Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Jang, Mi
• Shim, Won Joon
• Han, Gi Myung
• Song, Young Kyoung
• Hong, Sang Hee

Titel

Formation of microplastics by polychaetes (Marphysa sanguinea) inhabiting expanded polystyrene marine debris

Ist Teil von

• Marine pollution bulletin, 2018-06, Vol.131 (Pt A), p.365-369

Ort / Verlag

England: Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2018

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Fragmentation of large plastic debris into smaller particles results in increasing microplastic concentrations in the marine environment. In plastic debris fragmentation processes, the influence of biological factors remains largely unknown. This study investigated the fragmentation of expanded polystyrene (EPS) debris by polychaetes (Marphysa sanguinea) living on the debris. A large number of EPS particles (131 ± 131 particles/individual, 0.2–3.8 mm in length) were found in the digestive tracts of burrowing polychaetes living on EPS debris. To confirm the formation of microplastics by polychaetes and identify the quantity and morphology of produced microplastics, polychaetes were exposed to EPS blocks in filtered seawater under laboratory conditions. Polychaetes burrowed into the blocks and created numerous EPS microplastic particles, indicating that a single polychaete can produce hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles per year. These results reveal the potential role of marine organisms as microplastic producers in the marine environment. [Display omitted] •Floating marine debris becomes a habitat for marine organisms.•A lot of EPS particles were found in the feces of polychaetes from EPS debris.•Polychaetes burrowed into EPS debris and created numerous EPS microplastic particles.•Marine organisms inhabiting marine debris contribute to microplastic formation.