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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Polystyrene microplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations exacerbate diatom blooms caused by phosphorus pollution: Rethinking coastal eutrophication
ClearPolystyrene microplastics alter plankton community and enhance greenhouse gas emissions: A case study in the China coastal sea
Researchers demonstrated through ship-based and laboratory experiments that polystyrene microplastics suppress phytoplankton growth by up to 82 percent and increase dissolved organic carbon accumulation in coastal seawater. The microplastics restructured plankton communities and enhanced the production of brominated volatile halocarbons, which are ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in coastal waters may have cascading effects on marine carbon cycling and atmospheric chemistry.
Impact of polystyrene microplastics on the growth and photosynthetic efficiency of diatom Chaetoceros neogracile
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics significantly reduced the growth and photosynthetic ability of the diatom Chaetoceros neogracile, an important part of the ocean food web. Higher concentrations of microplastics caused more damage, decreasing the algae's ability to produce energy from light. Since diatoms are a foundational food source in the ocean, this disruption could ripple through the food chain and ultimately affect the quality of seafood that reaches people's plates.
Effects of plastisphere on phosphorus availability in freshwater system: Critical roles of polymer type and colonizing habitat
This study examined how biofilm-covered microplastics of different polymer types affect phosphorus availability in freshwater, finding that polymer type and colonization habitat determined whether plastisphere biofilms acted as phosphorus sources or sinks, with implications for nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems.
The effect of polystyrene plastics on the toxicity of triphenyltin to the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum—influence of plastic particle size
The presence of polystyrene particles of different sizes was found to modify the toxicity of triphenyltin (a toxic organotin compound) to the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum, with effects depending on whether the plastic particles increased or decreased the bioavailability of the chemical. The study illustrates how microplastics can alter the toxicity of co-occurring chemical pollutants to sensitive marine microalgae.
Persistence and Recovery of Polystyrene and Polymethyl Methacrylate Microplastic Toxicity on Diatoms
Researchers tested whether the toxic effects of polystyrene and polymethyl methacrylate microplastics on marine diatoms persist after the plastic particles are removed. They found that both types of microplastics inhibited algal growth, increased oxidative stress, and caused structural damage, with some effects lingering even after a recovery period. The study suggests that even temporary microplastic exposure can cause lasting harm to the tiny algae that produce nearly 40% of the ocean's oxygen.
Effects of polystyrene microplastics on the extracellular and intracellular dissolved organic matter released by Skeletonema costatum using a novel in situ method
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics affect the dissolved organic matter released by the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum. They found that microplastic exposure altered both the quantity and chemical composition of organic compounds released by the algae, which could in turn influence how other contaminants behave in seawater. The study reveals an indirect pathway through which microplastics may affect marine chemistry and pollutant cycling.
Combined effects of microplastics and warming enhance algal carbon and nitrogen storage
Researchers examined the combined effects of warming temperatures and polystyrene microplastics on the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. While warming alone decreased cell viability, the combination of microplastics and warming unexpectedly increased growth rate and nitrogen uptake by promoting fatty acid metabolism and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution combined with marine heatwaves may alter algal carbon and nitrogen cycling in ways that could have broader ecological implications.
Microplastics trigger the Matthew effect on nitrogen assimilation in marine diatoms at an environmentally relevant concentration
This study found that environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics triggered a Matthew effect on nitrogen assimilation in marine diatoms, where nutrient-rich conditions amplified microplastic-induced changes in nitrogen uptake, potentially disrupting marine nitrogen cycling and primary productivity.
Polystyrene microplastic contamination versus microplankton abundances in two lagoons of the Florida Keys
Researchers unexpectedly discovered high concentrations of polystyrene microplastic particles — reaching up to 76,000 particles per liter — in two coastal lagoons of the Florida Keys during routine microplankton surveys, with particle sizes overlapping those of microplanktonic algae and raising concerns about ecological misidentification and food web impacts.
Diatom and macroinvertebrate communities dynamic: a co-occurrence pattern analysis on plastic substrates
Researchers examined how diatoms and invertebrates colonize plastic debris in wetlands, finding that plastic surfaces host distinct biological communities compared to natural substrates. This suggests that plastic pollution in wetlands disrupts natural ecosystem processes beyond direct physical harm to wildlife.
Warming and microplastic pollution shape the carbon and nitrogen cycles of algae
Researchers investigated how ocean warming combined with microplastic pollution affects carbon and nitrogen cycling in marine diatoms and dinoflagellates, revealing that these combined stressors alter key biochemical processes in dominant phytoplankton species.
Varied influence of aged microplastics and related leachates on phosphorus transformation and release from the sediments
Researchers investigated how aged microplastics and their chemical leachates affect phosphorus cycling in freshwater sediments, a process linked to harmful algal blooms. They found that different types of weathered plastics and their leachates altered microbial communities and shifted the forms of phosphorus present in sediments. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in lake and river sediments may contribute to nutrient imbalances that worsen water quality problems.
