We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastic retention by cultivated Betaphycus gelatinus and its washing-based removal: Implications for biocarrier application in microplastic mitigation
AI summary Read the abstract
Seaweed grown in the ocean naturally traps tiny plastic fragments (microplastics) from seawater on its surface, meaning the seaweed you eat could carry more plastic bits than the water it grew in. The good news: researchers found that simply drying and washing the harvested seaweed for about 8 hours removed over 92% of these surface microplastics, offering a practical way to make seaweed products safer before they reach your plate.
Microplastics (MPs) have become ubiquitous contaminants in marine ecosystems; however, their interactions with tropical macroalgae remain insufficiently understood. In this study, the abundance, size distribution, and polymer composition of MPs in seawater and on the surface of the cultivated macroalga Betaphycus gelatinus and wild Sargassum polycystum were investigated in Qizi Bay, Hainan, China. The mean MP abundance in seawater was 3.5 ± 0.69 items·L, with fibers being the dominant morphology and polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), and polypropylene (PP) identified as the major polymer types. Both macroalgal species exhibited relative MP enrichment potential, with Rm/Rs values of 184 and 244 for B. gelatinus and S. polycystum, respectively, indicating their capacity to retain MPs compared with surrounding seawater. Decontamination experiments further showed that combined dehydration-washing treatment significantly improved the removal of surface-associated MPs, achieving a maximum desorption efficiency of 92.21%. Orthogonal analysis indicated that washing time exhibited the strongest main effect among the tested parameters, with optimal desorption achieved under 8 h washing time, 40 mL washing volume, and 50 rpm shaking speed. Overall, cultivated B. gelatinus functions as a biological retention surface for MPs and provides opportunities for reducing the MP burden associated with harvested seaweed biomass through optimized processing strategies.
More Papers Like This
Seaweed as a sink for microplastic contamination: Uptake, identifications and food safety implications
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how seaweed, a widely consumed food, absorbs and accumulates microplastics from ocean water. Research shows seaweed can account for up to 45.5% of total dietary microplastic intake in some regions, with particularly high levels in South Asia. The findings are concerning for human health because seaweed is eaten directly and is also increasingly used in health supplements and food additives.
Intertidal seaweed as natural collectors of marine debris: Evidence of epibiont-mediated trapping of diverse anthropogenic particles in the Bahía Blanca Estuary (southwestern Atlantic)
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that seaweed growing in a polluted Argentine estuary traps tiny bits of plastic, paint, and other debris from water, thanks to a sticky biofilm on its surface. Since we often eat seaweed and it's a popular food and supplement, this suggests it could be quietly picking up pollutants, and may be a useful tool for scientists tracking ocean plastic pollution.
Exploring Seaweed Cultivation in the Marine Environment and Its Interaction with Microplastic
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines interactions between seaweed cultivation in marine environments and microplastic pollution, exploring how seaweed can both accumulate microplastics and potentially be used in bioremediation strategies to reduce plastic contamination in coastal waters.
The seaweed Chaetomorpha linum cultivated in an integrated multitrophic aquaculture system: A new tool for microplastic bioremediation?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested whether the seaweed Chaetomorpha linum, grown in an aquaculture system, could trap microplastics from surrounding water. The seaweed effectively captured microplastic particles in its tangled filaments, and a simple washing procedure could remove most of the trapped plastics from the harvested biomass. This suggests that growing certain seaweeds could serve as a natural, low-cost way to filter microplastics from marine environments.
The Prevalence of Microplastics in Farmed Seaweed Kappaphycus Alvarezii in Panguil Bay, Philippines
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in farmed seaweed from Panguil Bay, Philippines, and confirmed 1,298 microplastic particles across two farming sites. Fibers and filaments were the most common shapes, with rayon and polyester as the dominant polymer types, and washing seaweed before consumption reduced but did not eliminate microplastic content.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.