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Toxicity of microplastic particles with and without adsorbed tributyltin (TBT) in Gammarus fossarum (Koch, 1835)
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Microplastic particles tested in freshwater crustaceans (Gammarus fossarum) were not directly toxic on their own, but when coated with the toxic chemical tributyltin (TBT), they significantly increased harm to the animals. This shows microplastics can act as vectors for chemical pollutants, amplifying their environmental danger.
We investigate the toxicity of different types and sizes of microplastic particles (0.3–4 mm) under different conditions (new particles, aged particles with biofilm, and particles with adsorbed Tributyltin) on the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum in 3-week exposures. All types of plastic particles, which were randomly taken up to a small extent, were mostly Polyphenylenoxide, Polybutylentherephthalate and Polypropylene, with particles < 1 mm in size. Plastic particles did not affect the feeding and locomotory behaviour of gammarids, and there was no strong difference between pristine plastic particles and aged particles with biofilm. Mortality tended to be higher compared with the control. Tributyltinhydride (TBTH) adsorbed to microplastic particles had no effect on uptake, survival, feeding and locomotory behaviour during the 3 weeks of exposure. Dissolved TBTH, however, was already very toxic after few days of exposure (LC50-96h < 1 ng l–1).
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