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Toward Ecological Realism in Microplastic-microalgae Ecotoxicology: Exposure Design, Adaptive Responses, and Ecosystem-scale Implications
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This review of existing research finds that tiny ocean algae, which produce much of the world's oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, may adapt to survive realistic microplastic pollution rather than simply being damaged by it. Since these algae form the base of the marine food web that ultimately reaches our plates, understanding how they truly respond to plastic pollution helps scientists better predict risks to ocean health and, indirectly, our own.
Over the past decade, ecotoxicological research on microplastic (MP)-microalgae interactions has primarily elucidated fundamental toxicity mechanisms using high-dose, short-term exposures with pristine particles. However, this conventional approach creates an "ecological miscalibration," significantly constraining the extrapolability of laboratory findings to complex natural aquatic ecosystems. To bridge this critical scale discrepancy, this review examines current methodological limitations and proposes a novel assessment framework grounded in "Ecological Realism." By synthesizing recent evidence, we highlight that under environmentally relevant concentrations and dynamic weathering stress, microalgae exhibit active adaptive potential rather than passive damage responses. Their key survival strategies encompass metabolic reprogramming, energy reallocation, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS)-mediated eco-corona formation, and multi-generational hormesis. Furthermore, we emphasize the necessity of scaling up predictive risk assessments from single-species monoculture systems to macro-ecosystem functions, specifically addressing MP impacts on algal community succession and the biological carbon pump. Ultimately, this review advocates for a systematic transition from simplified foundational models toward Ecological Realism, offering an objective scientific basis for refining global plastic pollution management.
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