Microplastics Can Alter Phytoplankton Community Structure in Aquatic Systems

Evidence that microplastics at environmentally relevant concentration and size interfere with energy metabolism of microalgal community

Nanoscale Insights into the Impacts of Microplastics on Marine Phytoplankton

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Researchers used atomic force microscopy, physiological measurements, and chemical analysis to reveal how microplastics damage marine phytoplankton at the nanoscale — denting smooth-walled algae, trapping within diatom frustules, and reducing mechanical strength — with silicon limitation amplifying vulnerability by producing weaker, more adhesive cell walls that adsorb more particles.

Microplastics and freshwater microalgae: what do we know so far?

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A review of 20 studies found that microplastics inhibit freshwater microalgae growth, reduce photosynthetic activity, alter pigment profiles, and induce oxidative stress, with effects varying by plastic shape, size, concentration, and exposure duration. Because microalgae form the base of aquatic food webs, microplastic-driven disruption of algal communities could have cascading effects on freshwater ecosystem health.

Persistent Microplastics in Ecosystem: The Role of Microalgae-Microplastic Interactions

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This review examines interactions between microalgae and microplastics in aquatic environments, focusing on how algae can adsorb, ingest, and respond to plastic particles, and how these interactions affect microplastic persistence and transport. Microalgae form the base of aquatic food webs, so their uptake of microplastics initiates the trophic transfer chain that ultimately delivers plastic particles and associated chemical contaminants to human consumers through seafood.

Physiological, morphological, and growth effects of microplastics on freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris

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Researchers showed that microplastics inhibit growth, reduce chlorophyll and photosynthetic efficiency, and trigger oxidative stress in the freshwater alga Chlorella vulgaris in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting the species could serve as a bioindicator for aquatic microplastic contamination.