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Evaluating the impact of nanoplastics on stream periphyton and benthic food chains
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This study evaluated the effects of nanoplastics on stream periphyton communities and benthic food chains. Nanoplastic exposure altered algal community composition and reduced the quality of periphyton as a food resource for higher trophic levels. The findings suggest that nanoplastic pollution can cascade through freshwater food webs.
International audience
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Important ecological processes are affected by the accumulation and trophic transfer of nanoplastics in a freshwater periphyton-grazer food chain
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Researchers found that nanoplastics bioaccumulate and transfer trophically in a freshwater periphyton-grazer food chain, affecting fundamental ecological processes and highlighting significant gaps in our understanding of nanoplastic risks in freshwater ecosystems.
Nano-polystyrene influences energy flow dynamics in stream brown-green food chains: Evidence from feeding preference shifts of a river snail
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Tiny plastic particles from pollution (nanoplastics) mess with life in streams by changing the quality of food sources like decaying leaves and algae, and by stressing out the snails that eat them—causing the snails to switch what they eat and disrupting the natural food chain. While this study focused on stream ecosystems rather than humans directly, it's a reminder that nanoplastics are already reshaping the natural systems that produce the food and water we depend on, adding to concerns about how deeply these particles might infiltrate the environment we live in.
Effect assessment of nano- and microplastics in freshwater ecosystems
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This doctoral thesis assessed the effects of nano- and microplastics on freshwater ecosystems, from individual species to community-level impacts. Freshwater sediments are known to accumulate these particles, and the research addresses critical gaps in understanding how long-term exposure at realistic concentrations affects aquatic communities.
Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms
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Researchers examined how microplastic exposure across trophic levels affects the gut microbiota of freshwater organisms, finding that microplastics alter microbial community composition and that effects can transfer through food web interactions.
Effect of Microplastics on Aquatic Food Chain and Food Web Altering Phytoplankton Community Structure
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This review examines how microplastics affect phytoplankton community structure and how these effects propagate through aquatic food chains and food webs, with implications for nutrient cycling and ecosystem services.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.