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Effects of polystyrene microbeads in marine planktonic crustaceans
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Researchers exposed barnacle larvae and brine shrimp to polystyrene microbeads at various concentrations and measured effects on survival, swimming behavior, and enzyme activity. While the microplastics accumulated in both species without causing mortality, high concentrations significantly altered swimming speed and cholinesterase enzyme activity. The study suggests that sublethal effects of microplastics on behavior and neurological function may be more ecologically relevant than direct mortality in marine crustaceans.
Plastic debris accumulates in the marine environment, fragmenting into microplastics (MP), causing concern about their potential toxic effects when ingested by marine organisms. The aim of this study was to verify whether 0.1µm polystyrene beads are likely to trigger lethal and sub-lethal responses in marine planktonic crustaceans. MP build-up, mortality, swimming speed alteration and enzyme activity (cholinesterases, catalase) were investigated in the larval stages of Amphibalanus amphitrite barnacle and of Artemia franciscana brine shrimp exposed to a wide range of MP concentrations (from 0.001 to 10mgL) for 24 and 48h. The results show that MP were accumulated in crustaceans, without affecting mortality. Swimming activity was significantly altered in crustaceans exposed to high MP concentrations (> 1mgL) after 48h. Enzyme activities were significantly affected in all organisms exposed to all the above MP concentrations, indicating that neurotoxic effects and oxidative stress were induced after MP treatment. These findings provide new insight into sub-lethal MP effects on marine crustaceans.
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Researchers exposed freshwater shrimp to polystyrene microplastics and found measurable changes in behavioral and physiological functional traits, contributing evidence that microplastic pollution poses risks to freshwater invertebrate communities beyond the marine environments typically studied.
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Researchers exposed the freshwater crustacean Daphnia magna to two sizes of polystyrene microplastics over 21 days and observed changes in feeding, growth, and swimming behavior. They found that both sizes were ingested and affected swimming patterns, with smaller particles causing more pronounced behavioral alterations. The study demonstrates that microplastic exposure at sublethal concentrations can produce significant behavioral effects in freshwater organisms that may affect their ecological fitness.
Effects of ingested polystyrene microplastics on brine shrimp, Artemia parthenogenetica
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Brine shrimp larvae (Artemia parthenogenetica) were exposed to 10 μm polystyrene microspheres at concentrations close to environmentally extrapolated levels, with microspheres clearly ingested and accumulated in the gut, resulting in reduced feeding rates and growth at higher concentrations. The study demonstrates that microplastic ingestion by brine shrimp, a widely used aquaculture feed organism, occurs at ecologically relevant concentrations and causes sublethal harm.
Ingestion and bioaccumulation of polystyrene nanoplastics and their effects on the microalgal feeding of Artemia franciscana
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Brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics ingested and bioaccumulated the particles, which also affected their feeding behavior on microalgae and caused changes in gut microbiota. These effects on a widely used aquaculture species raise concerns about nanoplastic contamination in marine food production.
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