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Microplastics do not increase bioaccumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons in Arctic zooplankton but trigger feeding suppression under co-exposure conditions
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Arctic copepods exposed to microplastics and crude oil together showed feeding suppression in up to 30% of individuals, though microplastics did not increase the amount of toxic PAH compounds absorbed from the oil. The findings suggest microplastics in Arctic seas may not amplify oil contamination in food webs during spills, but can still cause behavioral stress at high concentrations.
Arctic sea ice has alarmingly high concentrations of microplastics (MPs). Additionally, sea ice reduction in the Arctic is opening new opportunities for the oil and maritime industries, which could increase oil pollution in the region. Yet knowledge of the effects of co-exposure to MPs and crude oil on Arctic zooplankton is lacking. We tested the influence of MPs (polyethylene, 20.7 μm) on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) bioaccumulation and oil toxicity in the key arctic copepod Calanus hyperboreus after exposure to oil with and without dispersant. Up to 30% of the copepods stopped feeding and fecal pellet production rates were reduced after co-exposure to oil (1 μL L) and MPs (20 MPs mL). The PAH body burden was ~3 times higher in feeding than in non-feeding copepods. Copepods ingested both MPs and crude oil droplets. MPs did not influence bioaccumulation of PAHs in copepods or their fecal pellets, but chemical dispersant increased bioaccumulation, especially of ≥4 ring-PAHs. Our results suggest that MPs do not act as vectors of PAHs in Arctic marine food webs after oil spills, but, at high concentrations (20 MPs mL), MPs can trigger behavioral stress responses (e.g., feeding suppression) to oil pollution in zooplankton.
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Sublethal effects of microplastic and oil co-exposure on biological rates and lipid profiles of keystone Arctic copepods
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Researchers conducted the first assessment of combined microplastic and oil exposure effects on three key Arctic copepod species. They found that co-exposure to polyethylene microplastics and oil caused sublethal effects on feeding rates, egg production, and lipid profiles that differed from oil-only exposure. The study suggests that the presence of microplastics may alter how Arctic zooplankton respond to oil pollution, which is relevant as shipping and industrial activity increase in polar regions.
Biofouled microplastics exposure is associated with shifts in late-summer lipid dynamics of juvenile copepod Calanus hyperboreus
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Tiny Arctic ocean creatures called copepods build up fat reserves each summer that help them survive winter and serve as a critical food source for fish and whales — but this study found that when these copepods are exposed to microplastics coated with a natural biofilm (mimicking real ocean conditions), they store less fat and their fat composition changes during this crucial feeding season. Since these copepods are a foundational link in the Arctic food chain — feeding fish that eventually end up on our plates — disruptions to their fat storage could ripple upward through the food web, though more research is needed to confirm how directly this affects fish and human food supplies.
Effects of microplastics alone or with sorbed oil compounds from the water accommodated fraction of a North Sea crude oil on marine mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis)
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Researchers investigated whether polystyrene microplastics could act as a Trojan horse for oil pollutants in marine mussels and found that while mussels accumulated PAHs from crude oil exposure, microplastics alone did not significantly enhance pollutant transfer or cause additional toxic effects.
Sorption of PAHs to microplastic and their bioavailability and toxicity to marine copepods under co-exposure conditions
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Researchers studied the sorption of two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics and tested their bioavailability to marine copepods under co-exposure conditions. They found that adsorption dominated at lower temperatures and for smaller particles, while absorption was the main process for larger microplastics. The study suggests that PAHs sorbed to microplastics were generally less bioavailable to copepods than the same chemicals dissolved in surrounding water.
The Behavior of Planktonic Copepods Minimizes the Entry of Microplastics in Marine Food Webs
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Researchers found that planktonic copepods across all major feeding behaviors ingested microplastics at rates up to ten times lower than similar-sized microalgae, suggesting that copepod feeding strategies naturally limit the entry of microplastics into marine food webs.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.