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Ecotoxicological impact of virgin and environmental microplastics leachate on Chlorella vulgaris: Synergistic microbial-pollutant drivers cripple photosynthesis

Journal of Hazardous Materials 2025 2 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 58 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Zezheng Wang, Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Yuanyuan Su, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Yuanyuan Su, Liu Gao, Yuanyuan Su, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Tariq Mehmood, Zezheng Wang, Zezheng Wang, Zezheng Wang, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Naiming Zhang, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Licheng Peng Zezheng Wang, Yuanyuan Su, Naiming Zhang, Licheng Peng Tariq Mehmood, Liu Gao, Zezheng Wang, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Zezheng Wang, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Zezheng Wang, Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood, Yuanyuan Su, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Tariq Mehmood, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Zezheng Wang, Zezheng Wang, Zezheng Wang, Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Zezheng Wang, Yuanyuan Su, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Zezheng Wang, Naiming Zhang, Naiming Zhang, Licheng Peng Yuanyuan Su, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Tariq Mehmood, Licheng Peng Yuanyuan Su, Licheng Peng Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Yuanyuan Su, Tariq Mehmood, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Zezheng Wang, Licheng Peng

Summary

Researchers compared the toxic effects of leachate from new versus environmentally weathered microplastics on a common green algae species. They found that weathered microplastics were up to 3.4 times more toxic, severely disrupting photosynthesis and introducing hundreds of bacterial species and pollutants that compounded the damage. The findings highlight that microplastics become significantly more dangerous as they age in the environment.

Study Type Environmental

Microplastics (MPs, < 5 mm) leachate poses significant threats to aquatic ecosystems; however, their toxicity across different sources remains poorly understood. This study examined the toxicological effects of leachates derived from virgin MPs (VMPs) and environmentally weathered MPs (EMPs) on Chlorella vulgaris in seawater. EMPs leachate exhibited 2.5-3.4 times higher toxicity than VMPs leachate, with growth inhibition rates reaching 77.66 ± 10.25 % and 32.64 ± 6.99 %, respectively. EMPs leachate exposure induced more pronounced disruptions to algal photosynthesis than VMPs leachate, including a 35.3 % reduction in chlorophyll a content and significant downregulation of photosynthesis-related genes (e.g., PsbS, PsbY). EMPs leachate also altered carbon metabolism (59 differentially expressed genes (DEGs)) and elevated oxidative stress markers, evidenced by a 22.2 % increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) compared to VMPs leachate. In contrast, VMPs leachate primarily affected amino acid biosynthesis (44 DEGs). Crucially, EMPs leachate introduced 580 unique bacterial taxa and anthropogenic pollutants (e.g., ciprofloxacin), which synergistically exacerbated algal toxicity through nutrient competition and oxidative damage. These findings highlight the heightened ecological risks posed by EMPs due to synergistic interactions among pollutants and microorganisms, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted regulatory strategies to mitigate MPs pollution.

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