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Tire microplastic particles and warming inhibit physiological functions of the toxic microalga Alexandrium pacificum
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Researchers studied how tire-derived microplastic particles affect a toxic marine algae species under normal and warmed water conditions. They found that low concentrations slightly promoted algal growth, while high concentrations inhibited it, and warming made these negative effects worse. The study suggests that the combination of tire microplastics and rising ocean temperatures could disrupt marine ecosystems in compounding ways.
Previous studies have confirmed that the tire microplastic particles (TMPs) have a variety of toxic biological effects. However, the potential toxic mechanisms of TMPs remain to be elucidated, especially in the interaction between particle behavior and seawater warming. In this study, we investigated the effects of three different concentrations of TMPs suspensions (0 mg/L, 1 mg/L, and 500 mg/L) on Alexandrium pacificum in both the presence and absence of warming. Our results revealed significant differences in toxicity among different concentrations of TMPs towards A. pacificum, i.e., low concentrations promoting but high concentrations inhibiting, furthermore, warming exacerbated these toxicological responses. Specifically, under elevated temperature, high concentrations TMPs could inhibit photosynthetic pigment and chlorophyll fluorescence parameter, as well as the nutrient absorption, and induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, TMPs could adsorb onto microalgae surfaces and thus, forming heterogeneous aggregates through agglomeration with extracellular secretions. This is strongly correlated with biomarker response. Overall, these findings highlight the influence of warming on the toxicity of TMPs and provide valuable data for risk assessment.
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