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Effects of microplastics pollution on plankton: A review.
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This review summarizes the sources and characteristics of microplastics and their documented effects on plankton, including reduced growth, altered feeding, and reproductive impacts. As the base of aquatic food webs, plankton health is critical, making microplastic threats to these organisms a significant ecological concern.
Microplastics, a new class of environmental pollutants, accumulates in the environment at an uncontrollable rate, which threatens aquatic organisms. Plankton are the basis of food webs and play a significant role in the material circulation and energy flow of aquatic ecosystems. Plankton are sensitive to various environmental pollutants. It is necessary to investigate the impacts of microplastics on plankton. Here, we analzyed the sources and characteristics of microplastics, and the current state of microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystem. The direct and indirect harmful effects of microplastics on aquatic organisms were elaborated. Then, we focused on the potential consequences of microplastics on phytoplankton and zooplankton species from different scales, ranging from individual, population, to community level. With respect to plankton organisms, few studies were carried out on genomics and proteomics from the microcosmic perspective, and on popu-lation and community responses from the macroscopic aspect. This review would provide references for further studies.
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Research highlights: impacts of microplastics on plankton
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This research highlights piece summarizes emerging evidence for the impacts of microplastics on marine plankton — the base of ocean food webs — including effects on feeding, reproduction, and population dynamics. The findings underscore that microplastic pollution has the potential to disrupt marine ecosystems from the bottom up.
The Impacts of Microplastics on Zooplankton
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This review examines the growing concern about microplastic impacts on marine and freshwater zooplankton, noting that these tiny organisms can ingest microplastics and are at the base of most aquatic food webs. Plastic ingestion can cause gut blockages, immune responses, energy loss, and reduced reproduction, with potential cascading effects on ecosystems and the species—including fish and humans—that feed on zooplankton.
The characteristics of plastic nanoparticles and their effect on zooplankton
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This thesis reviewed the characteristics of plastic nanoparticles and their potential effects on zooplankton, which are a foundational component of aquatic food webs. Because nanoplastics are smaller than microplastics, they are more easily taken up by tiny organisms and may have more pervasive ecological effects.
Microplastic pollution in the marine environment: Sources, impacts, and degradation.
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This review summarizes existing research on microplastic pollution in the ocean, covering sources, effects on marine life, and degradation. Microplastics harm marine organisms across the food chain, from plankton to fish, affecting their growth, reproduction, immune systems, and behavior. Since humans consume many of these marine species, the widespread contamination raises concerns about microplastic exposure through seafood.
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.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.