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Growth inhibition of the microalgae Skeletonema costatum under copper nanoparticles with microplastic exposure

Marine Environmental Research 2020 121 citations

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Researchers tested the combined toxicity of copper nanoparticles and microplastics on the marine microalgae Skeletonema costatum through growth inhibition experiments. The study found that both pollutants individually inhibited algal growth, and when present together their combined effect was more severe, with growth inhibition increasing alongside higher particle concentrations and longer exposure times.

In order to investigate the combined toxicities of copper nanoparticles (nano-Cu) with microplastic on microalgae Skeletonema costatum, growth inhibition tests were carried out. The toxic effects of copper nanoparticles and microplastic on the microalgae under singleness and coexistence conditions were investigated. Both copper nanoparticles and microplastic inhibited the growth of S. costatum. The growth inhibition ratio (IR) increased with the increasing of particle concentrations and incubation time. The toxicity of copper nanoparticles was reduced with the addition of microplastic. The concentrations of Cu in the medium with or without addition of microplastic were determined. It was found that adsorption of Cu on microplastic and aggregation between copper nanoparticles and microplastic are the main reasons for attenuation of toxicity of nano-Cu with adding microplastic. The adhesion and aggregate interactions between microalgae and nanomaterial were also approved by the observations through scanning electron microscopy.

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