Nanoplastics rewire freshwater food webs
(2024) In Communications Earth and Environment 5.- Abstract
The accelerating use of plastics worldwide is of societal concern, especially as plastics fragment into smaller, micro- and nano-sized particles. Of particular importance is the effects on aquatic ecosystems since a major part of the nanoplastics eventually reach natural water systems. We identify, using replicated experimental wetlands, a tipping point where nanoplastics become detrimental to the key planktonic grazer, Daphnia. Moreover, the phytoplankton diatoms were also strongly affected by nanoplastics, whereas we detected no effects on the less efficient herbivore copepods, cyanobacteria, benthic bacterial decomposition or any bottom dwelling organisms. That some organisms and ecosystem functions, but not others, are strongly... (More)
The accelerating use of plastics worldwide is of societal concern, especially as plastics fragment into smaller, micro- and nano-sized particles. Of particular importance is the effects on aquatic ecosystems since a major part of the nanoplastics eventually reach natural water systems. We identify, using replicated experimental wetlands, a tipping point where nanoplastics become detrimental to the key planktonic grazer, Daphnia. Moreover, the phytoplankton diatoms were also strongly affected by nanoplastics, whereas we detected no effects on the less efficient herbivore copepods, cyanobacteria, benthic bacterial decomposition or any bottom dwelling organisms. That some organisms and ecosystem functions, but not others, are strongly affected by nanoplastic particles predicts considerable alterations in aquatic food webs and a rewiring of feeding links. In a broader context, our study provides crucial data on the effects of nanoplastics in freshwater ecosystems, constituting urgently needed understanding for risk assessment, legislation, and management of plastic material.
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- author
- Ekvall, Mikael T. LU ; Stábile, Franca LU and Hansson, Lars Anders LU
- organization
-
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology
- LU Profile Area: Light and Materials
- LTH Profile Area: Nanoscience and Semiconductor Technology
- LTH Profile Area: Aerosols
- NanoLund: Centre for Nanoscience
- Aquatic Ecology (research group)
- Functional ecology
- BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
- publishing date
- 2024-09-04
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Communications Earth and Environment
- volume
- 5
- article number
- 486
- publisher
- Springer Nature
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85203257689
- ISSN
- 2662-4435
- DOI
- 10.1038/s43247-024-01646-7
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.
- id
- 3143361b-ae79-45d4-a4b8-acc7efb6de1b
- date added to LUP
- 2024-09-16 12:09:24
- date last changed
- 2024-09-26 12:45:13
@article{3143361b-ae79-45d4-a4b8-acc7efb6de1b, abstract = {{<p>The accelerating use of plastics worldwide is of societal concern, especially as plastics fragment into smaller, micro- and nano-sized particles. Of particular importance is the effects on aquatic ecosystems since a major part of the nanoplastics eventually reach natural water systems. We identify, using replicated experimental wetlands, a tipping point where nanoplastics become detrimental to the key planktonic grazer, Daphnia. Moreover, the phytoplankton diatoms were also strongly affected by nanoplastics, whereas we detected no effects on the less efficient herbivore copepods, cyanobacteria, benthic bacterial decomposition or any bottom dwelling organisms. That some organisms and ecosystem functions, but not others, are strongly affected by nanoplastic particles predicts considerable alterations in aquatic food webs and a rewiring of feeding links. In a broader context, our study provides crucial data on the effects of nanoplastics in freshwater ecosystems, constituting urgently needed understanding for risk assessment, legislation, and management of plastic material.</p>}}, author = {{Ekvall, Mikael T. and Stábile, Franca and Hansson, Lars Anders}}, issn = {{2662-4435}}, language = {{eng}}, month = {{09}}, publisher = {{Springer Nature}}, series = {{Communications Earth and Environment}}, title = {{Nanoplastics rewire freshwater food webs}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01646-7}}, doi = {{10.1038/s43247-024-01646-7}}, volume = {{5}}, year = {{2024}}, }