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Aged Buoy-derived Microplastics Alter Photosynthetic Performance and Metabolic Regulation in Pyropia yezoensis without Short-term Growth Inhibition.
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Researchers exposed a cultivated seaweed, Pyropia yezoensis, to aged microplastics from aquaculture buoys (PVC and PET types) in the lab for seven days. Growth was not affected, but each plastic type caused different internal changes, including stress on cell membranes, altered sugar and protein levels, and shifts in antioxidant and metabolic processes.
Plastic aquaculture equipment can release microplastics into seaweed mariculture zones, yet the effects of these particles on cultivated macroalgae remain poorly understood. In this study, Pyropia yezoensis thalli were exposed to field-aged buoy-derived polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics at 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/L for 7 d. Relative growth rate was not significantly affected, whereas other sublethal endpoints showed polymer-specific changes. PVC exposure was associated with stronger lipid peroxidation, carbohydrate depletion at high concentration, and increasing integrated stress. PET exposure mainly induced protein accumulation and peroxidase-related antioxidant responses, with the highest integrated deviation occurring at the lowest concentration. Metabolomic profiling further supported these physiological patterns. PVC-related metabolic changes were mainly associated with antioxidant regulation, lipid metabolism, and pigment-related pathways, consistent with membrane oxidative damage and phycobiliprotein disturbance. PET-related changes were more closely linked to protein synthesis, transport regulation, and cofactor-dependent antioxidant processes. Overall, aged PVC and PET microplastics induced distinct sublethal responses in P. yezoensis, highlighting the need to consider polymer identity, aging status, and combined biomarker-metabolomic endpoints in ecological risk assessment of seaweed mariculture systems.
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Researchers tested polystyrene microplastics and nanoplastics across multiple life stages of the commercially important seaweed Neopyropia yezoensis, finding that nanoplastics caused greater overall toxicity at the thallus stage by reducing photosynthetic pigments and growth rate, while microplastics disrupted cellular integrity without affecting photosynthesis.
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Researchers compared how different types of pristine and aged microplastics affect a marine microalga used in aquaculture. Aged microplastics were more toxic than fresh ones, and the chemical compounds they released into the water caused greater oxidative stress and energy disruption in algal cells. The study suggests that as microplastics weather in the environment, they may become more harmful to the base of the marine food chain.
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Researchers cultured the commercially important red seaweed Pyropia haitanensis under elevated CO₂, warming, and a range of microplastic concentrations, finding that microplastics caused strong concentration-dependent stress on growth and photosynthesis, but that elevated pCO₂ modulated these inhibitory effects.
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Researchers exposed freshwater microalgae to PET microplastics, a common plastic found in beverage bottles and textiles. Higher concentrations of PET particles significantly reduced algal growth and disrupted the cells' internal production of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins. The study suggests that PET microplastic pollution in wastewater could harm the tiny organisms that form the foundation of aquatic food webs.
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Researchers compared how fresh and sun-weathered PET micro and nanoplastics affect microalgae growth and the sticky substances (EPS) algae produce in response to stress. Weathered plastics triggered more EPS production and had greater effects on algae than fresh plastics did. Since algae form the base of aquatic food chains and most ocean microplastics have been weathered by sunlight, these findings suggest real-world impacts on marine ecosystems may be worse than laboratory studies with fresh plastics indicate.
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