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The first evidence of microplastics in plant-formed fresh-water micro-ecosystems: Dipsacus teasel phytotelmata in Slovakia contaminated with MPs
Summary
Researchers reported the first detection of microplastics in phytotelmata -- small water-filled plant cavities formed by Dipsacus teasel -- in Slovakia, finding 101 to 409 particles per milliliter including fibers up to 2.4 mm and colored fragments as small as 9 micrometers, suggesting these plant micro-ecosystems may serve as novel indicators of local microplastic contamination.
Tiny pieces of plastic, or microplastics, are one of the emerging pollutants in a wide range of different ecosystems. However, they have, thus far, not been confirmed from phytotelmata – specific small water-filled cavities provided by terrestrial plants. The authors confirmed microplastics (141 μm – 2.4 mm long fibres of several colour and blue and orange fragments with diameters of 9–81 μm) in quantities from 101 to 409 per ml in Dipsacus telmata from two different periods. The phytotelmata, therefore, appear to be possible indicators of current and future microplastic pollution of the environment. However, further research is needed to obtain accurate information and verify the methodology for possible assessment of the local environmental burden of microplastics.