The Impact of Microplastics on the Growth of Skeletonema Costatum
Researchers exposed the marine diatom Skeletonema costatum to polystyrene microplastics at 0.1 and 10 mg/L, finding that both concentrations initially stimulated cell growth and chlorophyll content but also elevated antioxidant enzyme activity, indicating a stress response even when growth appeared enhanced.
Distribution and diversity of diatoms with relation to the type of microplastics in sonmiani bay waters, Pakistan
Researchers examined diatom species diversity in Sonmiani Bay, Pakistan in relation to microplastic type and concentration, investigating how microplastic contamination affects the distribution and abundance of these unicellular photoautotrophic microalgae in coastal waters.
Polystyrene microplastics increase microbial release of marine Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter in microcosm experiments
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics increased microbial release of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in marine microcosm experiments, suggesting that microplastics can alter microbial community dynamics and influence the optical properties and carbon cycling of marine waters.
Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Growth and Grazing Rates Reduced by Microplastic Ingestion
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastic ingestion significantly reduced the growth and grazing rates of heterotrophic dinoflagellates, suggesting that microplastic pollution could disrupt marine microbial food webs at the single-celled predator level.
Are Microplastics Always Toxic? --Certain Concentrations of Polystyrene Are Promoters of Marine Algae Growth and Heavy Metal Bioremediation
This study tested the counterintuitive hypothesis that some concentrations of polystyrene microplastics might stimulate rather than inhibit biological processes, finding evidence of stimulatory effects at low concentrations. The results suggest microplastic toxicity follows a hormesis pattern and calls for careful dose selection in experiments.
An emerging sink for phosphorus in lake ecosystems: Microplastic-enabled iron and phosphorus costabilization in the overlying water
This study showed that microplastics floating in lake water can act as surfaces that convert dissolved iron into a form that binds phosphorus, effectively pulling phosphorus out of the water column—but the same microplastics could later release that phosphorus back if conditions change. The mechanism varied by polymer type: some plastics formed chemical bonds with phosphorus while others caused physical crystal growth. Because phosphorus drives algal blooms and eutrophication, this previously unrecognized role of microplastics as phosphorus carriers adds a new dimension to how plastic pollution affects lake water quality.
Complex interactions among temperature, microplastics and cyanobacteria may facilitate cyanobacteria proliferation and microplastic deposition
Researchers investigated how microplastics interact with temperature and nutrient conditions to affect cyanobacterial growth, finding that microplastics can alter cyanobacterial physiology and potentially exacerbate bloom formation under warming conditions.
Combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and dinophysistoxin-1 (DTX1) on physiological performance of marine diatom Thalassiosira minima
Scientists studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and a marine algal toxin called dinophysistoxin-1 affect a common ocean diatom, both individually and in combination. The nanoplastics alone reduced diatom growth by over 50%, while the toxin reduced it by 22%, but when combined, the nanoplastics actually absorbed some of the toxin and partially offset its effects. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in coastal waters creates complex, unpredictable interactions with other marine contaminants that could disrupt the base of the ocean food chain.
Effects of polystyrene and triphenyl phosphate on growth, photosynthesis and oxidative stress of Chaetoceros meülleri
Researchers studied the single and combined toxicity of polystyrene microplastics and the flame retardant triphenyl phosphate on the marine diatom Chaetoceros muelleri. Both pollutants individually inhibited cell growth and increased oxidative stress, while their combined exposure produced interactive effects on photosynthesis and cell membrane integrity. The study suggests that microplastics and their associated chemical additives can jointly impact the health of marine microalgae at the base of the food web.
Plastic-associated harmful phytoplankton assemblages in coastal and off-shore habitats of the Mediterranean Sea
Researchers used qPCR to detect harmful phytoplankton assemblages on Mediterranean micro and macroplastics and evaluated the impact of polystyrene nanoparticles on the harmful diatom Skeletonema marinoi, finding that all plastic samples harbored toxic dinoflagellate and diatom species including Alexandrium pacificum and Pseudo-nitzschia spp., with nanoparticle exposure increasing reactive oxygen species production in the diatom.
Combined Effects of Microplastics and Benzo[a]pyrene on the Marine Diatom Chaetoceros muelleri
Researchers investigated the combined effects of microplastics and benzo[a]pyrene on marine diatoms, finding that co-exposure altered toxicity outcomes compared to individual exposures, with effects varying depending on microplastic polymer type and size.
Altered biotoxicity of cadmium to freshwater green algae by different concentrations of polystyrene
Polystyrene microplastics at low concentrations partially reduced cadmium toxicity to freshwater green algae, while higher concentrations exacerbated it, demonstrating that combined pollution effects on algae are concentration-dependent.