| Title: | Bioavailability of Microplastics to Marine Zooplankton: Effect of Shape and Infochemicals |
| Author(s): | Botterell ZLR; Beaumont N; Cole M; Hopkins FE; Steinke M; Thompson RC; Lindeque PK; |
| Address: | "Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, U.K. School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, U.K. Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, U.K. Marine Biogeochemistry and Ocean Observations, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, U.K. Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre (MBERC), School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, U.K" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1520-5851 (Electronic) 0013-936X (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The underlying mechanisms that influence microplastic ingestion in marine zooplankton remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate how microplastics of a variety of shapes (bead, fiber, and fragment), in combination with the algal-derived infochemicals dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), affect the ingestion rate of microplastics in three species of zooplankton, the copepods Calanus helgolandicus and Acartia tonsa and larvae of the European lobster Homarus gammarus. We show that shape affects microplastic bioavailability to different species of zooplankton, with each species ingesting significantly more of a certain shape: C. helgolandicus-fragments (P < 0.05); A. tonsa-fibers (P < 0.01); H. gammarus larvae-beads (P < 0.05). Thus, different feeding strategies between species may affect shape selectivity. Our results also showed significantly increased ingestion rates by C. helgolandicus on all microplastics that were infused with DMS (P < 0.01) and by H. gammarus larvae and A. tonsa on DMS-infused fibers and fragments (P < 0.05). By using a range of more environmentally relevant microplastics, our findings highlight how the feeding strategies of different zooplankton species may influence their susceptibility to microplastic ingestion. Furthermore, our novel study suggests that species reliant on chemosensory cues to locate their prey may be at an increased risk of ingesting aged microplastics in the marine environment" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Biological Availability Environmental Monitoring Microplastics Plastics *Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis *Zooplankton;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineBotterell, Zara L R Beaumont, Nicola Cole, Matthew Hopkins, Frances E Steinke, Michael Thompson, Richard C Lindeque, Penelope K eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2020/09/16 Environ Sci Technol. 2020 Oct 6; 54(19):12024-12033. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02715. Epub 2020 Sep 14" |
