Submit to Water Review for Water Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Quality and Contamination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 April 2022) | Viewed by 19012

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Kai Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Macao Environmental Research Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao 999078, China
Interests: emerging chemicals of concern; microplastics; marine pollution; environmental behaviors; risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microplastic pollution is a worldwide problem that has attracted extensive attention and has become a very hot topic in the scientific community. Microplastics are everywhere, such as in the ocean, wastewater, fresh water, soil, sediment, food, and air, and thus, they are readily available to the surrounding organisms. Recent advances in toxicology have resulted in greater understanding of the impact of microplastics on some specific aquatic organisms. There is still much to be learned about their impact on the trophic chains. Additionally, the associated chemicals, such as plastic additives, can be released from the microplastics and cause harm, and their combined effect needs more attention as well. This Special Issue of Water should be of great help in increasing the number of studies contributing to the scientific community and providing a comprehensive perspective on the impact of microplastics (including nanoplastics) and their additives. Our hope is for this collection to bring together research papers and reviews on the research topic.

Dr. Kai Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

microplastics
nanoplastics
trophic transfer
food chain
plastic additives
risk assessment
emerging chemicals of concern

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research

4 pages, 189 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains

by Jun Yan, Shengchao Yao, Tianyi Zhang, Zijing Ye, Jingjing Weng, Xiaofeng Hu and Kai Zhang

Water 2022, 14(24), 4069; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14244069 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2102

Abstract

Microplastic pollution is a global problem that has attracted extensive attention and has become a very hot topic in the scientific community [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

10 pages, 1374 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ontogenetic Transfer of Microplastics in Bloodsucking Mosquitoes Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) Is a Potential Pathway for Particle Distribution in the Environment

by Anastasia Simakova, Anna Varenitsina, Irina Babkina, Yulia Andreeva, Ruslan Bagirov, Vadim Yartsev and Yulia Frank

Water 2022, 14(12), 1852; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14121852 - 9 Jun 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3324

Abstract

The uptake and accumulation of microplastics (MPs) by bloodsucking mosquitoes Aedes aegypti L., carriers of vector-borne diseases, were investigated in the laboratory. In the experimental group, polystyrene (PS) particles were registered in insects of all life stages from larvae to pupae and adults. Ae. aegypti larvae readily ingested MPs with food, accumulating on average 7.3 × 10⁶ items per larva in three days. The content of PS microspheres significantly decreased in mosquitoes from the larval stage to the pupal stage and was passed to the adult stage from the pupal without significant loss. On average, 15.8 items were detected per pupa and 10.9 items per adult individual. The uptake of MPs by Ae. aegypti did not affect their survival, while the average body weight of mosquitoes of all life stages that consumed PS microspheres was higher than that of mosquitoes in the control groups. Our data confirmed that in insects with metamorphosis, MPs can pass from feeding larvae to nonfeeding pupae in aquatic ecosystems and, subsequently, to adults flying to land. Bloodsucking mosquitoes can participate in MP circulation in the environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3945 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identification, Abundance, and Chemical Characterization of Macro-, Meso-, and Microplastics in the Intertidal Zone Sediments of Two Selected Beaches in Sabah, Malaysia

by Nur Zaida Zahari, Piakong Mohd Tuah, Muhammad Ramdi Junaidi and Siti Aishah Mohd Ali

Water 2022, 14(10), 1600; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14101600 - 17 May 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3025

Abstract

This study aims to present the identification, abundance, and chemical characterization of plastics in the intertidal zone sediment of two selected beaches in Kota Kinabalu city, Sabah, Malaysia. Plastic debris was classified according to weight and size and was identified for its heavy metal concentrations and polymer types. Results showed that a higher abundance, by more than 2-fold, of plastic debris was found in Kebagu beach (28.7 g) compared to ODEC, UMS (13.4 g). FTIR analysis showed that polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) were the dominant plastic polymers on both beaches, followed by polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Five heavy metals (arsenic, chromium, copper, zinc, and nickel) were detected from four types of plastics. The results showed that the concentration of Zn was higher in all four types of plastics on both beaches, with a range of 41 mg/kg–135.3 mg/kg, followed by Cr and As, while Ni was the lowest concentration detected in PE on both beaches: 5.6 mg/kg (ODEC) and 5.1 mg/kg (Kebagu stations). This study confirmed the presence of macro-, meso- and microplastics in both stations. Further studies remain necessary for a better understanding of the sources and fates of the pollutant in the marine environment. Findings from the studies of the Kota Kinabalu beaches have provided baseline data and a clearer understanding of the distribution of plastic debris. This demonstrates that commitments and actions are required to mitigate the potential risk to the ecological system and human health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 2112 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microplastic Variations in Land-Based Sources of Coastal Water Affected by Tropical Typhoon Events in Zhanjiang Bay, China

by Qiying Jian, Shujia Wang, Peng Zhang, Jibiao Zhang, Lirong Zhao and Dan Liu

Water 2022, 14(9), 1455; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14091455 - 2 May 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2906

