat.
Dual impacts of elevated pCO2 on the ecological effects induced by microplastics and nanoplastics: A study with Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
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Researchers examined how freshwater acidification from elevated carbon dioxide interacts with polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics to affect a common green algae species. They found that smaller nanoplastics caused greater harm than larger microplastics, primarily through oxidative stress, while acidification alone actually promoted algal growth. The study reveals that climate change and plastic pollution can interact in unexpected ways, with acidification sometimes masking or modifying the toxic effects of plastic particles.
Combined effects of microplastics and warming enhance algal carbon and nitrogen storage
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Researchers examined the combined effects of warming temperatures and polystyrene microplastics on the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. While warming alone decreased cell viability, the combination of microplastics and warming unexpectedly increased growth rate and nitrogen uptake by promoting fatty acid metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution combined with marine heatwaves may alter algal carbon and nitrogen cycling in ways that could have broader ecological implications.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.