Feeding type and development drive the ingestion of microplastics by freshwater invertebrates.

ABSTRACT: Microscopic plastic items (microplastics) are ubiquitously present in aquatic ecosystems. With decreasing size their availability and potential to accumulate throughout food webs increase. However, little is known on the uptake of microplastics by freshwater invertebrates. To address this, we exposed species with different feeding strategies to 1, 10 and 90 µm fluorescent polystyrene spheres (3-3 000 particles mL-1). Additionally, we investigated how developmental stages and a co-exposure to natural particles (e.g., food) modulate microplastic ingestion. All species ingested microplastics in a concentration-dependent manner with Daphnia magna consuming up to 6 180 particles h-1, followed by Chironomus riparius (226 particles h-1), Physella acuta (118 particles h-1), Gammarus pulex (10 part

SUBMITTER: Scherer C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5717137 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature