Zhou Xiaotao, Zhou Sifan, Duan Xinyi, Zhang Nan, Ren Yujing, Liang Le, Ye Xiaoxin
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.
Environ Pollut. 2025 May 15;373:126178. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2025.126178. Epub 2025 Apr 1.
With the increasing pollution from microplastics (MPs) in freshwater ecosystems, the effects of MPs on microalgae warrant further investigation. In our research, we examined how polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) with various particle sizes and concentrations affect the growth and physiology of Microcystis aeruginosa at different initial algal densities. The results showed that PS-MPs inhibited M. aeruginosa growth at low initial algal densities, with the highest inhibition rate (62.59 %) observed at 0.1 μm, 1 mg/L PS-MPs. Effects on photosynthesis were correlated with changes in initial algal density, and PS-MPs caused notable disturbances to the antioxidant defense system of M. aeruginosa. Compared to medium-sized PS-MPs (1 μm), PS-MPs with smaller (0.1 μm) or larger particle sizes (5 μm) caused greater growth inhibition and more pronounced changes in photosynthesis and oxidative damage. At low initial algal densities, PS-MPs addition led to a substantial rise in the intracellular levels of microcystin-LR (MC-LR), with a 150 % increase over the control at 0.1 μm, 1 mg/L PS-MPs. However, at high initial algal densities, apoptosis rates rose, leading to greater MC-LR release. This research offers a foundation for assessing the impact of PS-MPs on algal growth, as well as the production and release of MC-LR, contributing to the evaluation of MPs' risks to aquatic ecosystems.
随着淡水生态系统中微塑料（MPs）污染的日益增加，微塑料对微藻的影响值得进一步研究。在我们的研究中，我们考察了不同粒径和浓度的聚苯乙烯微塑料（PS-MPs）如何在不同初始藻密度下影响铜绿微囊藻的生长和生理。结果表明，在低初始藻密度下，PS-MPs抑制了铜绿微囊藻的生长，在0.1μm、1mg/L的PS-MPs条件下观察到最高抑制率（62.59%）。对光合作用的影响与初始藻密度的变化相关，并且PS-MPs对铜绿微囊藻的抗氧化防御系统造成了显著干扰。与中等粒径（1μm）的PS-MPs相比，较小粒径（0.1μm）或较大粒径（5μm）的PS-MPs导致更大的生长抑制以及光合作用和氧化损伤方面更明显的变化。在低初始藻密度下，添加PS-MPs导致细胞内微囊藻毒素-LR（MC-LR）水平大幅上升，在0.1μm、1mg/L的PS-MPs条件下比对照增加了150%。然而，在高初始藻密度下，凋亡率上升，导致更多的MC-LR释放。本研究为评估PS-MPs对藻类生长以及MC-LR的产生和释放的影响提供了基础，有助于评估微塑料对水生生态系统的风险。
