Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361021, China; Institute of Environmental and Resources Technology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, China.
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361021, China; Institute of Environmental and Resources Technology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, China.
J Hazard Mater. 2019 Jul 15;374:219-227. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.04.039. Epub 2019 Apr 12.
Microplastics are widely distributed in freshwater environments. At present, most of the studies on the toxicity of microplastics are concentrated on aquatic feeding animals, but relatively few have addressed freshwater algae. This study investigated the effect of microplastics (polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) exposure on the photosynthetic system of freshwater algae over the logarithmic growth period. The results showed that both PVC and PP had a negative effect on chlorophyll a concentrations of Chlorella (C.) pyrenoidosa and Microcystis (M.) flos-aquae; among them, when the concentration of PVC exceeded 250 mg/L, compared with the control group, the chlorophyll a content of C. pyrenoidosa was reduced by 55.23%. For photosynthetic activity, higher concentrations of PVC and PP can induce lower values of F/F, F/F, and F'/F', suggesting a larger impact in algae. However, algae were able to adjust, with increased values of F/F, F/F, and F'/F'. This dose-negative effect phenomenon also exists in the study of the rapid light-response curves. In addition, comparing the two microplastics, we could see that PVC greatly inhibits the photosynthesis system of freshwater algae. Our study confirmed that microplastics can affect algae growth under certain concentrations, which provides evidence for understanding the risks of microplastics.
微塑料广泛分布于淡水环境中。目前，大多数关于微塑料毒性的研究都集中在水生摄食动物上，但对淡水藻类的研究相对较少。本研究调查了微塑料（聚丙烯（PP）和聚氯乙烯（PVC））在对数生长期对淡水藻类光合作用系统的影响。结果表明，PVC 和 PP 均对栅藻（C. pyrenoidosa）和铜绿微囊藻（M. flos-aquae）的叶绿素 a 浓度有负面影响；其中，当 PVC 浓度超过 250mg/L 时，与对照组相比，栅藻的叶绿素 a 含量降低了 55.23%。对于光合作用活性，较高浓度的 PVC 和 PP 会导致 F/F、F/F 和 F'/F'值降低，表明对藻类的影响更大。然而，藻类能够通过增加 F/F、F/F 和 F'/F'值来进行调节。这种剂量-负效应现象在快速光响应曲线的研究中也存在。此外，通过比较这两种微塑料，我们可以看出 PVC 极大地抑制了淡水藻类的光合作用系统。我们的研究证实，微塑料在一定浓度下会影响藻类的生长，这为理解微塑料的风险提供了证据。
