Microplastic ingestion ubiquitous in marine turtles

Despite concerns regarding the environmental impacts of microplastics, knowledge of the incidence and levels of synthetic particles in large marine vertebrates is lacking. Here, we utilize an optimized enzymatic digestion methodology, previously developed for zooplankton, to explore whether synthetic particles could be isolated from marine turtle ingesta. We report the presence of synthetic particles in every turtle subjected to investigation (n = 102) which included individuals from all seven species of marine turtle, sampled from three ocean basins (Atlantic [ATL]: n = 30, four species; Mediterranean (MED): n = 56, two species; Pacific (PAC): n = 16, five species). Most particles (n = 811) were fibres (ATL: 77.1% MED: 85.3% PAC: 64.8%) with blue and black being the dominant colours. In lesser quantities were fragments (ATL: 22.9%: MED: 14.7% PAC: 20.2%) and microbeads (4.8%; PAC only; to our knowledge the first isolation of microbeads from marine megavertebrates). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) of a subsample of particles (n = 169) showed a range of synthetic materials such as elastomers (MED: 61.2%; PAC: 3.4%), thermoplastics (ATL: 36.8%: MED: 20.7% PAC: 27.7%) and synthetic regenerated cellulosic fibres (SRCF; ATL: 63.2%: MED: 5.8% PAC: 68.9%). Synthetic particles being isolated from species occupying different trophic levels suggest the possibility of multiple ingestion pathways. These include exposure from polluted seawater and sediments and/or additional trophic transfer from contaminated prey/forage items. We assess the likelihood that microplastic ingestion presents a significant conservation problem at current levels compared to other anthropogenic threats.     

城乡景观中土壤生态系统微塑料的来源、迁移特征及其风险

土壤微塑料污染的持久性、复杂性及其对土壤生态系统的影响受到越来越广泛的关注,但对其来源、迁移过程等仍有许多问题尚未理清。从复合生态系统的角度,通过对城乡景观中土壤微塑料的来源、迁移过程及其风险等相关研究进展进行了系统梳理,分析了城乡不同景观中土壤微塑料的主要来源和特点,讨论了土壤微塑料在城乡景观中的迁移特征及其驱动力,探讨了土壤微塑料在城乡景观中的生态和健康风险。今后需进一步明确城乡景观中土壤微塑料污染的物质流过程与环境归趋特征,加强微塑料对土壤生态系统的作用过程及生态系统服务影响的研究,揭示土壤微塑料对人类健康的直接或间接影响,建立城乡复合生态系统土壤微塑料污染预测模型,以维护土壤生态安全与人居环境健康。     

First record of microplastics ingestion by European hake MERLUCCIUS MERLUCCIUS from the Tyrrhenian Sicilian coast (Central Mediterranean Sea)

A sample of 67 European hake Merluccius merluccius were examined to highlight the ingestion of microplastics in the Tyrrhenian Sea. In all samples, 31 black fibres were found in the stomach contents corresponding to 46.3% of the specimens. The data presented here could be important for the implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive in Mediterranean waters.     

