Experimental evaluation of microplastic consumption by using a size-fractionation approach in the planktonic communities

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 821; p. 153045
• Main Authors: da Silva, João Vitor Fonseca, Lansac-Tôha, Fernando Miranda, Segovia, Bianca Trevizan, Amadeo, Felipe Emiliano, Braghin, Louizi de Souza Magalhães, Velho, Luiz Felipe Machado, Sarmento, Hugo, Bonecker, Claudia Costa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.05.2022
• Subjects: Animals; Ecosystem; Environmental Monitoring; Food Chain; Food web; Lakes; Microplastics; Plankton; Plastic pollution; Plastics; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Zooplankton; PSF; MP; Food web; NCR; Zooplankton; Plastic pollution
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153045

The increasing amount of plastic particles introduced into continental aquatic environments has drawn the attention of researchers around the globe. These particles can be assimilated by a wide range of aquatic organisms, from microorganisms to fish, causing detrimental effects on trophic webs. Using an experimental approach, we investigated the effect of microplastic particles of different sizes on the planktonic trophic chain by sampling natural plankton communities from a lake located in the Upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil. Zooplankton samples were collected at the beginning of the experiment and after 36 h of incubation. Microplastic particles (MP) samples were taken every 12 h. The effect of MP particle consumption from the control and treatment groups indicates significant effects by all plankton size fractions (p < 0.05). We demonstrated that the presence of MP particles can significantly affect the trophic web, furthermore, we detected the effect of higher consumption effect of smaller size MP particles. This study suggest that the largest MP consumption effects come from the lower trophic levels of the trophic chain, such as protists. The competitive effect of large predators is a crucial factor in controlling the abundance of populations, and although they did not directly consume MP particles, they ingest them indirectly through prey capable of absorbing these compounds in the environment. Our findings warn that MP particles enter the food webs of tropical regions when exposed to these pollutants, and that the presence of these particles should not be neglected when studying freshwater ecosystems. [Display omitted] •This study experimentally analyzed the effects of microplastic particles on different links of planktonic trophic webs.•Impacts of different sizes of microplastic particles were estimated.•The experimental approach identified that the highest particle consumption occurs mainly in the lower links of the trophic web.•Smaller microplastic particles are significantly more consumed.•Higher links do not consume microplastic particles directly, however they can absorb these compounds in alternative routes.