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Growth rates, chlorophyll content and interaction comparison of microplastics effect on asterarcys sp. and cyanobacterium sp. in water body of euphrates branch (Shatt Al-Furat in Al-Dywaniah), Iraq
Summary
This study monitored microplastic levels in an Iraqi river branch from 2019 to 2020 and tested how different microplastic types affected algal and cyanobacterial growth. Microplastic concentrations increased over the monitoring period and negatively affected algal photosynthesis, raising concerns for aquatic food webs and water quality.
Shatt Al-Furat in Al-Dywaniah is a branch of the Euphrates river. It is considered the lifeline of the city of Diwaniyah and any pollution with microplastics reflects on the life of living organisms in it, up to the human being. Therefore, a continuous monitoring system is required over the disposal of plastic materials in the river. DO values were decreased between November 2019 and November 2020 from (9.5-15.34) mg/L to (5.2-7.8) mg/L, while, the other physicochemical properties showed a small variation in this period. Moreover, microplastics materials in Shatt Al-Furat in Al-Dywaniah was increased to (2.6 x103- 6.5 x103) in November 2020 compared to (1.7 x103-3.6 x103) items/ km2 in November 2019 with the highest value was recorded at S8 with a predominant one was the transparent MPs at a ratio of 69% and average size in the range between 300-5600 µm. Besides, the effect of MPs types on the growth of Asterarcys sp. and Cyanobacterium sp. was found in the order of (PE<PS<PSB<PVC) at different concentrations due to the chemical structure of the MPs. Chlorophyll content of Asterarcys sp. and Cyanobacterium sp. showed a decrease compared to the control at different MPs concentrations. However, Asterarcys sp. showed more effect of MPs on the chlorophyll content compared to the Cyanobacterium sp. at different MPs concentrations. Besides, PVC and PE MPs showed a higher and lower effect, respectively on the chlorophyll content for the two types of microalgae. Finally, Asterarcys sp. showed the highest production of EPS compared with Cyanobacterium sp. as it absorbs and aggregates more MPs.