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THE CONVERSATION
This article was originally published in The Conversation, an independent source of non-profit news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. rice field. Disclosure information is available on the original site.
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Author: Garth A Covernton, Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto. Kieran Cox
Microplastics — Small Pieces of Plastic Size 5mm — Found in marine and freshwater animals, from small zooplankton to large whales.
However, researchers are still struggling to understand the impact of microplastics on aquatic species.
Scientists have discovered that microplastics can harm animals through routes such as food exchange and the infiltration of added chemicals into the body. However, it is unclear to what extent these effects are currently occurring in the environment.
A recently published study is investigating how microplastics move within coastal marine food webs. It has been found that small animals fed lower diets in the food web may be at higher risk of exposure to microplastics than large predators.
Pollutants and food webs
Food webs are an intertwined network of organisms that feed each other. Where animals feed within this intertwined network, called their nutritional status, can determine their exposure to contaminants.
For example, mercury contamination accumulates in animal muscles, travels from prey to predators, and reaches higher levels of concentration through the food web.
This process is called bioexpansion, which is why animals such as tuna and salmon become potentially dangerous concentrations of pollutants.
Will microplastics expand biologically?
In the summer of 2018, individuals such as lajonkairia lajonii, mussels, sea cucumbers, crabs, starfish, and fish were collected from several locations in southern Vancouver Island throughout the food net.
Next, we measured the concentrations of microplastics found in the intestines of animals and the liver of fish and associated these concentrations with the location of each animal in the food net.
Animals with a high food web do not contain higher concentrations of microplastics than animals with a low food chain, suggesting that bioexpansion has not occurred.
Some of our past studies have also shown a lack of evidence of bioexpansion of microplastics. The study compared the intestinal microplastic concentrations of fish reported in the scientific literature with estimates of their position in the food web.
Some species may be at greater risk
No evidence of bioexpansion was found, but the concentration of microplastics, By comparison, certain small species were found to be heavier in their weight.
This includes filter feeders such as lajonkairia lajonii, mussels, and certain sea cucumbers, as well as the fish species Embiotoca jacksoni. These fish may be consuming more microplastics because their particle size and shape are similar to their favorite foods such as zooplankton and small aquatic microbes such as other small invertebrates. I have.
However, the average number of microplastics found in all animals was less than 2 particles per individual. This may mean that these animals have a low health risk, but it is not yet known how long-term exposure to low concentrations of microplastics will affect animal health.
Our research was limited to the study of particles larger than 100 microns in size (about the width of human hair). Particles smaller than this are very difficult to study using a regular microscope. However, new methods may make investigation easier in the future. These small particles are potentially more toxic, and even if they do not occur in larger particles, bioexpansion on this scale cannot be ruled out.
How do microplastics affect aquatic food webs?
As microplastic pollution in the environment increases, it is necessary to understand its potential impacts in order to avoid potential future ecological disasters.
For example, freshwater ecosystems are often directly exposed to microplastics and may contain higher concentrations.
Researchers, including members of our team, are currently in the experimental lake area of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, where exposure to microplastics affects freshwater ecosystems and food networks. We are working to understand how it affects you.
This study, along with other researchers' studies, shows how microplastics affect aquatic ecosystems, especially food webs that may ingest more of these particles. You should get a better understanding of the effects on the small animals at the base of.
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Garth Covernton is currently funded by the University of Toronto Arts and Sciences Fellowship. He has been funded by the Canadian Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans, the Canadian Council for Natural Science and Engineering Research, and the University of Victoria in the past.
Hailey Davies is funded by the Council for Natural Science and Engineering Research and the University of Victoria.
Kieran Cox is funded by the Liber Ero Fellowship Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.
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This article has been republished by The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site. Read the original article:
https://theconversation.com/microplastics-might-be-entering-marine-f https://theconversation.com/microp
