We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Natural infochemical DMSP stimulates the transfer of microplastics from freshwater zooplankton to fish: An olfactory trap
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that the natural algal chemical DMSP stimulates zooplankton to ingest more microplastics and then transfer them to fish through predation — acting as an olfactory trap. This unexpected mechanism accelerates the trophic transfer of microplastics through freshwater food chains, potentially increasing microplastic accumulation in fish consumed by humans.
Natural infochemicals may largely affect the trophic transfer of microplastics (MPs) in ecosystems but such infochemical effect and mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, a daphnids-zebrafish freshwater microcosm was designed to elucidate whether and how an algae-derived infochemical, dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), affects the ingestion and transfer of MPs. Daphnids fast accumulated DMSP and MPs from water, and DMSP in daphnids was mainly enriched from the DMSP in water but not from MPs. DMSP did not change the MP ingestion by daphnids. A low concentration of DMSP (0.5 nM) increased predation of daphnids by zebrafish, while high concentrations of DMSP (50, 100 and 200 nM) did not increase predation rates. The concentration of DMSP in daphnids and the MP predation by zebrafish showed a unimodal relationship. The predation for MP by zebrafish in the 0.5 and 5 nM DMSP treatments was 1.89 and 1.56 times that of the control, respectively. The concentrations of DMSP in freshwater samples were lower than 50 nM. This suggests DMSP at environmentally relevant concentrations may promote the trophic transfer of MPs in freshwater ecosystems via olfactory traps.
More Papers Like This
Natural infochemical DMSP stimulates the transfer of microplastics from freshwater zooplankton to fish: An olfactory trap
AI summary Read the abstract
A natural algae-derived chemical compound called DMSP acts as an olfactory attractant that causes fish to preferentially consume zooplankton loaded with microplastics, inadvertently accelerating the transfer of plastic particles up the freshwater food chain.
Natural infochemical DMSP stimulates the transfer of microplastics from freshwater zooplankton to fish: An olfactory trap
AI summary Read the abstract
A natural algae-derived compound (DMSP) acts as an olfactory cue that causes fish to consume microplastic-laden zooplankton, inadvertently increasing plastic particle transfer up freshwater food chains.
Contrary to Marine Environments, Common Microplastics in Freshwater Systems May Not Emit Dimethyl Sulfide: An Important Infochemical
AI summary Read the abstract
This study found that, unlike in marine environments where microplastics emit dimethyl sulfide signals that attract foragers, common microplastics in freshwater systems do not appear to produce such chemical cues. This suggests that microplastic ingestion in freshwater species may occur through different mechanisms than the olfactory pathways implicated in marine environments.
Effect of alternative natural diet on microplastic ingestion, functional responses and trophic transfer in a tri-trophic coastal pelagic food web
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how microplastics move through a three-level marine food chain, from zooplankton prey to planktivorous fish, and how the availability of natural food affects microplastic ingestion. When natural food was scarce, organisms consumed more microplastics, and the particles transferred efficiently up the food chain. This study demonstrates that microplastics in the ocean can accumulate through the food web and reach fish species that humans commonly eat.
Bioavailability of Microplastics to Marine Zooplankton: Effect of Shape and Infochemicals
AI summary Read the abstract
The influence of microplastic shape (bead, fiber, and fragment) and algal infochemicals (DMS and DMSP) on microplastic ingestion by marine zooplankton was investigated. Shape significantly affected ingestion rates, and infochemicals influenced zooplankton feeding behavior in ways that altered microplastic uptake, revealing how chemical cues in the ocean shape plastic particle ingestion.
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.