聚苯乙烯微塑料对黑藻生长及生理生化特征的影响

为探讨淡水环境中微塑料的污染对沉水植物产生的生理生化影响,选择典型沉水植物黑藻为供试材料,以粒径3 μm的聚苯乙烯微塑料颗粒(PS-MPs)为外源胁迫污染物,通过添加不同浓度的PS-MPs(5、10、30、50、100 mg·L^-1)设置不同暴露组及对照组,测定沉水植物的株高、生物量、叶绿素含量、抗氧化酶活性、光合荧光参数及荧光成像的变化特征。结果表明: 50～100 mg·L^-1PS-MPs下黑藻的株高显著下降;较低浓度下(如5 mg·L^-1)黑藻的鲜重显著升高,但随着PS-MPs暴露浓度进一步增加,黑藻鲜重降低,干重无显著变化。黑藻叶绿素总量、叶绿素a和叶绿素a/b均随PS-MPs浓度的增加呈显著下降趋势,叶绿素b无明显变化。PS-MPs处理下超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和过氧化物酶(POD)活性均随胁迫浓度的增加呈先上升后下降的趋势,叶绿素荧光参数(F_o、F_m、F_v/F_m)均呈下降趋势,而稳态下的PSⅡ反应中心关闭程度(1-Q_p-Lss)总体呈上升趋势,这可能与PS-MPs抑制黑藻PSⅡ反应中心有关。黑藻的荧光成像强度随PS-MPs浓度的增加而降低,在PS-MPs浓度为10 mg·L^-1及以下时,黑藻叶片表现出正常的光合活性;当PS-MPs为30 mg·L^-1及以上时,叶片边缘的光合强度小于茎秆及其周边,叶片呈现发黄、残叶等现象。推测黑藻基本能适应低浓度PS-MPs(0～30 mg·L^-1)的污染水域,而在PS-MPs高于30 mg·L^-1的污染水域中其生长和光合作用将受到抑制。     

鄱阳湖湿地水土环境中微塑料的时空分布及多源性

淡水湿地中日益严重的微塑料(MPs)污染已引起全球关注。为了解鄱阳湖典型湿地微塑料的时空动态特征,相继于丰水期和枯水期采集鄱阳湖流域五河入湖段和鄱阳湖汇入长江出湖段的水体和沉积物样品,分别采用消解抽滤法和浮选分离-消解抽滤法分离水体和沉积物中的微塑料,采用显微镜、傅里叶变换红外光谱仪和扫描电镜鉴定分析微塑料表征。结果表明: 鄱阳湖各区域丰水期水体和沉积物微塑料丰度范围分别为32.1～127.3 n·L^-1和533.3～1286.6 n·kg^-1,枯水期分别为87.1～295.5 n·L^-1和460.0～1368.0 n·kg^-1,与其他淡水湿地相比,鄱阳湖具有较高的微塑料丰度,且各区域间呈时空差异性。研究区微塑料的主要形态有微球、碎片、薄膜和纤维等,相应聚合物成分主要为聚苯乙烯(PS)、聚丙烯(PP)和聚乙烯(PE)等;水体中微塑料以微球类(丰水期35.7%,枯水期52.0%)为主要形态,沉积物中以碎片类(丰水期45.8%,枯水期69.7%)为主要形态;两个水期水体和沉积物中均以小粒径(<0.1 mm)微塑料占优势(>50%),不同粒径微塑料丰度随粒径增大呈减少趋势。鄱阳湖湿地微塑料的潜在主要来源包括工业废水排放、城乡生活污水处理厂排放、农业和渔业活动以及生活垃圾处理不当。     

我国三大水系环境微塑料污染现状及其表面微生物群落特征的研究进展

微塑料(microplastics,MPs)广泛存在于水生生态系统表层,可为水环境中微生物的富集提供独特的生态位,并对生态系统及人类健康造成潜在威胁。我国是塑料生产及使用大国,正面临着严重的塑料污染问题,我国水系的微塑料污染状况及其表面微生物群落的生态效应受到重点关注。本文总结了我国三大水系(长江、黄河、珠江)微塑料污染现状、微塑料表面微生物群落的分布特征及影响因素,最后对我国水环境中微塑料表面的微生物研究现状和未来发展提出总结与展望。     

微塑料与土壤环境中微生物互作研究进展

作为环境中广泛存在的污染物,微塑料(microplastics)的相关研究备受关注。基于已有研究,本文综合分析了微塑料与土壤微生物(soil microorganisms)的互作关系,微塑料会通过直接或间接的方式影响微生物群落结构与多样性,影响的程度取决于微塑料的类型、剂量和形状。土壤微生物会通过形成表面生物膜和群落选择效应来适应微塑料这一外来物所引起的变化。本文还特别关注了微塑料的生物降解机理,同时探究了影响这一过程的因素,微生物首先会定殖在微塑料表面,分泌多种胞外酶在特定位点发挥作用,将聚合物转化成低聚物或单体,解聚的小分子进入胞内进一步分解代谢,而影响这一降解过程的因素除了分子量、密度、结晶度等微塑料自身理化性质,还包括一些生物因素和非生物因素对相关微生物生长代谢和酶活性的作用。未来研究应注重与实际环境的联系,在深入探究微塑料生物降解研究的同时,开发解决微塑料污染问题的新技术。     

