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A brief overview of the interaction between micro/nanoplastics and algae
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This review synthesizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics harm algae — disrupting growth, pigmentation, photosynthesis, and oxidative balance — while also exploring algae as a promising eco-friendly method to remove plastic particles from water. Because algae anchor aquatic food webs as primary producers, MNP-driven algal stress cascades upward through trophic levels, ultimately threatening ecosystem health and human seafood safety.
Microplastics and nanoplastics pose a severe threat to organisms and the environment. Algae are important primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, providing nutrients for a wide range of species, so the toxic effects of pollutants on algae have negative effects on organisms at higher trophic levels. The toxic effects of micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) on algae have been the subject of many studies, with varying conclusions due to differences in experimental design. Thus, the objective of this review is to summarize the effects of MNPs on algal populations considering algal growth, pigments, photosynthesis, and oxidative stress parameters. Moreover, we provide insight into how MNPs affect algae based on the current studies. Removing MNPs has been a much less popular research topic than describing the MNPs. Algae is a promising eco-friendly method to remove MNPs. Algae have many advantages over conventional methods. Microalgal cells adsorb MNPs and are used as a source of nutrients to regulate metabolic processes to produce biomass. Therefore, this review provides methods for removing MNPs using algae. This approach will promote the development of methods to remove MNPs and contribute towards sustainability for the development of an algal-based future.
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This review examines interactions between microalgae and microplastics in aquatic environments, focusing on how algae can adsorb, ingest, and respond to plastic particles, and how these interactions affect microplastic persistence and transport. Microalgae form the base of aquatic food webs, so their uptake of microplastics initiates the trophic transfer chain that ultimately delivers plastic particles and associated chemical contaminants to human consumers through seafood.
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A review of 20 studies found that microplastics inhibit freshwater microalgae growth, reduce photosynthetic activity, alter pigment profiles, and induce oxidative stress, with effects varying by plastic shape, size, concentration, and exposure duration. Because microalgae form the base of aquatic food webs, microplastic-driven disruption of algal communities could have cascading effects on freshwater ecosystem health.
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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.