The impacts of plastics on aquatic insects

Ribeiro-Brasil, Danielle Regina Gomes; Brasil, Leandro Schlemmer; Veloso, Geysa Kelly Oliveira; Matos, Talissa Pio de; Lima, Eduarda Silva De; Dias-Silva, Karina

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152436

Cited by 17 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 71 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…are scavenger beetles and/that live on moss-covered stones or gravel substratum [55], feeding on various vegetation (alive or decaying), and could be mistakenly ingesting micro bers. Based on the present results it can be concluded that the signi cant variations in MP body burden/g w.w among the different insect taxa may be more likely related to the type of feeding, feeding mechanism, morphology of the species [35], and habitat a nity [3]. Thus Chironomus sp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

See 1 more Smart Citation

WITHDRAWN: Microplastic accumulation in aquatic insects of different feeding guilds collected from wastewater in Sohag Governorate, Egypt

Khdre

Ramadan

Ashry

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Microplastics (MPs) have been detected in many freshwater organisms because of increasing plastic contamination within the freshwater environment. However, the correlation between MPs in organisms and their surrounding environment still needs studies. This study investigates MP contamination in one of the wastewater ponds east of Sohag Governorate, Egypt. Four common freshwater insect families representing different feeding guilds were employed to detect MPs contamination. The collector-gatherer (Chironomidae, Chironomus sp.) recorded the highest MP load per gram wet weight. However, predators (Aeshnidae, Aeshna sp.) recorded the lowest one. A reverse trend was observed based on MP load per individual. Polyester fibers were the most common type of MPs followed by fragments (Polyethylene and polypropylene) in both sediment and water. However, only polyester fibers were found in the different insect taxa. The blue color was the predominant color in the water, sediment, and insect fauna. The mean length of fibers in the different insects was a little smaller than those in the surrounding environment. The presence of MPs in some examined insects (lower trophic levels) gives a possibility of transferring to higher levels following predation. Therefore, further studies should be carried out along different feeding groups of higher levels to detect the potential risk of MPs on different freshwater fauna.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…They have high morphology, behavioral, and physiological diversity [34]. In addition, they are also important in the trophic web and participate to nutrient cycling through the partitioning of leaves, ltering of organic particles, prey in other insects and sh and serving as food for other invertebrates and vertebrates [35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

WITHDRAWN: Microplastic accumulation in aquatic insects of different feeding guilds collected from wastewater in Sohag Governorate, Egypt

Khdre

Ramadan

Ashry

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Some other studies have dealt with the presence of MPs by riverine insects [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. Some of these have dealt with the ingestion of MPs by riverine insects [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]; however, the insects studied were not Simulidae, and some studies were mainly exposure experiments to few native polymers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence and Characterization of Small Microplastics (<100 μm), Additives, and Plasticizers in Larvae of Simuliidae

Corami

Rosso

Iannilli

et al. 2022

Toxics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study is the first to investigate the ingestion of microplastics (MPs), plasticizers, additives, and particles of micro-litter <100 μm by larvae of Simuliidae (Diptera) in rivers. Blackflies belong to a small cosmopolitan insect family whose larvae are present alongside river courses, often with a torrential regime, up to their mouths. Specimens of two species of blackfly larvae, Simulium equinum and Simulium ornatum, were collected in two rivers in Central Italy, the Mignone and the Treja. Small microplastics (SMPs, <100 μm), plasticizers, additives, and other micro-litter components, e.g., natural and non-plastic synthetic fibers (APFs) ingested by blackfly larvae were, for the first time, quantified and concurrently identified via MicroFTIR. The pretreatment allowed for simultaneous extraction of the ingested SMPs and APFs. Strong acids or strong oxidizing reagents and the application of temperatures well above the glass transition temperature of polyamide 6 and 6.6 (55–60 °C) were not employed to avoid further denaturation/degradation of polymers and underestimating the quantification. Reagent and procedural blanks did not show any SMPs or APFs. The method’s yield was >90%. Differences in the abundances of the SMPs and APFs ingested by the two species under exam were statistically significant. Additives and plasticizers can be specific to a particular polymer; thus, these compounds can be proxies for the presence of plastic polymers in the environment.

show abstract

“…At the same time, in-situ studies might suffer from low environmental concentrations translating into limited exposure. The need for further research on in -itu uptake by a variety of macroinvertebrates has been raised [ 21 , 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic recycling plant as a point source of microplastics to sediment and macroinvertebrates in a remote stream

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Microplastic is now ubiquitous in freshwater, sediment and biota, globally. This is as a consequence of inputs from, for example, waste mismanagement, effluents from wastewater treatment plants and surface runoff from agricultural areas. In this study, we investigated point source pollution of plastic to an upland stream, originating from a recycling plant that recycles polyethylene film in a remote area of Norway. Sediment (~2 kg) and macroinvertebrates (549 individuals in total) were sampled at one site upstream and two sites downstream of the recycling plant to study microplastic deposition and food web uptake. In total, 340 microplastic films were identified through a combination of visual and µFTIR analysis in the sediment samples. This corresponded to a concentration of 0.23 (± 0.057) items per g sediment upstream of the plastic recycling plant and 0.45 (± 0.017) and 0.58 (± 0.34) items per g downstream. The dominant plastic polymer was polyethylene, which increased significantly downstream of the plastic recycling plant. This indicates the role of the plastic recycling plant as a point source for microplastic in this catchment. Among the three sites investigated, a fairly constant concentration of polypropylene was found, indicating a diffuse source of polypropylene films across the catchment possibly relating to low-intensity agricultural land-use. Low levels of polyethylene were also observed upstream, which may be linked to either local or longer-distance atmospheric transport. Despite the considerable presence of microplastic in sediments, concentrations in macroinvertebrates were extremely low with only a single microplastic particle identified in the total of 549 macroinvertebrates—belonging to three different feeding groups—investigated. Our study suggests that: 1) microplastic pollution can be transferred to remote areas as unintended losses from recycling facilities, 2) remote areas with limited land-use pressure still have detectable levels of microplastic and 3) microplastic is only taken up by stream macroinvertebrates to a limited degree despite relatively high sediment concentrations, and thus there are no strong indications for ecological risks posed by microplastic to this ecological group at this location.

show abstract

The impacts of plastics on aquatic insects

Cited by 17 publications

References 71 publications

WITHDRAWN: Microplastic accumulation in aquatic insects of different feeding guilds collected from wastewater in Sohag Governorate, Egypt

WITHDRAWN: Microplastic accumulation in aquatic insects of different feeding guilds collected from wastewater in Sohag Governorate, Egypt

Occurrence and Characterization of Small Microplastics (<100 μm), Additives, and Plasticizers in Larvae of Simuliidae

Plastic recycling plant as a point source of microplastics to sediment and macroinvertebrates in a remote stream

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About