Food web transfer of plastics to an apex riverine predator

As a rapidly accelerating expression of global change, plastics now occur extensively in freshwater ecosystems, yet there is barely any evidence of their transfer through food webs. Following previous observations that plastics occur widely in their prey, we used a field study of free‐living Eurasian dippers (Cinclus cinclus), to test the hypotheses that (1) plastics are transferred from prey to predators in rivers, (2) plastics contained in prey are transferred by adults to altricial offspring during provisioning and (3) plastic concentrations in faecal and regurgitated pellets from dippers increase with urbanization. Plastic occurred in 50% of regurgitates (n = 74) and 45% of faecal samples (n = 92) collected non‐invasively from adult and nestling dippers at 15 sites across South Wales (UK). Over 95% of particles were fibres, and concentrations in samples increased with urban land cover. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy identified multiple polymers, including polyester, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride and vinyl chloride copolymers. Although characterized by uncertainty, steady‐state models using energetic data along with plastic concentration in prey and excreta suggest that around 200 plastic particles are ingested daily by dippers, but also excreted at rates that suggest transitory throughput. As some of the first evidence revealing that plastic is now being transferred through freshwater food webs, and between adult passerines and their offspring, these data emphasize the need to appraise the potential ecotoxicological consequences of increasing plastic pollution.     

聚苯乙烯与邻苯二甲酸二丁酯共存对紫叶生菜的毒性效应

微塑料作为环境污染物的载体,近年来受到广泛关注,而人们对聚苯乙烯颗粒(PS)与污染物共存对蔬菜的直接和间接影响认识有限。本研究采用水培方法分析了0.25、0.50、1.0 mg·mL^-1 PS和5 mg·L^-1邻苯二甲酸二丁酯(DBP)共存对紫叶生菜生物量和生化指标的影响。结果表明: 与DBP对照组相比,PS的存在强化了DBP对紫叶生菜生物量的抑制,增加了紫叶生菜根和叶中超氧阴离子含量,诱导超氧化物歧化酶、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶、脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶和单脱氢抗坏血酸还原酶活性增强。透射电镜结果显示,单一的DBP导致生菜根细胞质壁分离,单一PS造成根细胞壁受到损伤,而两者共存加重了对细胞结构的影响。因此,PS与DBP共存加剧了对紫叶生菜的毒害作用。     

Transport and release of chemicals from plastics to the environment and to wildlife

Plastics debris in the marine environment, including resin pellets, fragments and microscopic plastic fragments, contain organic contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, petroleum hydrocarbons, organochlorine pesticides (2,2′-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane, hexachlorinated hexanes), polybrominated diphenylethers, alkylphenols and bisphenol A, at concentrations from sub ng g^–1 to µg g^–1. Some of these compounds are added during plastics manufacture, while others adsorb from the surrounding seawater. Concentrations of hydrophobic contaminants adsorbed on plastics showed distinct spatial variations reflecting global pollution patterns. Model calculations and experimental observations consistently show that polyethylene accumulates more organic contaminants than other plastics such as polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride. Both a mathematical model using equilibrium partitioning and experimental data have demonstrated the transfer of contaminants from plastic to organisms. A feeding experiment indicated that PCBs could transfer from contaminated plastics to streaked shearwater chicks. Plasticizers, other plastics additives and constitutional monomers also present potential threats in terrestrial environments because they can leach from waste disposal sites into groundwater and/or surface waters. Leaching and degradation of plasticizers and polymers are complex phenomena dependent on environmental conditions in the landfill and the chemical properties of each additive. Bisphenol A concentrations in leachates from municipal waste disposal sites in tropical Asia ranged from sub µg l^–1 to mg l^–1 and were correlated with the level of economic development.