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Physical and chemical toxicity of microplastics on marine organisms
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This PhD thesis investigated the physical and chemical toxicity of microplastics to marine organisms, conducting long-term leaching experiments (up to 8 months) and an in situ field study across nine European rivers. The research found that plastic leachates retain toxicity over extended periods and that environmental plastic surfaces adsorb significant inorganic and organic pollutants with detectable downstream biological effects.
The objective of this PhD thesis is to better decipher the chemical and physical impact of plastic on marine organisms. Plastic chemical toxicity either originates from the leaching of plastics chemicals or through the adsorption of pollutants at plastic surfaces. Since leaching experiments in the literature were performed with short leaching time, leaching until 8 months was performed. The subsequent toxicity and inorganic composition of the leachates were analyzed. Pollutants adsorption on plastic surfaces was mainly studied in laboratories and focused on the marine environment. Therefore, an in situ experiment, along nine European rivers, was realized in order to observe the depth of inorganic and organic pollutants adsorption and their subsequent toxicity. Articles assessing the physical impact of plastic often use concentrations decorrelated from the environment. Therefore, a chronic experiment with environmentally relevant concentrations and shape of microplastics was performed in order to better decipher their current toxicity in the environment.
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