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The comparative toxicity of biobased, modified biobased, biodegradable, and petrochemical-based microplastics on the brackish water flea Diaphanosoma celebensis
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This study compared the toxicity of four types of microplastics, including biodegradable and biobased alternatives, on a small aquatic organism. All microplastic types, regardless of whether they were "eco-friendly" or petroleum-based, caused similar levels of reproductive decline. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable and biobased plastics are safer for the environment, suggesting they may pose comparable ecological risks as they break down.
The escalating production and improper disposal of petrochemical-based plastics have led to a global pollution issue with microplastics (MPs), which pose a significant ecological threat. Biobased and biodegradable plastics are believed to mitigate plastic pollution. However, their environmental fate and toxicity remain poorly understood. This study compares the in vivo effects of different types of MPs, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) as a biodegradable plastic, polylactic acid (PLA) as a biobased plastic, β-cyclodextrin-grafted PLA as a modified biobased plastic, and low density polyethylene as the reference petrochemical-based plastic, on the key aquatic primary consumer Diaphanosoma celebensis. Exposure to MPs resulted in significant reproductive decline, with comparable effects observed irrespective of MP type or concentration. Exposure to MPs induced distinct responses in redox stress, with transcriptional profiling revealing differential gene expression patterns that indicate varied cellular responses to different types of MPs. ATP-binding cassette transporter activity assays demonstrated altered efflux activity, mainly in response to modified biobased and biodegradable MPs. Overall, this study highlights the comparable in vivo and in vitro effects of biobased, biodegradable, and petrochemical-based MPs on aquatic primary consumers, highlighting their potential ecological implications.
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Same but different: The response to petroleum and biodegradable bio-based microplastics deviates between Daphnia magna clones
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Scientists tested how tiny plastic particles affect water fleas, which are important indicators of water quality that humans depend on. They found that "eco-friendly" biodegradable plastics were just as harmful to these creatures as regular petroleum-based plastics, causing increased death rates and health problems. This matters because it suggests that switching to biodegradable plastics may not solve the microplastic pollution problem threatening our water ecosystems and potentially human health.
Chronic toxicity of biodegradable microplastic (Polylactic acid) to Daphnia magna: A comparison with polyethylene terephthalate
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Scientists compared the toxicity of biodegradable PLA microplastics with conventional PET microplastics on water fleas and found that PLA was actually more harmful. At higher concentrations, PLA microplastics killed nearly half the organisms, reduced reproduction, and increased birth defects more than PET particles did. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safer for the environment, suggesting they may pose similar or even greater ecological risks than conventional plastics.
Sublethal effects of bio-plastic microparticles and their components on the behaviour of Daphnia magna.
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This study compared the toxicity of bioplastic microparticles made from PLA and PHB to traditional fossil-based plastics on water fleas, a common test organism. Surprisingly, the bioplastic particles were about five times more toxic than their chemical additives alone, and commercial bioplastic products were more harmful than standard laboratory-grade materials. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are automatically safer for the environment and raises questions about what happens when bioplastics break down into microparticles.
Effects of petroleum-based and biopolymer-based nanoplastics on aquatic organisms: A case study with mechanically degraded pristine polymers
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Researchers compared the toxicity of nanoplastics made from three petroleum-based plastics and one bio-based plastic (PLA) on freshwater organisms. All four types of nanoplastics caused toxic effects, but the bio-based PLA nanoplastics were not necessarily safer than conventional ones. The study suggests that switching to bio-based plastics may not eliminate the problem of nanoplastic toxicity in aquatic environments.
A review on fate and ecotoxicity of biodegradable microplastics in aquatic system: Are biodegradable plastics truly safe for the environment?
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This review examines whether biodegradable plastics are truly safe for aquatic environments, finding that they can break down into microplastics faster than conventional plastics and cause comparable or even greater harm to algae, invertebrates, and fish. The findings suggest that switching to biodegradable plastics alone will not solve the microplastic pollution problem, and these particles can still enter the human food chain through contaminated seafood.
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