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Microplastics – A major contaminant in marine macro algal population: Review
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This review identified the occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in marine macroalgae, highlighting macroalgae as both indicators of MP pollution and potential entry points for microplastics into marine food webs.
Microplastics (MPs) are a significant concern in this modern environment, and the marine environment is a sink for them now. Researchers have taken an interest in marine microplastic studies recently, which has opened the door to research in macroalgae and microalgae. Macroalgae are the primary producers in maritime ecosystems and are economically significant. This review aimed to identify the microplastic interactions with marine macroalgae and the impacts of microplastics on macroalgae based on existing literature while also recognizing knowledge gaps. MPs were mostly fibers and polymers with notable production and application levels; their abundance differed among species. More MPs were found in filamentous species than in other types. The results of this study indicated that, in maritime environments, macroalgae contribute to MP biomagnification and bioaccumulation. Adequate studies are needed to fill the research gaps in this area of MPs in macroalgae and their effects.
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Researchers quantified microplastic densities on the surfaces of three marine macrophyte species (two macroalgae and one seagrass) collected in situ, finding measurable contamination on all species. The results suggest that macrophytes may serve as an important but underappreciated pathway for microplastics to enter marine food webs.
Plastic debris in coastal macroalgae
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Plastic debris including microplastics was investigated in five macroalgae species along Chinese coastlines, finding contamination in all species with differences in debris type and abundance related to algal morphology and coastal location, revealing macroalgae as both collectors and potential vectors of plastic pollution.
Concentration dependent toxicity of microplastics to marine microalgae
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A dose-response study of microplastic effects on marine microalgae found concentration-dependent toxicity across multiple species, with higher MP concentrations reducing growth rates, photosynthesis efficiency, and chlorophyll content, confirming that microplastics pose risks to the base of marine food webs.
The microplastic menace: a critical review of its impact on marine photoautotrophs and their environment
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This review examines how microplastics interact with marine macro- and microalgae, covering environmental prevalence, genetic responses to MP exposure, and mitigation strategies. It finds that annual introduction of 28.5 million tons of plastic into oceans threatens marine primary producers and indirectly affects marine food webs and human health through the consumption of contaminated seafood.
Persistent Microplastics in Ecosystem: The Role of Microalgae-Microplastic Interactions
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This review examines interactions between microalgae and microplastics in aquatic environments, focusing on how algae can adsorb, ingest, and respond to plastic particles, and how these interactions affect microplastic persistence and transport. Microalgae form the base of aquatic food webs, so their uptake of microplastics initiates the trophic transfer chain that ultimately delivers plastic particles and associated chemical contaminants to human consumers through seafood.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.