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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Nanoplastics rewire freshwater food webs
ClearNanoplastics modulate the outcome of a zooplankton–microparasite interaction
Researchers found that nanoplastics can alter the outcome of zooplankton-microparasite interactions, demonstrating that plastic pollution at the nanoscale may disrupt host-parasite dynamics in freshwater ecosystems with cascading ecological effects.
Fish microplastic ingestion may induce tipping points of aquatic ecosystems
Researchers used a three-species trophic chain model to investigate how microplastic ingestion by planktivorous fish could produce cascading effects throughout aquatic ecosystems. The study suggests that gradually increasing microplastic concentrations may induce ecological tipping points, where sublethal effects on fish at intermediate trophic levels ripple up and down the food chain to affect both predators and prey populations.
Important ecological processes are affected by the accumulation and trophic transfer of nanoplastics in a freshwater periphyton-grazer food chain
Researchers found that nanoplastics bioaccumulate and transfer trophically in a freshwater periphyton-grazer food chain, affecting fundamental ecological processes and highlighting significant gaps in our understanding of nanoplastic risks in freshwater ecosystems.
Nanoplastics diversify and reshape Daphnia microbiomes in parasite-infected and uninfected hosts
Scientists exposed water fleas (Daphnia magna) to polystyrene nanoplastics of two sizes, with and without a yeast parasite infection, and analyzed changes in their gut and body microbiomes. The smallest nanoplastics at the highest concentration caused the most dramatic shifts in bacterial communities, with effects that exceeded those caused by the parasite alone. The results suggest that nanoplastic pollution could fundamentally reshape the beneficial microbes that aquatic organisms depend on for their health.
Trophic transfer and individual impact of nano-sized polystyrene in a four-species freshwater food chain
Researchers traced nano-sized polystyrene plastics through a four-species freshwater food chain — from algae to water fleas to two fish species — finding that nanoplastics transferred at each level and caused reduced activity, liver damage in fish, and penetration into fish embryos. The results highlight the broad ecological and health risks of nanoplastics moving up through aquatic food webs.
Microplastics impact simple aquatic food web dynamics through reduced zooplankton feeding and potentially releasing algae from consumer control
Researchers investigated how environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics affect freshwater food web dynamics using two zooplankton species. The study found that microplastic exposure reduced zooplankton feeding rates, which could potentially release algae from consumer control and disrupt aquatic food chain balance.
Microplastic ingestion by Daphnia magna and its enhancement on algal growth
Researchers examined microplastic ingestion by the freshwater zooplankton Daphnia magna and its downstream effects on algal growth, finding that the organisms readily ingested microparticles. The study also observed that microplastic exposure indirectly enhanced algal growth, possibly by reducing grazing pressure, suggesting that plastic pollution could alter freshwater food web dynamics.
Effects of nanoplastic exposure routes on leaf decomposition in streams
Researchers conducted a microcosm experiment showing that dietary exposure to nanoplastics — through eating contaminated leaf litter — more severely disrupts stream food webs than waterborne exposure, reducing microbial enzyme activity, lowering leaf lipid content, and decreasing river snail feeding rates by up to 17%.
Effects of a microplastic mixture differ across trophic levels and taxa in a freshwater food web: In situ mesocosm experiment
Researchers conducted the first in situ mesocosm experiment testing the effects of a microplastic mixture on a freshwater lake food web, spanning multiple trophic levels. The study found that microplastic effects varied across different organisms and trophic levels, providing important community-level evidence that laboratory findings may not fully predict how microplastics impact real aquatic ecosystems.
Bipartite trophic levels cannot resist the interference of microplastics: A case study of submerged macrophytes and snail
Researchers studied how microplastics affect a two-level food chain consisting of a submerged aquatic plant and freshwater snails living together. They found that increasing microplastic concentrations harmed both organisms, reducing plant growth and disrupting snail feeding behavior and reproduction. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can destabilize interconnected species relationships in freshwater ecosystems.
Negative food dilution and positive biofilm carrier effects of microplastic ingestion by D. magna cause tipping points at the population level
Experiments with Daphnia magna showed that clean microplastics reduced survival and reproduction through food dilution at high concentrations, while biofouled microplastics had a slight positive biofilm carrier effect, with the net outcome depending on the balance between these competing mechanisms.
Nanoplastic-mediated disruption of freshwater carbon cycling via modulating of plankton communities
Researchers exposed freshwater mesocosms to polystyrene nanoplastics (80–500 nm) at 1 mg/L and found significant disruption of zooplankton and bacterial community structure, which altered carbon cycling processes — suggesting nanoplastics can impair the ecosystem functions that regulate freshwater carbon flux.
Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms
Researchers examined how microplastic exposure across trophic levels affects the gut microbiota of freshwater organisms, finding that microplastics alter microbial community composition and that effects can transfer through food web interactions.
Toxicological review of micro- and nano-plastics in aquatic environments: Risks to ecosystems, food web dynamics and human health.
This review synthesized evidence on the toxicological effects of micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic ecosystems, covering risks to individual organisms, disruptions to food web dynamics, and pathways through which plastic exposure poses risks to human health via seafood consumption.
The organism fate of inland freshwater system under micro-/nano-plastic pollution: A review of past decade.
This review synthesized a decade of research on how micro- and nano-plastics affect freshwater organisms including microalgae, macrophytes, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, and fish, finding that impacts range from impaired photosynthesis and oxidative stress to reproductive disruption and behavioral changes across multiple biological levels.
Evaluating sublethal effects of long-term exposure of Daphnia magna to nanoplastics at a low concentration
Lab experiments exposed Daphnia magna — a water flea that links primary producers to larger predators — to nanoplastics at low concentrations over multiple generations. The nanoplastics caused sublethal reproductive effects that became more pronounced over successive generations, suggesting that long-term, low-level nanoplastic exposure in the environment could gradually impair aquatic invertebrate population health.
Nano- and microplastics affect the composition of freshwater benthic communities in the long term
Researchers conducted a 15-month mesocosm experiment exposing freshwater communities to five concentrations of nano- and microplastics, assessing long-term effects on community composition under ecologically realistic conditions. The study found that chronic exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations affected the composition of freshwater microalgal assemblages.
Progress in the Research on Bioavailability of Nanoplastics to Freshwater Plankton
A review of recent research finds that nanoplastics can be taken up by freshwater phytoplankton and zooplankton, transferred up the food web, and cause toxic effects — but significant gaps remain in understanding how much actually enters organisms in real-world settings. Because plankton underpin aquatic food webs and nutrient cycling, nanoplastic contamination at this foundational level could have cascading consequences for freshwater ecosystem health.
Microplastics can affect the trophic cascade strength and stability of plankton ecosystems via behavior-mediated indirect interactions
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect plankton food webs and found that the particles altered the feeding behavior of water fleas, reducing their ability to graze on algae. This behavioral change weakened the trophic cascade effect, where predators normally help control algae populations through their influence on grazers. The study demonstrates that microplastics can destabilize aquatic ecosystems by disrupting the behavioral interactions between species at different levels of the food chain.
Ecotoxicity of microplastics to freshwater biota: Considering exposure and hazard across trophic levels
This review examines the toxic effects of microplastics on freshwater organisms across multiple levels of the food web, from biofilms and plankton to fish and amphibians. Researchers found evidence of harm in several species, though effects varied widely depending on particle size, type, and concentration. The study highlights that freshwater microplastic toxicity is still poorly understood compared to marine environments and calls for more standardized research.
Nanoplastic Affects Growth ofS. obliquusand Reproduction ofD. magna
Researchers tested the effects of nanoplastics on freshwater algae and tiny water fleas, two organisms at the base of aquatic food chains. They found that nano-polystyrene particles reduced algae growth through physical binding to cell surfaces and inhibited reproduction in water fleas at concentrations as low as 30 milligrams per liter. The study demonstrates that nanoplastics can harm freshwater organisms at multiple levels of the food web, even at relatively low concentrations.
Effects of Microplastics on Reproduction and Growth of Freshwater Live Feeds Daphnia magna
Researchers found that microplastic exposure negatively affected reproduction and juvenile growth in Daphnia magna, a key freshwater zooplankton species, with effects worsening at higher concentrations and posing risks for aquatic food chains.
Effect of Microplastics on Aquatic Food Chain and Food Web Altering Phytoplankton Community Structure
This review examines how microplastics affect phytoplankton community structure and how these effects propagate through aquatic food chains and food webs, with implications for nutrient cycling and ecosystem services.
Distribution, bioaccumulation, and trophic transfer of palladium-doped nanoplastics in a constructed freshwater ecosystem
Researchers used palladium-doped nanoplastics as tracers in a constructed freshwater ecosystem to quantitatively track distribution, bioaccumulation, and trophic transfer, finding that nanoplastics move through multiple trophic levels and accumulate in organisms.