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Short-term toxicity of polystryrene microplastics on mysid shrimps Neomysis japonica
Summary
Polystyrene microplastics were found to reduce survival in mysid shrimps (Neomysis japonica) in short-term toxicity tests, with lethal effects occurring at concentrations above 1 mg/L. Mysid shrimps are sensitive test species used in marine toxicology, and their vulnerability to microplastics is concerning given their importance in marine food webs.
Plastic debris especially microplastics (MPs) have become a global concern for the aggravating pollution in the oceans. In this study, the physico-chemical properties of fluorescently labeled polystyrene (PS) beads and the effects of PS-MPs on the survival of mysid shrimps (Neomysis japonica) were investigated. PS-MPs were identified to have spherical shape, uniform size and stable green fluorescence. The results showed that PS beads had little effects on the mortality of shrimps under a short-term (72 h) exposure with concentrations of 50 μg L-1 and 500 μg L-1. However, PS-MPs had severe short-term toxicity on the survival of mysid shrimps, resulting in 30% mortality especially in a 72 h exposure with the higher concentration of 1000 μg L-1. These findings provide new insights into the toxic effects of MPs on marine invertebrates.