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Archived Historical Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Specimens Suggest Connections Between Microplastic Abundance Patterns, Trophic Traits, and Land Use
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This study investigated the neurotoxic effects of microplastic or nanoplastic exposure on aquatic organisms or mammalian models, assessing neurological endpoints such as behavior, brain chemistry, or neural structure. The findings demonstrate that plastic particles can reach neural tissues and impair neurological function.
Plastic pollution is ubiquitous in the environment, with microplastics (particles < 5 mm) a worldwide emergent contaminant of concern; however, no studies have explored historical patterns in freshwater macroinvertebrates in connection to species traits and changes in land use. We measured microplastics in macroinvertebrates collected from 1998–2019 at six forest, urban, and agriculture dominated streams in the Schuylkill River watershed (PA, USA). We selected representative macroinvertebrates that underwent peroxide oxidation digestion and were examined for microplastics under a dissecting microscope with Rose Bengal dye to confirm microplastic identification. Microplastics were present in 134 individuals across 24 taxa and all functional feeding groups (FFGs). Abundance of microplastics in macroinvertebrates decreased through time with an increase of agriculture land use, whereas microplastics increased with an increase of urban land use. Collector-gatherer FFG had the greatest microplastic abundance, which may be linked to Elmidae and Psephenidae (Coleoptera), which tended to have the highest abundances of microplastics compared to all other taxa in some years. This relationship may be explained by the feeding mode of these families of macroinvertebrates and that gathering particles in the water column and scraping particles from biofilms may be similarly effective in the acquisition of microplastics. Overall, understanding microplastic temporal patterns and their connections to species traits and variations in land and water use is critical to developing a predictive framework for explaining microplastic abundance in the environment and interactions with aquatic biota.
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Microplastics were found across functional feeding groups and habitat types of freshwater macroinvertebrates in an Italian river, with collector-gatherers and sediment-dwelling species showing higher contamination, confirming that dietary and behavioral ecology shapes microplastic exposure patterns in invertebrate communities.
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Researchers collected sediment cores from four Pennsylvania watersheds with different land uses to examine how land cover influences microplastic accumulation in freshwater sediments over time. Urban and agricultural watersheds showed higher microplastic concentrations than forested watersheds, with fibers being the most common morphotype.
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Researchers evaluated ingestion of microplastics and textile cellulose particles by five meiofaunal taxa and multiple functional feeding guilds in an urban first-order stream in Florence, Italy, using fluorescence microscopy and µFTIR, finding evidence of particle uptake across scrapers, deposit-feeders, predators, and various locomotion groups.
Macroinvertebrates as bioindicators of microplastic pollution in European freshwater ecosystems: insights from the RIPARIANET Project
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This RIPARIANET project study investigated microplastic pollution in European rivers by examining macroinvertebrate communities—including Baetidae, Simuliidae, and Chironomidae—from six rivers across Sweden, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Detritivorous Chironomidae are hypothesized to exhibit the highest microplastic loads due to their sediment-dwelling habits and tolerance to polluted conditions.
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