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Supplementary material from "Up and away: ontogenic transference as a pathway for aerial dispersal of microplastics"
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This supplementary dataset supports a study showing that microplastic particles ingested by aquatic mosquito larvae can transfer to the flying adult stage through metamorphosis, demonstrating a novel pathway for microplastics to move from aquatic to terrestrial and aerial environments. The finding suggests insects could transport microplastics across ecosystem boundaries in ways not previously recognized.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous pollutants found in marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. With so many MPs in aquatic systems, it is inevitable that they will be ingested by aquatic organisms and be transferred up through the food chain. However, to date, no study has considered whether MPs can be transmitted by means of ontogenic transference, i.e. between life stages that use different habitats. Here, we determine whether fluorescent polystyrene beads could transfer between Culex mosquito life stages and, particularly, could move into the flying adult stage. We show for the first time that MPs can be transferred ontogenically from a feeding (larva) into a non-feeding (pupa) life stage and subsequently into the adult terrestrial life stage. However, transference is dependent on particle size, with smaller 2 μm MPs transferring readily into pupae and adult stages, while 15 μm MPs transferred at a significantly reduced rate. Microplastics appear to accumulate in the Malpighian tubule renal excretion system. The transfer of MPs to the adults represents a potential aerial pathway to contamination of new environments. Thus, any organism that feeds on terrestrial life phases of freshwater insects could be impacted by MPs found in aquatic ecosystems.
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Up and away: ontogenic transference as a pathway for aerial dispersal of microplastics
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Researchers found that microplastics ingested by aquatic invertebrates can be transferred to adult winged insects during metamorphosis and subsequently dispersed aerially, identifying ontogenic transference as a novel pathway for microplastic transport from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems.
Ontogenetic transfer of microplastics in natural populations of malaria mosquitoes in Western Siberia
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Researchers studied how malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Western Siberia take up microplastics during their aquatic larval stage and carry them through metamorphosis into adulthood. Larvae accumulated millions of polystyrene particles within days, but the number dropped dramatically during each life stage transition, with only a few particles remaining in adult mosquitoes. The study confirms that flying insects can transfer waterborne microplastic pollution into terrestrial environments.
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Researchers demonstrated that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes can transfer microplastics across life stages from larvae through pupae to flying adults, identifying bloodsucking mosquitoes as a potential pathway for distributing plastic particles through the environment.
Ontogenetic transfer of microplastics and nanoplastics in mosquitoes: a scoping review of environmental and health implications
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This scoping review examines the role of mosquitoes as vectors for transferring microplastics and nanoplastics from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems through their life cycle. Researchers found evidence that mosquito larvae ingest micro- and nanoplastics in water, which are retained through metamorphosis and carried into terrestrial environments by adult mosquitoes. The study highlights an underappreciated pathway for microplastic dispersal and raises questions about potential implications for organisms that feed on mosquitoes.
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Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (microplastics) can be absorbed by mosquito larvae and carried through their entire life cycle—showing up in nearly all the adult mosquitoes that emerged. While this study focused on mosquito health (higher plastic doses meant more baby mosquitoes died), it raises a bigger concern: if plastics can hitch a ride through insects like this, they may be moving through food webs and ecosystems in ways we don't fully understand yet, including potentially into animals and humans that interact with these insects.
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