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Marine & Wildlife
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Microplastics and leaf litter decomposition dynamics: New insights from a lotic ecosystem (Northeastern Italy)
Ecological Indicators2023
18 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 45
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Monia Renzi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Marco Bertoli,
Paolo Pastorino
Marco Bertoli,
Marco Bertoli,
Damià Barceló,
Marco Bertoli,
Damià Barceló,
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Davide Lesa,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Davide Lesa,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Marco Bertoli,
Marco Bertoli,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Marino Prearo,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Davide Lesa,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Serena Anselmi,
Marino Prearo,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Paolo Pastorino
Serena Anselmi,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Serena Anselmi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Monia Renzi,
Serena Anselmi,
Monia Renzi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Davide Lesa,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Marco Bertoli,
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Paolo Pastorino
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Davide Lesa,
Davide Lesa,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Monia Renzi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Antonella Mele,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Antonella Mele,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Serena Anselmi,
Paolo Pastorino
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Monia Renzi,
Marco Bertoli,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Monia Renzi,
Antonella Mele,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Marino Prearo,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Marco Bertoli,
Antonella Mele,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Davide Lesa,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Damià Barceló,
Paolo Pastorino
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Davide Lesa,
Damià Barceló,
Marco Bertoli,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Paolo Pastorino
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Serena Anselmi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Paolo Pastorino
Paolo Pastorino
Serena Anselmi,
Marino Prearo,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Paolo Pastorino
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Serena Anselmi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Monia Renzi,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Marino Prearo,
Monia Renzi,
Marino Prearo,
Monia Renzi,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Monia Renzi,
Monia Renzi,
Paolo Pastorino
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Marino Prearo,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Elisabetta Pizzul,
Marino Prearo,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Paolo Pastorino
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Damià Barceló,
Marino Prearo,
Paolo Pastorino
Summary
Researchers studied how microplastics affect the natural decomposition of plant litter in a freshwater stream over four seasons, finding that microplastics had a small but measurable negative effect on decomposition rates and accumulated inside the invertebrates responsible for breaking down organic matter. These findings suggest microplastic pollution subtly disrupts the nutrient cycling processes that keep freshwater ecosystems healthy.
Microplastics represent one of the main environmental concerns of our time and their presence is well known in all freshwater ecosystems. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about the interference with some environmental dynamics, such as the leaf litter decomposition, which represents a key process in freshwater ecosystems. The work presented herein analyzed the leaf litter decomposition in a lotic ecosystem, in relation to water physicochemical parameters, macrobenthic invertebrate functional feeding guilds (FFG) and, as a novelty, the microplastics as additional factor. Physicochemical features were monitored every 15 days for one year. Phragmites australis decomposition rates were investigated during four seasons (summer, autumn, winter, and spring) using the leaf bag technique. Microplastic items were also collected within the leaf bags (used as retaining tool) and within macrobenthic invertebrate colonizers. Shredders were the most contaminated FFG in summer and autumn, while scrapers showed high microplastics levels in autumn and winter. Decomposition rates significantly differed among seasons (0.007 < k < 0.022) and water temperature was the main driver of the decomposition dynamics (relative importance = 70.3 %), positively affecting the decay rates, followed by pH (9.7 %), which showed a negative contribution. Microplastics showed a negative effect (3.1 %), with a relative importance similar and opposite to that observed for the shredders (3.9 %), which value was similar to those recorded for scarpers (2.7 %). This study represents a field investigation regarding the microplastic effects on the organic matter decomposition rates in freshwater environments carried out directly on field. Our results provide new insights about the microplastic interference on environmental dynamics and could represent a starting point for further studies.