Is plastic sponges harmful?
Best insight from top research papers
Plastic sponges can have harmful effects on marine organisms. Research indicates that microplastic pollution, including polyethylene particles, can impact the biological processes of marine sponges, affecting filtration and respiration rates over time . However, studies also show that sponges can exhibit resilience to microplastic pollution, with limited significant effects on respiration rates and retention efficiency observed in certain species when exposed to different sizes and concentrations of plastic particles . Additionally, porous plastic sponges used in electrophoresis are relatively inert and suitable for separating various materials, such as proteins and DNA, in laboratory settings . While plastic sponges can be beneficial in certain applications, their presence in the marine environment as microplastic pollution poses risks to marine biodiversity and ecosystem health.
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| Papers (4) | Insight |
|---|---|
| The porous plastic electrophoresis sponges mentioned in the paper are relatively inert and can be used with organic solvents, indicating they are not harmful. | |
1 Citations | Plastic sponges like polyvinyl sponge grafts (Ivalon and Polyvinylformal) have been studied as substitutes in various medical procedures without indicating harm, but complications like bleeding were noted in some cases. |
8 Citations | Polyethylene microplastics reduce filtration and respiration rates in the Mediterranean sponge Petrosia ficiformis, indicating harmful effects on sponge biology. |
| Not addressed in the paper. |
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