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. 2020 Jan 31;6(5):eaay4054.
doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aay4054. eCollection 2020 Jan.

Nano- and microplastics affect the composition of freshwater benthic communities in the long term

P E Redondo-Hasselerharm  1 , G Gort  2 , E T H M Peeters  1 , A A Koelmans  1
Affiliations

Nano- and microplastics affect the composition of freshwater benthic communities in the long term

P E Redondo-Hasselerharm et al. Sci Adv. .

Abstract

Given the societal concern about the presence of nano- and microplastics in the environment, our nescience with respect to in situ effects is disturbing. Data on long-term implications under ecologically realistic conditions are particularly important for the risk assessment of nano- and microplastics. Here, we evaluate the long-term (up to 15 months) effects of five concentrations of nano- and microplastics on the natural recolonization of sediments by a macroinvertebrate community. Effects were assessed on the community composition, population sizes and species diversity. Nano- and microplastics adversely affected the abundance of macroinvertebrates after 15 months, which was caused by a reduction in the number of Naididae at the highest concentration (5% plastic per sediment dry weight). For some other taxa, smaller but still significant positive effects were found over time, altogether demonstrating that nano- and microplastics affected the community composition.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Macroinvertebrate abundance after 3 and 15 months.
Total number of macroinvertebrates found in trays retrieved after 3 and 15 months with increasing NP (top) and MP (bottom) concentrations [as % sediment dry weight (dw)]. Error bars are means ± SE, n = 4, except for MP treatments 0.05 and 0.5% retrieved after 3 months and 0 and 5% retrieved after 15 months, where n = 3.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Taxa abundance after 3 and 15 months.
Total number of taxa found in trays retrieved after 3 and 15 months with increasing NP (top) and MP (bottom) concentrations (as % sediment dry weight). Error bars are means ± SE, n = 4, except for MP treatments 0.05 and 0.5% retrieved after 3 months and 0 and 5% retrieved after 15 months, where n = 3.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Shannon diversity index after 3 and 15 months.
Shannon diversity index in trays containing NP (top) and MP (bottom) at five concentrations (0, 0.005, 0.05, 0.5, and 5% plastic per sediment dry weight) after 3 and 15 months. Error bars are means ± SE, n = 4, except for MP treatments 0.05 and 0.5% retrieved after 3 months and 0 and 5% retrieved after 15 months, where n = 3.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4. Naididae abundance after 3 and 15 months.
Number of individuals from the family Naididae found in trays retrieved after 3 and 15 months with increasing NP (top) and MP (bottom) concentrations (as % sediment dry weight). Error bars are means ± SE, n = 4, except for MP treatments 0.05 and 0.5% retrieved after 3 months and 0 and 5% retrieved after 15 months, where n = 3.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5. Measured vs. Nominal NP and MP concentrations.
NP (top) and MP (bottom) concentrations measured in the plastic-sediment mixtures at time zero and in trays retrieved after 3 and 15 months after subtracting the %TOM in controls from the measured %TOM in trays as a function of the nominal NP concentration (top) and the nominal MP concentration (bottom) (as % sediment dry weight). For the starting concentration, average ± SD (n = 3) was based on three samples taken from the initial concentrations prepared. Values for 3 and 15 months represent the average ± SD (n = 4), which correspond to each of the four treatment replicas distributed along the ditch.
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