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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Polystyrene microplastics alter plankton community and enhance greenhouse gas emissions: A case study in the China coastal sea
ClearEffects of polystyrene microplastic on the growth and volatile halocarbons release of microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics inhibit the growth of the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum and significantly alter the release of volatile halocarbons, including trihalomethanes, raising concerns about microplastic impacts on oceanic climate-active trace gas production.
Ecological implications beyond the ecotoxicity of plastic debris on marine phytoplankton assemblage structure and functioning
PVC, polystyrene, and polyethylene microplastics and nanoplastics significantly reduced phytoplankton cell density, with polymer type being a key factor; given phytoplankton's role in atmospheric CO2 fixation, plastic pollution could potentially impact the marine carbon pump.
Physiological responses and altered halocarbon production in Phaeodactylum tricornutum after exposure to polystyrene microplastics
Exposure to microplastics altered physiological responses and halocarbon production in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, with implications for oceanic emissions of ozone-depleting brominated substances.
[Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics on Growth and Halocarbon Release of Marine Microalgae].
Lab experiments showed that polyethylene microplastics affected two species of marine microalgae differently, inhibiting growth of one while promoting growth of the other. Microplastic stress also increased production of reactive oxygen species and altered the release of volatile halocarbons, trace gases important for climate and ozone chemistry.
Polystyrene microplastics facilitate formation of refractory dissolved organic matter and reduce CO2 emissions
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics altered the composition and function of microbial communities in aquatic environments, promoting the formation of refractory dissolved organic matter that resists further breakdown. This shift in organic matter composition also led to reduced carbon dioxide emissions from the water system. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may have unexpected effects on aquatic carbon cycling by changing how organic matter is processed by microbes.
Plastics Affect the Ocean's Uptake of Atmospheric CO₂ across the Marine Boundary Layer
Researchers used six large-scale mesocosms to test whether microplastics in seawater affect the sea-surface microlayer and thereby influence air-sea CO2 exchange, by measuring microbial organic matter dynamics in the presence and absence of 30-micrometre polystyrene beads over a 12-day experiment. They found that microplastics altered microbial biomass production and organic compound accumulation in the sea-surface microlayer, with potential implications for the ocean's capacity to absorb atmospheric CO2.
Marine plastics alter the organic matter composition of the air-sea boundary layer, with influences on CO2 exchange: a large-scale analysis method to explore future ocean scenarios
Researchers used six large-scale mesocosms filled with Mediterranean seawater to simulate high microplastic concentration scenarios, finding that polystyrene microbeads increased microbial biomass production and organic matter enrichment in the sea-surface microlayer, with potential implications for CO2 gas exchange at the air-sea boundary.
Effects of micro- and nano-plastics on community assemblages and dimethylated sulfur compounds production
Researchers conducted a field microcosm experiment to study how micro- and nanoplastics affect marine plankton communities and the production of climate-relevant sulfur compounds. They found that medium and high concentrations of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polyamide particles disrupted zooplankton grazing and altered the production of dimethyl sulfide. The study suggests that plastic pollution could interfere with marine biogeochemical cycles that play a role in climate regulation.
Decreased Dimethylsulfideand Increased PolybrominatedMethanes: Potential Climate Effects of Microplastic Pollution in AcidifiedOcean
Researchers conducted a ship-based microcosm experiment to investigate how combined microplastic pollution and ocean acidification affect biogenic climate-active gases, finding decreased dimethylsulfide and increased polybrominated methanes, with potential implications for marine climate regulation.
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.
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.
Polystyrene microplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations exacerbate diatom blooms caused by phosphorus pollution: Rethinking coastal eutrophication
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics at environmentally realistic concentrations exacerbate diatom blooms caused by phosphorus pollution in coastal waters, suggesting that microplastics and eutrophication act synergistically to worsen algal bloom events. The findings challenge the assumption that coastal eutrophication is driven solely by nutrient enrichment and highlight microplastics as a cofactor in bloom dynamics.
Microplastics increase the marine production of particulate forms of organic matter
Researchers added polystyrene microbeads to oligotrophic seawater mesocosms and monitored organic matter and microbial dynamics over 12 days, finding that microplastics significantly increased the production of organic carbon and its aggregation into gel-like particles. The results suggest that microplastic-stimulated biofilm formation enhances particulate organic matter production with potential consequences for the marine biological pump and plastic transport.
