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Rethinking the effects of micro/nanoplastics from the global environmental change and systematic perspective: An aquatic environmental system-based comprehensive assessment approach of micro/nanoplastic impacts
Summary
Researchers developed an aquatic environmental system-based comprehensive assessment method (ACAM) to evaluate micro/nanoplastic impacts alongside other global environmental change factors, applying it to freshwater systems in Saskatchewan, Canada. Using Asterococcus superbus microalgae across ten endpoints, the study found polystyrene nanoplastics and nitrogen had antagonistic growth interactions, while pH, dissolved organic matter, and nitrogen were more significant stressors than nanoplastics at the tested sites.
The study on micro/nanoplastic pollution should embrace complexity. Here, we aim to develop an aquatic environmental system-based comprehensive assessment approach of micro/nanoplastic impacts (ACAM) to evaluate the effects of micro/nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems from the global environmental change (GEC) and systematic perspective. A case study for freshwater systems in Saskatchewan, Canada was conducted to evaluate the comprehensive effects of multiple GEC factors (polystyrene-nanoplastics (PS-NPs), N, P, salinity, dissolved organic matter (DOM), pH, hardness) on Asterococcus superbus based on ten ecologically relevant endpoints. It is found that at the cellular level, PS-NPs and N had an antagonistic interaction on microalgal growth in the Saskatchewan freshwater ecosystem; at the molecular level, the PS-NP-induced changes in lipid composition in microalgae were regulated by P, DOM, and pH. The significance ranking of factor effects suggested that instead of PS-NPs pollution, the fluctuations in pH level, DOM and N concentrations should be paid attention to first in Saskatchewan. Under the combined impact of PS-NPs and other GEC factors, microalgae at station 14 (Qu'Appelle River near highway 56) might have the minimum growth rate with [-0.048, 0.094] d in Saskatchewan. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of the developed ACAM in a more comprehensive and context-specific assessment of MNP risks, providing new insight for the management of MNP pollution.