Leachates from pyroplastics alter the behaviour of a key ecosystem engineer
- Zardi, Gerardo I, Seuront, Laurent, Spilmont, Niolas, Froneman, P William, Nicastro, Katy R
- Authors: Zardi, Gerardo I , Seuront, Laurent , Spilmont, Niolas , Froneman, P William , Nicastro, Katy R
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/479264 , vital:78280 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2024.108740
- Description: As plastic pollution is increasing rapidly, novel forms of plastic litter have been lately described. One of most recently described type of plastic litter is pyroplastic, i.e. an amorphous matrix derived from the burning of manufactured plastics. We surveyed 12 locations along northern French shores where mussel reefs are a predominant feature. We recorded pyroplastic items at six sites (average weight of 3.34g) mainly made of polyethylene. We then tested the effects of exposure to raw and beached pyroplastic leachates on adaptive behavioural traits of the mussel Mytilus edulis, a key ecosystem engineer. The ability of mussels to move and aggregate were significantly affected by pyroplastic leachates, particularly those from beached pyroplastics. Additionally, the strength of the effects was polymer-dependent, with PE having a more pronounced effects than PP. Our results provide the first evidence that pyroplastics have more severe impacts on living organisms than those triggered by non-burnt plastics.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Zardi, Gerardo I , Seuront, Laurent , Spilmont, Niolas , Froneman, P William , Nicastro, Katy R
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/479264 , vital:78280 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2024.108740
- Description: As plastic pollution is increasing rapidly, novel forms of plastic litter have been lately described. One of most recently described type of plastic litter is pyroplastic, i.e. an amorphous matrix derived from the burning of manufactured plastics. We surveyed 12 locations along northern French shores where mussel reefs are a predominant feature. We recorded pyroplastic items at six sites (average weight of 3.34g) mainly made of polyethylene. We then tested the effects of exposure to raw and beached pyroplastic leachates on adaptive behavioural traits of the mussel Mytilus edulis, a key ecosystem engineer. The ability of mussels to move and aggregate were significantly affected by pyroplastic leachates, particularly those from beached pyroplastics. Additionally, the strength of the effects was polymer-dependent, with PE having a more pronounced effects than PP. Our results provide the first evidence that pyroplastics have more severe impacts on living organisms than those triggered by non-burnt plastics.
- Full Text:
Microplastic leachates inhibit small-scale self-organization in mussel beds
- Zardi, Gerardo I, Nicastro, Katy R, Truong, Stéphanie Lau, Decorse, Philippe, Nozak, Sophie, Chevillot-Biraud, Alexandre, Froneman, P William, Akoueson, Fleurine, Duflos, Guillaume, Seuront, Laurent
- Authors: Zardi, Gerardo I , Nicastro, Katy R , Truong, Stéphanie Lau , Decorse, Philippe , Nozak, Sophie , Chevillot-Biraud, Alexandre , Froneman, P William , Akoueson, Fleurine , Duflos, Guillaume , Seuront, Laurent
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/479275 , vital:78281 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169816
- Description: Self-organized spatial patterns are increasingly recognized for their contribution to ecosystem functioning. They can improve the ecosystem's ability to respond to perturbation and thus increase its resilience to environmental stress. Plastic pollution has now emerged as major threat to aquatic and terrestrial biota. Under laboratory conditions, we tested whether plastic leachates from pellets collected in the intertidal can impair small-scale, spatial self-organization and byssal threads production of intertidal mussels and whether the effect varied depending on where the pellets come from. Specifically, leachates originating from plastic pellets collected from relatively pristine and polluted areas respectively impaired and inhibited the ability of mussels to self-organize at small-scale and to produce byssal threads compared to control conditions (i.e., seawater without leaching solution). Limitations to natural self-organizing processes and threads formation may translate to a declined capacity of natural ecosystems to avoid tipping points and to a reduced restoration success of disturbed ecosystems.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Zardi, Gerardo I , Nicastro, Katy R , Truong, Stéphanie Lau , Decorse, Philippe , Nozak, Sophie , Chevillot-Biraud, Alexandre , Froneman, P William , Akoueson, Fleurine , Duflos, Guillaume , Seuront, Laurent
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/479275 , vital:78281 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169816
- Description: Self-organized spatial patterns are increasingly recognized for their contribution to ecosystem functioning. They can improve the ecosystem's ability to respond to perturbation and thus increase its resilience to environmental stress. Plastic pollution has now emerged as major threat to aquatic and terrestrial biota. Under laboratory conditions, we tested whether plastic leachates from pellets collected in the intertidal can impair small-scale, spatial self-organization and byssal threads production of intertidal mussels and whether the effect varied depending on where the pellets come from. Specifically, leachates originating from plastic pellets collected from relatively pristine and polluted areas respectively impaired and inhibited the ability of mussels to self-organize at small-scale and to produce byssal threads compared to control conditions (i.e., seawater without leaching solution). Limitations to natural self-organizing processes and threads formation may translate to a declined capacity of natural ecosystems to avoid tipping points and to a reduced restoration success of disturbed ecosystems.
- Full Text:
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