Decreased Dimethylsulfideand Increased PolybrominatedMethanes: Potential Climate Effects of Microplastic Pollution in AcidifiedOcean
Researchers conducted a ship-based microcosm experiment examining the combined effects of microplastic pollution and ocean acidification on short-lived biogenic climate-active gases, finding that these stressors together decreased dimethylsulfide while increasing polybrominated methanes, suggesting novel climate feedback pathways.
Elevated CO2 aggravated polystyrene microplastics effects on the rice-soil system under field conditions
Researchers found that elevated CO2 concentrations aggravate the negative effects of polystyrene microplastics on rice growth and soil bacterial communities under field conditions, suggesting that climate change may worsen microplastic impacts on agriculture.
Effects of microplastics on coastal planktonic community
This book chapter reviews how microplastics affect coastal phytoplankton communities, covering physical clogging, chemical toxicity, and disruption of photosynthesis and cell division across diatoms, dinoflagellates, and cyanobacteria. Since phytoplankton form the base of marine food webs and produce roughly half of Earth's oxygen, widespread microplastic-driven decline in these communities would have cascading consequences for ocean ecosystems and global climate.
Decreased Dimethylsulfide and Increased Polybrominated Methanes: Potential Climate Effects of Microplastic Pollution in Acidified Ocean
A ship-based microcosm experiment simulating ocean acidification and microplastic pollution found that combined conditions decreased dimethylsulfide production and increased polybrominated methane emissions, with potential climate-active gas implications for ocean carbon cycling.
The combined effects of ocean warming and microplastic pollution on marine phytoplankton community dynamics
Researchers studied the combined effects of microplastic pollution and rising ocean temperatures on tiny marine plants called phytoplankton. While microplastics alone had minimal impact at current temperatures, when combined with warmer water conditions, phytoplankton biomass dropped by 41% and diversity fell by nearly 39%. The study suggests that climate change may dramatically amplify the harmful effects of microplastic pollution on the ocean organisms responsible for a significant portion of global carbon capture.
Impact of polystyrene microplastics on major marine primary (phytoplankton) and secondary producers (copepod)
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics reduced the growth of marine microalgae and negatively impacted copepod survival, demonstrating harmful effects on both primary and secondary producers at the base of the marine food web.
Microplastics disrupt microalgal carbon fixation: Efficiency and underlying mechanisms
Researchers exposed the microalga Chlorella pyrenoidosa to polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics and found up to 39% inhibition of carbon fixation, driven by reduced chlorophyll content, increased oxidative stress, and downregulation of genes in the Calvin cycle and chlorophyll metabolism, with implications for aquatic carbon cycling.
Plastic leachates promote marine protozoan growth
Researchers studied how chemicals leaching from ocean plastics affect the growth of a marine protozoan and its associated bacteria. They found that plastic leachates dramatically increased dissolved organic carbon in seawater, boosting protozoan growth by up to ten times compared to controls. The study suggests that plastic pollution may be altering the base of marine food webs by providing an unnatural carbon source that shifts microbial community dynamics.
Emerging challenges of microplastic impacts to ecological health and climate change
This review examines how microplastics contribute not only to environmental pollution but also to climate change by altering microbial processes, disrupting biogeochemical cycles, and promoting greenhouse gas release. Researchers found that microplastics affect carbon cycling, phytoplankton photosynthesis, and atmospheric processes in ways that may exacerbate global warming. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps in understanding the mechanisms linking microplastic pollution to greenhouse gas emissions.
Interference of microplastics on autotrophic microbiome in paddy soils: Shifts in carbon fixation rate, structure, abundance, co-occurrence, and assembly process
Researchers found that both conventional polystyrene and biodegradable PHBV microplastics significantly reduced carbon fixation rates in paddy soil by disrupting autotrophic microbial communities. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may impair natural carbon sequestration processes, with polystyrene having a stronger inhibitory effect than biodegradable alternatives in bulk soil.
Microplastics Reshape the Fate of Aqueous Carbon by Inducing Dynamic Changes in Biodiversity and Chemodiversity
Researchers found that microplastics reshape aqueous carbon cycling by releasing chemical additives that inhibit autotrophic bacteria, promoting CO2 emissions, and stimulating microbial metabolic pathways that transform dissolved organic matter into more stable, less bioavailable forms.