We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics leachate may play a more important role than microplastics in inhibiting microalga Chlorella vulgaris growth at cellular and molecular levels
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that chemical compounds leaching from aged microplastics may be more harmful to algae than the microplastic particles themselves. UV-weathered polyethylene and PVC released substances that inhibited algae growth, caused oxidative stress, and altered gene expression more severely than direct particle exposure. The study suggests that the chemicals released by degrading microplastics deserve more attention as a source of aquatic toxicity.
The leaching of microplastics (MPs) additives and their negative effects on aquatic organisms remain to be systematically elucidated. In this study, the toxicological effects of MPs leachate (micro-sized polyethylene (mPE) and micro-sized polyvinyl chloride (mPVC) acceleratedly leached by UVA for 15, 90, and 180 days in seawater) on microalga Chlorella vulgaris in terms of cell growth inhibition, oxidative stress, and transcriptomes were investigated. The leachate components of MPs aged for 90 days were further identified to elucidate the corresponding toxicity mechanisms of MPs on microalgal cells. The results revealed that both leachates of mPE and mPVC inhibited cell growth and increased oxidative stress in C. vulgaris, accompanied by a growth inhibition rate to microalgal cells of 4.0%-36.2% and 7.1%-48.2%, respectively. At the same mass concentration, the toxicological effects on C. vulgaris followed the order of mPVC leachate > mPE > mPE leachate > mPVC, whereas MPs leaching time indicated no change in MPs leaching toxicity. Furthermore, the gene functions of "translation, ribosomal structure and biogenesis" were mostly affected by MPs leachate. Compared to mPE leachate and pure MPs, the stronger inhibitory effects of mPVC leachate on microalgal cells may be attributed to the fact that more substances were leached from the polymer of mPVC, including Zn, farnesol isomer a, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol, and acetyl castor oil methyl ester. In summary, this study provides a better understanding of the ecotoxicological influences of MPs and MPs leachate, and offers a warning on the ecological risk caused by plastic additives.
More Papers Like This
Ecotoxicological impact of virgin and environmental microplastics leachate on Chlorella vulgaris: Synergistic microbial-pollutant drivers cripple photosynthesis
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared the toxic effects of leachate from new versus environmentally weathered microplastics on a common green algae species. They found that weathered microplastics were up to 3.4 times more toxic, severely disrupting photosynthesis and introducing hundreds of bacterial species and pollutants that compounded the damage. The findings highlight that microplastics become significantly more dangerous as they age in the environment.
Effects of the Exposure of Aged Micro-Polyethylene Terephthalate on the Growth Status and Photosynthesis of Chlorella sp. UTEX1602
AI summary Read the abstract
This study found that microplastics aged through UV exposure, strong acids, or strong alkalis were significantly more toxic to the freshwater microalga Chlorella than unaged microplastics, inhibiting growth and disrupting photosynthetic pigments. The results highlight that weathered microplastics in the environment — rather than pristine particles — pose the greater ecological risk to aquatic primary producers.
The aging of microplastics exacerbates the damage to photosynthetic performance and bioenergy production in microalgae (Chlorella pyrenoidosa)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that aged microplastics are significantly more toxic to freshwater algae than new microplastics, inhibiting growth by up to 45% and causing greater damage to photosynthesis and energy production. Since algae form the base of aquatic food chains, this heightened toxicity from weathered microplastics could cascade through ecosystems and ultimately affect the safety of freshwater resources that humans depend on.
Molecular-level insights into the leachates released from ultraviolet-aged biodegradable and conventional commercial microplastics and their mechanism of toxicity toward Chlorella pyrenoidosa
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared leachates from UV-aged biodegradable and conventional microplastics and found that biodegradable plastics actually released several times more dissolved organic matter and nano-sized particles than traditional plastics. The leachates from biodegradable plastics also caused more gene changes and greater toxicity in algae. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are environmentally safer, suggesting they may release more harmful substances as they break down.
Aqueous phase leachates from pure and commercial microplastics differentially affect the physiology and metabolism of Chlorella sp. MM3
AI summary Read the abstract
When plastics break down in water, they leak chemical additives, and this study found that the type of plastic matters a lot: chemicals leaching from PET (common in bottles) and PVC harmed algae more than those from polystyrene, damaging cells and disrupting their metabolism. Since algae are the base of aquatic food chains, this matters because the plastics we use every day may be releasing harmful chemical cocktails into water systems that could ripple up through the food web, though more research is needed to know exactly how this affects human health.
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.