Sjollema Sascha B, Redondo-Hasselerharm Paula, Leslie Heather A, Kraak Michiel H S, Vethaak A Dick
Aquatic Environmental Ecology, IBED, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), VU University, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Aquat Toxicol. 2016 Jan;170:259-261. doi: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.12.002. Epub 2015 Dec 4.
The unbridled increase in plastic pollution of the world's oceans raises concerns about potential effects these materials may have on microalgae, which are primary producers at the basis of the food chain and a major global source of oxygen. Our current understanding about the potential modes and mechanisms of toxic action that plastic particles exert on microalgae is extremely limited. How effects might vary with particle size and the physico-chemical properties of the specific plastic material in question are equally unelucidated, but may hold clues to how toxicity, if observed, is exerted. In this study we selected polystyrene particles, both negatively charged and uncharged, and three different sizes (0.05, 0.5 and 6μm) for testing the effects of size and material properties. Microalgae were exposed to different polystyrene particle sizes and surface charges for 72h. Effects on microalgal photosynthesis and growth were determined by pulse amplitude modulation fluorometry and flow cytometry, respectively. None of the treatments tested in these experiments had an effect on microalgal photosynthesis. Microalgal growth was negatively affected (up to 45%) by uncharged polystyrene particles, but only at high concentrations (250mg/L). Additionally, these adverse effects were demonstrated to increase with decreasing particle size.
全球海洋塑料污染的肆意增加引发了人们对这些材料可能对微藻产生的潜在影响的担忧，微藻是食物链基础上的初级生产者，也是全球氧气的主要来源。我们目前对塑料颗粒对微藻产生毒性作用的潜在方式和机制的了解极为有限。这些影响如何随颗粒大小以及所讨论的特定塑料材料的物理化学性质而变化同样尚不明确，但可能为毒性（如果观察到）是如何产生的提供线索。在本研究中，我们选择了带负电荷和不带电荷的聚苯乙烯颗粒，以及三种不同尺寸（0.05、0.5和6μm）来测试尺寸和材料性质的影响。将微藻暴露于不同尺寸和表面电荷的聚苯乙烯颗粒中72小时。分别通过脉冲幅度调制荧光测定法和流式细胞术测定对微藻光合作用和生长的影响。这些实验中测试的任何处理均未对微藻光合作用产生影响。不带电荷的聚苯乙烯颗粒对微藻生长有负面影响（高达45%），但仅在高浓度（250mg/L）时出现。此外，这些不利影响被证明会随着颗粒尺寸的减小而增加。
