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Multigenerational effects of polylactic acid microplastics on the microbiota of the sentinel copepod Eurytemora affinis
AI summary
Researchers exposed the estuarine copepod Eurytemora affinis to polylactic acid microplastics across four generations and found significant reductions in gut microbiota diversity starting in the second generation, with enrichment of plastic-degrading bacteria and altered fatty acid metabolism pathways, though the microbiome showed signs of partial recovery after one contaminant-free generation.
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Acute and multigenerational toxicity of polylactic acid microplastics on a copepod bioindicator
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Researchers discovered that polylactic acid microplastics, marketed as eco-friendly biodegradable plastics, are toxic to a key zooplankton species across multiple generations, raising concerns that "bioplastic" alternatives may not be as safe for aquatic ecosystems as widely assumed.
The Impact of Microplastics on Marine Copepods
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Marine copepods, a foundational link in ocean food webs, ingest microplastics alongside natural prey, causing reduced feeding, reproductive impairment, and energy depletion that can cascade up through fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Because copepods transfer energy from phytoplankton to higher trophic levels, their contamination with microplastics poses systemic risks to entire marine food chains.
Environmental Fate and Effects of Microplastics on Organisms
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This review examined the environmental fate of microplastics — including fragmentation dynamics, sorption of co-contaminants, and bioaccumulation through food webs — alongside their toxic effects on organisms ranging from invertebrates to mammals. Understanding how plastics persist, concentrate toxicants, and biomagnify through trophic levels is essential for predicting long-term health consequences for wildlife and human consumers.
Microplastics in Biota
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Microplastics have been detected in biota across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, demonstrating their ability to enter food webs at multiple trophic levels. Their omnipresence in living organisms raises concerns about bioaccumulation of both the plastic particles and the chemical additives and adsorbed pollutants they carry.
Microplastics in Biota
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Researchers summarized evidence that microplastics have infiltrated living organisms across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, posing a broad threat to biodiversity. Their persistence in biological tissues means they can accumulate up the food chain, ultimately reaching humans through diet.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.