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Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Marine & Wildlife
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Interactions between polystyrene microplastics and marine phytoplankton lead to species-specific hetero-aggregation
Environmental Pollution2017
384 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 45
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Marc Long,
Marc Long,
Marc Long,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Marc Long,
Brivaëla Moriceau,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Marc Long,
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Brivaëla Moriceau,
Brivaëla Moriceau,
Brivaëla Moriceau,
Philippe Soudant,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Brivaëla Moriceau,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Christophe Lambert,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Hélène Hégaret,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Philippe Soudant,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Christophe Lambert,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Hélène Hégaret,
Brivaëla Moriceau,
Philippe Soudant,
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Christophe Lambert,
Arnaud Huvet
Christophe Lambert,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Arnaud Huvet
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Arnaud Huvet
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Christophe Lambert,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Brivaëla Moriceau,
Brivaëla Moriceau,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Christophe Lambert,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Philippe Soudant,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Hélène Hégaret,
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Christophe Lambert,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Christophe Lambert,
Christophe Lambert,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Philippe Soudant,
Arnaud Huvet
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Philippe Soudant,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Christophe Lambert,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Christophe Lambert,
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Christophe Lambert,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Christophe Lambert,
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Philippe Soudant,
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Philippe Soudant,
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Christophe Lambert,
Arnaud Huvet
Christophe Lambert,
Philippe Soudant,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Philippe Soudant,
Philippe Soudant,
Arnaud Huvet
Philippe Soudant,
Ika Paul-Pont,
Philippe Soudant,
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Arnaud Huvet
Ika Paul-Pont,
Arnaud Huvet
Summary
Laboratory experiments showed that polystyrene microplastics interact with marine phytoplankton cells, forming aggregates that alter the behavior and sinking rate of both the plastics and the algae. This aggregation could affect how microplastics are transported through the water column and how much phytoplankton productivity is disrupted in polluted waters.
To understand the fate and impacts of microplastics (MP) in the marine ecosystems, it is essential to investigate their interactions with phytoplankton as these may affect MP bioavailability to marine organisms as well as their fate in the water column. However, the behaviour of MP with marine phytoplanktonic cells remains little studied and thus unpredictable. The present study assessed the potential for phytoplankton cells to form hetero-aggregates with small micro-polystyrene (micro-PS) particles depending on microalgal species and physiological status. A prymnesiophycea, Tisochrysis lutea, a dinoflagellate, Heterocapsa triquetra, and a diatom, Chaetoceros neogracile, were exposed to micro-PS (2 μm diameter; 3.96 μg L) during their growth culture cycles. Micro-PS were quantified using an innovative flow-cytometry approach, which allowed the monitoring of the micro-PS repartition in microalgal cultures and the distinction between free suspended micro-PS and hetero-aggregates of micro-PS and microalgae. Hetero-aggregation was observed for C. neogracile during the stationary growth phase. The highest levels of micro-PS were "lost" from solution, sticking to flasks, with T. lutea and H. triquetra cultures. This loss of micro-PS sticking to the flask walls increased with the age of the culture for both species. No effects of micro-PS were observed on microalgal physiology in terms of growth and chlorophyll fluorescence. Overall, these results highlight the potential for single phytoplankton cells and residual organic matter to interact with microplastics, and thus potentially influence their distribution and bioavailability in experimental systems and the water column.