Trophic transference of microplastics under a low exposure scenario: Insights on the likelihood of particle cascading along marine food-webs

Microplastics are emergent pollutants in marine environments, whose risks along food-web still need to be understood. Within this knowledge gap, MPs transference and persistence along trophic levels are key processes. We assessed the potential occurrence of these processes considering a less extreme...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin 2017-08, Vol.121 (1-2), p.154-159
Main Authors: Santana, M.F.M., Moreira, F.T., Turra, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal tissues
Animals
Aquatic Organisms
Biotransference
Capacity
Cascading
Crabs
Crustaceans
Depuration
Exposure
Fish
Food
Food Chain
Food chains
Food web
Food webs
Foods
Hemolymph
Marine crustaceans
Marine environment
Marine pollution
Microplastics
Particulates
Perna
Plastics
Plastics - pharmacokinetics
Pollutants
Predation
Predators
Prey
Probability
PVC
Risk reduction
Self purification
Tissue
Tissues
Trophic impacts
Trophic levels
Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacokinetics
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Summary:Microplastics are emergent pollutants in marine environments, whose risks along food-web still need to be understood. Within this knowledge gap, MPs transference and persistence along trophic levels are key processes. We assessed the potential occurrence of these processes considering a less extreme scenario of exposure than used previously, with microplastics present only in the hemolymph of prey (the mussel Perna perna) and absent in the gut cavity. Predators were the crab Callinectes ornatus and the puffer fish Spheoeroides greeleyi. Transference of microplastics occurred from prey to predators but without evidences of particle persistence in their tissues after 10days of exposure. This suggests a reduced likelihood of trophic cascading of particles and, consequently, a reduced risk of direct impacts of microplastics on higher trophic levels. However, the contact with microplastics along food-webs is still concerning, modulated by the concentration of particles in prey and predators' depuration capacity and rate. •Microplastic biotransference was analysed in an environmental relevant scenario of prey contamination.•Particle biotransference occurred from prey to predator.•After 10days of depuration there were no microplastics in predators' tissues and gut cavity.•The likelihood of trophic cascading and impacts are low in the studied scenario.•MPs concentration in prey and predator depuration capacity and rate modulates trophic cascading
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.05.061