We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Ingestion of Microplastics in the Planktonic Copepod from the Indonesian Throughflow Pathways
Summary
Researchers documented microplastic ingestion by three size classes of marine copepods — tiny crustaceans that form the base of ocean food webs — along the Indonesian Throughflow, one of the world's major ocean current systems. Fiber microplastics dominated ingested particles (87%), and seven polymer types were identified in copepod bodies. Because copepods are eaten by virtually everything in the ocean, their ingestion of microplastics creates a direct pathway for plastic particles and associated chemicals to move up the food chain toward fish and ultimately humans.
Zooplankton are vulnerable to microplastics in the waters due to their indiscriminate feeding habits. Zooplankton consumption of microplastics affects microplastic accumulation and transmission in the marine ecosystem. Therefore, it is essential to know the intake and transmission by different group sizes of zooplankton in natural seawater. This study documented for the first time the levels of microplastics found in three sizes of copepods along the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) pathways. The ingestion rates were 0.028, 0.023 and 0.016 n/ind for group sizes copepod 1000-2000 µm, 500-1000 µm and 200-500 µm, respectively. There was no significant distinction in the microplastics concentrations of the three groups of copepod classes along the ITF pathway (p>0.005). Fiber microplastics were the most dominant in the body of copepods, constituting 87.22% of ingested microplastics. In terms of the chemical composition of the microplastic, a total of 7 polymers were detected in copepods in the ITF pathway. The three predominant polymer types identified were polyvinyl butyral (PVB), polyvinyl ether maleic anhydride (PVEMA) and polyester (PES) (27%, 27% and 20%, respectively). This study provides the critical parameters of the microplastic in copepods in the ITF pathway and is an essential basis for further ecological risk assessments of microplastics in biota species.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Global Meta-Analysis and Review of Microplastic in Marine Copepods
This global meta-analysis examines how copepods — tiny crustaceans at the base of the ocean food chain — interact with microplastics. It finds that despite individually low ingestion rates, the sheer abundance of copepods makes them significant microplastic reservoirs, with potential consequences that ripple up the food chain to fish and ultimately humans.
The Behavior of Planktonic Copepods Minimizes the Entry of Microplastics in Marine Food Webs
Researchers found that planktonic copepods across all major feeding behaviors ingested microplastics at rates up to ten times lower than similar-sized microalgae, suggesting that copepod feeding strategies naturally limit the entry of microplastics into marine food webs.
Microplastic ingestion by copepods in a coastal environment of the Gulf of California, Mexico
Copepods are tiny crustaceans that form a critical link in ocean food webs, and this study found that they were ingesting microplastics in Mexico's Gulf of California — even in samples collected as far back as 2003, before microplastic awareness was widespread. The presence of microplastics in archived zooplankton samples suggests contamination has been ongoing for decades in this region. Because copepods are eaten by fish and other marine animals, their microplastic ingestion represents an early entry point into the marine food chain.
Functional study of the ingestion and excretion of microplastics by marine coastal copepods
This study examined how marine coastal copepods ingest and excrete microplastics and assessed their role as vectors for plastic dispersal in the water column. Copepods readily ingested microplastics, retained particles for variable periods depending on size and feeding rate, and excreted aggregated fecal pellets that could redistribute plastics vertically in the ocean.
Is Zooplankton an Entry Point of Microplastics into the Marine Food Web?
Researchers investigated microplastic ingestion by zooplankton in natural marine environments, examining whether copepods and other zooplankton serve as an entry point for transferring microplastics from the water column into the marine food web.