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Revealing the environmental hazard posed by biodegradable microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: An investigation of polylactic acid's effects on Microcystis aeruginosa
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Researchers tested whether biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics are safer for aquatic life than traditional plastics by exposing the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to them for 63 days. Surprisingly, PLA microplastics actually promoted algae growth despite causing oxidative stress and cell damage, which could fuel harmful algal blooms. This suggests that so-called biodegradable plastics may still pose environmental risks and are not necessarily a safe alternative in aquatic ecosystems.
The influence of petroleum-based microplastics (MPs) on phytoplankton has been extensively studied, while research on the impact of biodegradable MPs, derived from alternative plastics to contest the environmental crisis, remains limited. This study performed a 63 days co-incubation experiment to assess the effect of polylactic acid MPs (PLA-MPs) on the growth, physiology, and carbon utilization of M. aeruginosa and the change in PLA-MPs surface properties. The results showed that despite PLA-MPs induced oxidative stress and caused membrane damage in M. aeruginosa, the presence of PLA-MPs (10, 50, and 200 mg/L) triggered significant increases (p < 0.05) in the density of M. aeruginosa after 63 days. Specifically, the algal densities upon 50 and 200 mg/L PLA-MPs exposure were increased by 20.91% and 36.31% relative to the control, respectively. Meanhwhile, the reduced C/O ratio on PLA-MPs surface and change in PLA-MPs morphological characterization, which is responsible for substantially increase in the aquatic dissolved inorganic carbon concentration during the co-incubation, implying the degradation of PLA-MPs; thus, provided sufficient carbon resources that M. aeruginosa could assimilate. This was in line with the declined intracellular carbonic anhydrase content in M. aeruginosa. This study is the first attempt to uncover the interaction between PLA-MPs and M. aeruginosa, and the finding that their interaction promotes the degrading of PLA-MPs meanwhile favoring M. aeruginosa growth will help elucidate the potential risk of biodegradable MPs in aquatic environment.
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Effects of micro-sized biodegradable plastics on Microcystis aeruginosa
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Researchers tested how micro-sized biodegradable plastics made from polylactic acid and polyhydroxybutyrate affect a common freshwater cyanobacterium. They found that even biodegradable microplastics inhibited the growth and photosynthetic activity of the organism, though to a lesser extent than conventional plastics. The study suggests that switching to biodegradable plastics does not eliminate the risk of microplastic-related harm to aquatic microorganisms.
Long-term exposure to biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics promotes Microcystis aeruginosa proliferation
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Researchers conducted a 45-day co-culture experiment exposing the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics. PLA-MPs promoted algal growth and photosynthetic activity and altered nutrient cycling, suggesting that biodegradable plastic particles can unexpectedly fuel cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater ecosystems.
Distinct exposure impact of non-degradable and biodegradable microplastics on freshwater microalgae (Chlorella pyrenoidosa): Implications for polylactic acid as a sustainable plastic alternative
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This study compared how aged biodegradable PLA microplastics and conventional polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics affect freshwater algae. While PLA caused milder stress and prompted algae to produce protective compounds, conventional plastics inhibited photosynthesis and caused more severe cellular damage. The findings suggest that PLA may be a genuinely less harmful alternative to traditional plastics for aquatic ecosystems, though it still causes some biological stress.
Acute Toxicity Effects of Aged Polyethylene and Polylactic Acid Microplastics on Microcystis aeruginosa: Growth and Oxidative Stress Response
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Researchers compared the acute toxicity of aged polyethylene (conventional plastic) and polylactic acid (biodegradable plastic) microplastics on the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. Aged PLA microplastics inhibited algal growth more than aged PE, and UV-aged particles were more toxic than heat-aged ones for both plastic types. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may not be less harmful than conventional plastics once they begin degrading in the environment.
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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