Abstract

Increasingly serious microplastic pollution in coastal areas and the ecological threats associated with plastics have attracted global attention. The frequency and intensity of typhoons have increased owing to global warming, strongly influencing the distribution and composition of microplastics in coastal ecosystems. In this study, the abundance, composition, diversity, and flux of microplastics in three estuaries and one sewage outlet in Zhanjiang Bay (ZJB) were analyzed. The average abundance of microplastics from land-based sources increased 3.6-fold from 14.19 ± 3.60 items/L before Typhoon Kompasu to 51.19 ± 28.53 items/L after the typhoon (p < 0.05). In addition, the proportion of fiber and large microplastics increased after the typhoon. In all samples, microplastics 100–330 μm in size were predominant, and blue was the most abundant color. The diversity in the color and size of microplastics increased after Typhoon Kompasu. The total daily flux of microplastics at the four stations entering ZJB was 3.95 × 10¹¹ items before the typhoon and 9.93 × 10¹¹ items after the typhoon, showing a 2.5-fold increase. This study demonstrated the influence of Typhoon Kompasu on microplastics from land-based sources of ZJB coastal waters and provided vital data for further study on MP pollution in coastal water ecosystems and the impact of typhoons on microplastics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

10 pages, 1360 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Uptake and Transfer of Polyamide Microplastics in a Freshwater Mesocosm Study

by Diana Noemi Michler-Kozma, Lukas Kruckenfellner, Anna Heitkamp, Klaus Peter Ebke and Friederike Gabel

Water 2022, 14(6), 887; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14060887 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3296

Abstract

Steadily increasing inputs of microplastics pose a growing threat to aquatic fauna, but laboratory studies potentially lack realism to properly investigate its effects on populations and ecosystems. Our study investigates the trophic and ontogenetic transfer of microplastics in a near-natural exposure scenario. The controlled outdoor freshwater mesocosms were exposed to polyamide (PA) 5–50 µm in size in concentrations of 15 and 150 mg L⁻¹ and a control without microplastic addition. To verify the uptake of particles via the food chain, larvae and imagines of the midges Chaoborus crystallinus and C. obscuripes were examined, which feed on zooplankton during their larval stage. Larvae were captured after 117 days and imagines were caught in emergence traps that were emptied weekly. To detect the microparticles within the organisms, 200 larvae and 100 imagines per application were macerated and treated with fluorescent dye before investigation under a fluorescent microscope. We could detect up to 12 PA particles per individual larvae, while nearly no plastic was found in the imagines. This shows that, while Chaoborus sp. takes up microplastics via predation, most of the pollutant is egested through regurgitation and remains in the water, where it can further accumulate and potentially harm other organisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2015 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Inhibition of Xenobiotics Transporters’ Efflux Ability after Nanoplastics Exposure in Larval Japanese Medaka

by Hairui Yu, Zhuo Gao, Yan Yang, Mingyuan Li and Qiqing Chen

Water 2022, 14(6), 863; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14060863 - 10 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2729

Abstract

Nanoplastics can enter into the aquatic environment as primary nano-sized or fragmented from larger-sized plastic particles, and their ecological effects and environmental fate have aroused increasing public concerns. Here, we identified the disruption of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux after polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics (76 ± 7 nm) exposure in larval Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes). Nanoplastics (0.001–10 μg/mL) caused 3–6-fold higher lipid peroxidation in fish larvae than the control, with concomitant downregulated expression of efflux transporter-related genes (abcb6a, abcc2, abcg2). Two probes of rhodamine (indicative of p-glycoprotein function for parent compounds’ efflux, P-gp) and fluorescein (indicative of multidrug resistance-associated protein function for metabolites’ efflux, MRP) were further used to verify the inhibited ABC efflux ability, via rhodamine and fluorescein bioaccumulation results. Three-fold higher accumulation of rhodamine was observed following treatment with 10 μg/mL of nanoplastics. Excessive accumulation also occurred for fluorescein, with 1.7–1.8-fold higher concentrations than controls in larvae treated with 0.01–0.1 μg/mL of nanoplastics. Although the inhibition of ABC transporters diminished after two hours of depuration, the co-existence of nanoplastics and other contaminants still raises concerns. Collectively, this study suggests that nanoplastics can negatively impact ABC transporters’ efflux ability and could cause unanticipated accumulation of co-existing organic pollutants in aquatic organisms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Microplastics and Their Impacts on Organisms and Trophic Chains

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

Editorial

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI