Journal ArticleDOI
Interactions of microplastic debris throughout the marine ecosystem
TLDR
The concept of microplastic as a complex, dynamic mixture of polymers and additives, to which organic material and contaminants can successively bind to form an ‘ecocorona’, increasing the density and surface charge of particles and changing their bioavailability and toxicity is developed.Abstract:
Marine microscopic plastic (microplastic) debris is a modern societal issue, illustrating the challenge of balancing the convenience of plastic in daily life with the prospect of causing ecological harm by careless disposal. Here we develop the concept of microplastic as a complex, dynamic mixture of polymers and additives, to which organic material and contaminants can successively bind to form an 'ecocorona', increasing the density and surface charge of particles and changing their bioavailability and toxicity. Chronic exposure to microplastic is rarely lethal, but can adversely affect individual animals, reducing feeding and depleting energy stores, with knock-on effects for fecundity and growth. We explore the extent to which ecological processes could be impacted, including altered behaviours, bioturbation and impacts on carbon flux to the deep ocean. We discuss how microplastic compares with other anthropogenic pollutants in terms of ecological risk, and consider the role of science and society in tackling this global issue in the future.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Microplastics as an emerging threat to terrestrial ecosystems
Anderson Abel de Souza Machado,Anderson Abel de Souza Machado,Werner Kloas,Werner Kloas,Christiane Zarfl,Stefan Hempel,Matthias C. Rillig +6 more
TL;DR: The pervasive microplastic contamination as a potential agent of global change in terrestrial systems is introduced, the physical and chemical nature of the respective observed effects are highlighted, and the broad toxicity of nanoplastics derived from plastic breakdown is discussed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Bacteria and archaea on Earth and their abundance in biofilms
TL;DR: It is proposed that biofilms drive all biogeochemical processes and represent the main way of active bacterial and archaeal life and are the most prominent and influential type of microbial life.
Journal ArticleDOI
Microplastics Can Change Soil Properties and Affect Plant Performance
Anderson Abel de Souza Machado,Anderson Abel de Souza Machado,Chung W Lau,Chung W Lau,Chung W Lau,Werner Kloas,Werner Kloas,Joana Bergmann,Julien B. Bachelier,Erik Faltin,Erik Faltin,Roland Becker,Anna S Görlich,Matthias C. Rillig +13 more
TL;DR: The findings reported here imply that the pervasive microplastic contamination in soil may have consequences for plant performance and thus for agroecosystems and terrestrial biodiversity.
Journal ArticleDOI
Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Fate and Potential Effects of Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment
TL;DR: The physical interactions of early microbial colonization on plastic surfaces and their reciprocal influence on the weathering processes and vertical transport as well as sorption and release of contaminants by MP are reviewed.
Journal ArticleDOI
An overview of microplastic and nanoplastic pollution in agroecosystems.
Ee Ling Ng,Esperanza Huerta Lwanga,Simon M. Eldridge,Priscilla Johnston,Hang-Wei Hu,Violette Geissen,Deli Chen +6 more
TL;DR: The sources of plastic particles in agroecosystems, the mechanisms, constraints and dynamic behaviour of plastic during aging on land, and the responses of soil organisms and plants at different levels of biological organisation to plastic particles of micro and nano-scale are discussed.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
A safe operating space for humanity
Johan Rockström,Johan Rockström,Will Steffen,Will Steffen,Kevin J. Noone,Åsa Persson,Åsa Persson,F. Stuart Chapin,Eric F. Lambin,Timothy M. Lenton,Marten Scheffer,Carl Folke,Carl Folke,Hans Joachim Schellnhuber,Hans Joachim Schellnhuber,Björn Nykvist,Björn Nykvist,Cynthia A. de Wit,Terry P. Hughes,Sander van der Leeuw,Henning Rodhe,Sverker Sörlin,Sverker Sörlin,Peter K. Snyder,Robert Costanza,Robert Costanza,Uno Svedin,Malin Falkenmark,Malin Falkenmark,Louise Karlberg,Louise Karlberg,Robert W. Corell,Victoria J. Fabry,James Hansen,Brian Walker,Brian Walker,Diana Liverman,Diana Liverman,Katherine Richardson,Paul J. Crutzen,Jonathan A. Foley +40 more
TL;DR: Identifying and quantifying planetary boundaries that must not be transgressed could help prevent human activities from causing unacceptable environmental change, argue Johan Rockstrom and colleagues.
Journal ArticleDOI
Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean
Jenna Jambeck,Roland Geyer,Chris Wilcox,Theodore R. Siegler,Miriam E. Perryman,Anthony L. Andrady,Ramani Narayan,Kara Lavender Law +7 more
TL;DR: This work combines available data on solid waste with a model that uses population density and economic status to estimate the amount of land-based plastic waste entering the ocean, which is estimated to be 275 million metric tons.
Journal ArticleDOI
Understanding biophysicochemical interactions at the nano–bio interface
Andre E. Nel,Lutz Mädler,Darrell Velegol,Tian Xia,Eric M.V. Hoek,Ponisseril Somasundaran,Fred Klaessig,Vince Castranova,Mike Thompson +8 more
TL;DR: Probing the various interfaces of nanoparticle/biological interfaces allows the development of predictive relationships between structure and activity that are determined by nanomaterial properties such as size, shape, surface chemistry, roughness and surface coatings.
Supplementary Materials for Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean
Jenna Jambeck,Roland Geyer,Chris Wilcox,Theodore R. Siegler,Anthony L. Andrady,Ramani Narayan,Kara Lavender Law +6 more
Journal ArticleDOI
Lost at sea: where is all the plastic?
Richard C. Thompson,Ylva S. Olsen,Richard P. Mitchell,Anthony Davis,Steven J. Rowland,Anthony W. G. John,Daniel F. McGonigle,Andrea E. Russell +7 more
TL;DR: It is shown that microscopic plastic fragments and fibers are also widespread in the marine environment and may persist for centuries.