Article
?
AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button.
Tier 2
?
Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Environmental Sources
Human Health Effects
Remediation
Sign in to save
Effects of leachates from UV-weathered microplastic on the microalgae Scenedesmus vacuolatus
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry2021
55 citations
?
Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 55
?
0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Christoph Rummel,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Christoph Rummel,
Christoph Rummel,
Christoph Rummel,
Christoph Rummel,
Christoph Rummel,
Christoph Rummel,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Hannah Schäfer,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hannah Schäfer,
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Christoph Rummel,
Christoph Rummel,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hans Peter H. Arp
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Christoph Rummel,
Hannah Schäfer,
Hannah Schäfer,
Hannah Schäfer,
Hannah Schäfer,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hans Peter H. Arp
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Annika Jahnke,
Christoph Rummel,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Christoph Rummel,
Christoph Rummel,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Christoph Rummel,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Christoph Rummel,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Annika Jahnke,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Annika Jahnke,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Mechthild Schmitt‐Jansen,
Hans Peter H. Arp
Summary
Researchers studied the effects of chemical leachates from UV-weathered microplastics on the green algae Scenedesmus vacuolatus. The study found that leachates from additive-containing electronic waste plastics caused severe effects, while virgin polymer leachates generally did not, except for polyethylene, whose degradation products reduced algae growth and photosynthetic activity.
Plastics undergo successive fragmentation and chemical leaching steps in the environment due to weathering processes such as photo-oxidation. Here, we report the effects of leachates from UV-irradiated microplastics towards the chlorophyte Scenedesmus vacuolatus. The microplastics tested were derived from an additive-containing electronic waste (EW) and a computer keyboard (KB) as well as commercial virgin polymers with low additive content, including polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS). Whereas leachates from additive-containing EW and KB induced severe effects, the leachates from virgin PET, PP, and PS did not show substantial adverse effects in our autotrophic test system. Leachates from PE reduced algae biomass, cell growth, and photosynthetic activity. Experimental data were consistent with predicted effect concentrations based on the ionization-corrected liposome/water distribution ratios (D<sub>lip/w</sub>) of polymer degradation products of PE (mono- and dicarboxylic acids), indicating that leachates from weathering PE were mainly baseline toxic. This study provides insight into algae toxicity elicited by leachates from UV-weathered microplastics of different origin, complementing the current particle- vs. chemical-focused research towards the toxicity of plastics and their leachates.