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Biodegradable and conventional microplastics posed similar toxicity to marine algae Chlorella vulgaris

Aquatic Toxicology 2022 144 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Yuanyuan Su, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Zezheng Wang, Ruiqi Bao, Ruiqi Bao, Ruiqi Bao, Ruiqi Bao, Ruiqi Bao, Yuanyuan Su, Liu Gao, Yuanyuan Su, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Yuanyuan Su, Zezheng Wang, Zezheng Wang, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Yuanyuan Su, Zezheng Wang, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Zhiruo Cheng, Zhiruo Cheng, Zhiruo Cheng, Yipeng Hou, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Zhiruo Cheng, Zhiruo Cheng, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Zhiruo Cheng, Yipeng Hou, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Zezheng Wang, Yipeng Hou, Yipeng Hou, Yipeng Hou, Yipeng Hou, Yipeng Hou, Yipeng Hou, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Yuanyuan Su, Zezheng Wang, Licheng Peng Zezheng Wang, Sheng-You Lin, Zezheng Wang, Licheng Peng Ruiqi Bao, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Sheng-You Lin, Yuanyuan Su, Licheng Peng Sheng-You Lin, Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Yuanyuan Su, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Zezheng Wang, Zezheng Wang, Zezheng Wang, Zezheng Wang, Ruiqi Bao, Ruiqi Bao, Sheng-You Lin, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Liu Gao, Yuanyuan Su, Licheng Peng Ruiqi Bao, Zezheng Wang, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Ruiqi Bao, Licheng Peng Ruiqi Bao, Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Ruiqi Bao, Ruiqi Bao, Ruiqi Bao, Licheng Peng Liu Gao, Licheng Peng Ruiqi Bao, Yuanyuan Su, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Yuanyuan Su, Licheng Peng Yuanyuan Su, Yuanyuan Su, Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Licheng Peng Zezheng Wang, Licheng Peng

Summary

Researchers compared the toxicity of biodegradable microplastics made from polylactic acid and polybutylene succinate with conventional microplastics made from polyethylene and polyamide on marine algae. They found that both types inhibited algal growth and photosynthesis to a similar degree, causing comparable oxidative stress and cell membrane damage. The study challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are inherently safer for marine ecosystems than conventional plastics.

Polymers

PA PE PLA

It has been demonstrated that some conventional microplastics (CMPs) have toxicities to organisms, however, whether biodegradable microplastics (BMPs) have similar potential risks to marine ecosystems remains to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate i) the effects of CMPs (i. e., micro-sized polyethylene (mPE) and polyamide (mPA)) on marine algae Chlorella vulgaris; and ii) the potential effects of BMPs (i.e., micro-sized polylactic acid (mPLA) and polybutylene succinate (mPBS)) on C. vulgaris. The results showed that either CMPs or BMPs inhibited the growth of microalgae compared with the control. The maximum inhibition ratio of the four types of MPs on C. vulgaris were 47.24% (mPE, 1 000 mg/L), 40.36% (mPA, 100 mg/L), 47.95% (mPLA, 100 mg/L) and 34.25% (mPBS, 100 mg/L), respectively. Among them, mPLA showed the strongest inhibitory effect on the growth of C. vulgaris. Interestingly, the MPs can stimulate the contents of pigments (e.g., chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid), which may be acted as cellular defense to the stress induced by MPs. The results also showed that MPs stimulated the production of EPS. Under the investigated condition, the strongest inhibition on C. vulgaris was induced by mPLA, and followed by mPE, mPA, and mPBS. It was found that the factors such as the physicochemical properties of MPs (e.g., shading effect, the roughness of surface, the increase in potential), the chemical changes (i.e., the release of additives, the increase of oxidative stress) contributed to the inhibitory effects of MPs on microalgae, but the deciding factor remains to be further systematically explored.

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