Retention of microplastics by biofilms and their ingestion by protists in rivers

Microplastics (MPs) are released into the environment through human activities and are transported by rivers from land to sea. Biofilms, which are ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems such as rivers, may play an essential role in the fate of MPs and their ingestion by biofilm protists. To assess this, biofilms were naturally grown on clay tiles in the River Rhine, Germany, and analysed in a combined field and laboratory study. Compared to the ambient river water, biofilms grown for 6, 12, and 18 months in the River Rhine contained up to 10 times more MPs. Between 70% and 78% of all MPs were smaller than 50 μm. In laboratory experiments, clay tiles covered with 1-month-old naturally grown biofilm retained 6-12 times more MPs than clay tiles without biofilm coverage. Furthermore, the ingestion of MPs of 6 and 10 μm by the ciliate Stentor coeruleus was confirmed, and a positive correlation between ingestion rates and ambient MP concentrations was found. The results are relevant for particle transport models in riverine systems, risk assessment of MPs regarding their distribution and fate in the aquatic environment, and the effects of MPs on micro- and macroorganisms.