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Toxic effects of microplastics on aquatic plants

Repository of the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb 2023 Score: 30 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Natalija Vidović

Summary

This review examines the toxic effects of microplastics on freshwater and aquatic plants, which are often the first organisms exposed in aquatic ecosystems. Microplastics can reduce plant growth, disrupt photosynthesis, and affect nutrient uptake, with effects varying by polymer type and particle size.

Mikroplastika je jedan od najznačajnijih čimbenika onečišćenja okoliša koji nastaje degradacijom plastike na fragmente mikrometarskih dimenzija. Prisutna je u gotovo svim ekosustavima u kojima stupa u izravnu interakciju sa živim organizmima. Slatkovodna staništa česti su izvori visokih koncentracija mikroplastike koja se deponira s kopna iz otpadnih voda, ispiranjem obrađenog tla ili neodgovornim odlaganjem otpada. Slatkovodne biljke (makrofiti) su, uz alge, primarni proizvođači i prva trofička razina hranidbenih lanaca, zbog čega značajno utječu na stabilnost slatkovodnog ekosustava. Stoga je cilj recentnijih istraživanja bio ustanoviti prirodu odnosa između slatkovodnih biljaka i čestica mikroplastike. Toksični učinci mikroplastike ovise o njenim fizikalnim i kemijskim svojstvima: dimenziji, obliku, gustoći, naboju, sastavu, aditivima itd. S druge strane, najrelevantniji fiziološki odgovori biljaka temelje se na promjeni u vrijednostima parametara koji su povezani s rastom, procesom fotosinteze, morfološkim stanjem i proliferacijom. Da bi mikroplastika mogla imati učinak na biljke, treba prionuti na njihovu površinu ili apsorbirati unutar vaskularnog sustava, što ovisi o nizu okolišnih čimbenika. Prednosti proučavanja interakcije između mikroplastike i slatkovodnih makrofita je njihovo potencijalno korištenje kao bioindikatora kontaminacije i za proces bioremedijacije in situ, za što je ključno precizno poznavati moguće toksične učinke mikroplastike na određenu biljnu vrstu.

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