0
Article Tier 2 Sign in to save

Microplastics as active mineralization platforms influencing calcium cycling in aquatic systems

No summary available — this paper's abstract is not included in the open metadata provided by the publisher. Learn why →

More Papers Like This

Article Tier 2

Exposure of microplastics to organic matter in waters enhances microplastic encapsulation into calcium carbonate

AI summary Read the abstract

Laboratory experiments showed that exposure of polystyrene microspheres to humic acids—a common component of dissolved organic matter in natural waters—enabled approximately 5% of the microspheres to become encapsulated within calcite crystals during calcium carbonate precipitation. This mechanism means microplastics can be incorporated into the shells, skeletons, and hard tissues of marine calcifiers like molluscs, corals, and crustaceans, potentially compromising skeletal integrity and entering the food chain via shell-forming organisms.

Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter crystal growth in coral skeleton structures

AI summary Read the abstract

Researchers found that exposure to polyethylene microplastics physically alters coral skeleton crystal structure, disrupting the biological processes that allow reefs to grow and repair — a troubling finding given that coral reefs support roughly a quarter of all marine species and protect coastlines worldwide.

Article Tier 2

Environmental fate and biogeochemical impacts of microplastics on phosphorus cycling across aquatic interfaces

AI summary Read the abstract

Tiny plastic particles in our lakes and rivers don't just pollute water, they're quietly messing with phosphorus, a nutrient that controls algae growth and water quality. This review of 38 studies found that microplastics change how phosphorus moves and cycles by altering bacteria communities and chemical reactions in water, which could worsen problems like harmful algae blooms that affect drinking water safety. The research is still early-stage (mostly lab experiments), but it's a reminder that plastic pollution's effects go beyond what we can see, reaching into the basic chemistry that keeps water ecosystems, and the water we dep

Article Tier 2

Microplastic ingestion by scleractinian corals

AI summary Read the abstract

Researchers documented for the first time that scleractinian corals on Australia's Great Barrier Reef actively ingest microplastics from surrounding water, raising serious concerns that plastic pollution could impair the feeding and health of reef-building corals already stressed by warming oceans.

Article Tier 2

Calcium carbonate deposits and microbial assemblages on microplastics in oligotrophic freshwaters

AI summary Read the abstract

Researchers found that microplastics in oligotrophic (low-nutrient) freshwaters accumulated calcium carbonate coatings formed by microbial activity, which increased particle density and altered their environmental behavior. This coating process could change how microplastics settle or travel through water bodies, affecting where they concentrate in ecosystems.

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.

Email me about

Share this paper