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A hidden lethal effect of long microplastic fibres on the coastal copepod Acartia erythraea
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Researchers investigated the lethal effects of long polyethylene terephthalate textile microfibers (1.5-3.6 mm long, 10-16 micrometers wide) on the marine copepod Acartia erythraea. Long fibers caused significant mortality in starved copepods through physical obstruction, a previously underappreciated hazard of fiber morphology that goes beyond the ingestion effects studied for smaller spherical particles.
We investigated the lethal effects of a long fibrous microplastic (the range of lengths, widths, and thicknesses were 1.5-3.6 mm, 10-16 μm, and 7-8.5 μm, respectively) made of polyethylene terephthalate textile, on the marine copepod Acartia erythraea. In laboratory, starved copepods were observed to take in a piece of fibrous microplastic sedimented on the bottom. While no individual ingested the entire fibre, the tip of the ingested fibre reached deep into the gut of the copepods. This suggests that ingestion was not accidental but purposeful behaviour to take in non-living organic matter as a supplementary food source. All copepods that had the fibre in their mouths eventually died within 24-h because the fibre penetrated deep into the gut, preventing feeding and potentially causing stress. Our finding implies that a single piece of microplastic fibre remaining at the bottom of coastal zones could continue to kill copepods owing to its non-degradability.
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Researchers exposed brine shrimp to polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and natural lyocell microfibers and assessed mortality and gut damage. The study found that all three fiber types caused gut damage regardless of polymer origin, with polyethylene terephthalate fibers inducing the highest mortality, suggesting that the physical shape of microfibers may be as important as their chemical composition in causing harm to aquatic organisms.
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Researchers compared the toxicity of biodegradable fibers to the globally abundant estuarine amphipod Gammarus fossarum or similar marine zooplankton, testing whether biodegradable alternatives are safer than conventional synthetic microfibers. Results showed biodegradable fibers were not necessarily less toxic, highlighting the need for ecotoxicological testing of alternative materials.
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A First Record on Microplastic Ingestion by Tropical Estuarine Copepods of Bangladesh
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Researchers documented for the first time microplastic ingestion by calanoid and cyclopoid copepods in the Lower Meghna Estuary of Bangladesh over a one-year sampling period. Fibers accounted for over 50 percent of ingested particles in both copepod groups, with acid digestion and SEM used for extraction and identification.
A comparison of the toxicity of biodegradable fibres to the globally abundant estuarine copepod, Acartia tonsa
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This study compared the toxicity of biodegradable synthetic and natural fibers to a globally abundant estuarine invertebrate, testing whether biodegradable alternatives to conventional synthetic microfibers are less hazardous. Biodegradable fibers were not consistently less toxic than conventional synthetic fibers, indicating that biodegradability alone does not ensure reduced ecotoxicological impact.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.