We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effects of microplastics pollution on plankton: A review.
Summary
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.