Modelling the transfer and accumulation of microplastics in a riverine freshwater food web

Microplastics are a pervasive pollutant of aquatic ecosystems and are reported to interact with a wide range of aquatic biota. The complexities of natural food webs means that the transfer and accumulation of microplastics is difficult to assess, and only a handful of studies have attempted to quant...

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Published in:Environmental Advances
Main Authors: James D. O'Connor, Heather T. Lally, Albert A. Koelmans, Anne Marie Mahon, Ian O'Connor, Róisín Nash, John J. O'Sullivan, Michael Bruen, Linda Heerey, Sinéad Murphy
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100192
https://doaj.org/article/10b2c3425da946859146372522b29f6f
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spelling ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:10b2c3425da946859146372522b29f6f 2023-05-15T13:28:17+02:00 Modelling the transfer and accumulation of microplastics in a riverine freshwater food web James D. O'Connor Heather T. Lally Albert A. Koelmans Anne Marie Mahon Ian O'Connor Róisín Nash John J. O'Sullivan Michael Bruen Linda Heerey Sinéad Murphy 2022-07-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100192 https://doaj.org/article/10b2c3425da946859146372522b29f6f EN eng Elsevier http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266676572200028X https://doaj.org/toc/2666-7657 2666-7657 doi:10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100192 https://doaj.org/article/10b2c3425da946859146372522b29f6f Environmental Advances, Vol 8, Iss , Pp 100192- (2022) Freshwater ecology Trophic transfer Food web modelling Biomagnification Plastic pollution Environmental sciences GE1-350 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100192 2022-12-31T02:38:07Z Microplastics are a pervasive pollutant of aquatic ecosystems and are reported to interact with a wide range of aquatic biota. The complexities of natural food webs means that the transfer and accumulation of microplastics is difficult to assess, and only a handful of studies have attempted to quantify trophic transfer in freshwater biota. Bioaccumulation models can provide a valuable tool to explore the transfer of microplastics along complex food webs, but such approaches have been rarely applied to freshwater ecosystems. Here, a food web accumulation model was implemented to assess the transfer, bioaccumulation and hence biomagnification potential of microplastics along a food web located in the River Slaney catchment in south-east Ireland. Literature feeding values and environmental field data were used to simulate microplastic uptake in benthic macroinvertebrates, with fish and Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758)) comprising the higher trophic levels. Microplastic concentrations from the model were used to form a basis of comparison with empirical data for benthic macroinvertebrates and brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758). Predicted concentrations were greatest in benthic macroinvertebrates and lowest in fish species such as European eel (Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758)) and three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758)). Biota magnification factors for fish and L. lutra indicate that microplastic accumulation between the specific predator-prey interactions are not expected. To better inform models such as this, and therefore improve their accuracy, it is important to gain a better understanding of microplastic retention times in biota and the interaction between microplastics and resources utilised by benthic macroinvertebrates and fish, such as plant material, allochthonous detritus as well as terrestrial and aerial prey. Capsule: A bioaccumulation model, used to explore the transfer and possible accumulation of microplastics along a riverine food web, showed that ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Anguilla anguilla European eel Lutra lutra Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Environmental Advances 8 100192
institution Open Polar
collection Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles
op_collection_id ftdoajarticles
language English
topic Freshwater ecology
Trophic transfer
Food web modelling
Biomagnification
Plastic pollution
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
spellingShingle Freshwater ecology
Trophic transfer
Food web modelling
Biomagnification
Plastic pollution
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
James D. O'Connor
Heather T. Lally
Albert A. Koelmans
Anne Marie Mahon
Ian O'Connor
Róisín Nash
John J. O'Sullivan
Michael Bruen
Linda Heerey
Sinéad Murphy
Modelling the transfer and accumulation of microplastics in a riverine freshwater food web
topic_facet Freshwater ecology
Trophic transfer
Food web modelling
Biomagnification
Plastic pollution
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
description Microplastics are a pervasive pollutant of aquatic ecosystems and are reported to interact with a wide range of aquatic biota. The complexities of natural food webs means that the transfer and accumulation of microplastics is difficult to assess, and only a handful of studies have attempted to quantify trophic transfer in freshwater biota. Bioaccumulation models can provide a valuable tool to explore the transfer of microplastics along complex food webs, but such approaches have been rarely applied to freshwater ecosystems. Here, a food web accumulation model was implemented to assess the transfer, bioaccumulation and hence biomagnification potential of microplastics along a food web located in the River Slaney catchment in south-east Ireland. Literature feeding values and environmental field data were used to simulate microplastic uptake in benthic macroinvertebrates, with fish and Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758)) comprising the higher trophic levels. Microplastic concentrations from the model were used to form a basis of comparison with empirical data for benthic macroinvertebrates and brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758). Predicted concentrations were greatest in benthic macroinvertebrates and lowest in fish species such as European eel (Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758)) and three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758)). Biota magnification factors for fish and L. lutra indicate that microplastic accumulation between the specific predator-prey interactions are not expected. To better inform models such as this, and therefore improve their accuracy, it is important to gain a better understanding of microplastic retention times in biota and the interaction between microplastics and resources utilised by benthic macroinvertebrates and fish, such as plant material, allochthonous detritus as well as terrestrial and aerial prey. Capsule: A bioaccumulation model, used to explore the transfer and possible accumulation of microplastics along a riverine food web, showed that ...
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author James D. O'Connor
Heather T. Lally
Albert A. Koelmans
Anne Marie Mahon
Ian O'Connor
Róisín Nash
John J. O'Sullivan
Michael Bruen
Linda Heerey
Sinéad Murphy
author_facet James D. O'Connor
Heather T. Lally
Albert A. Koelmans
Anne Marie Mahon
Ian O'Connor
Róisín Nash
John J. O'Sullivan
Michael Bruen
Linda Heerey
Sinéad Murphy
author_sort James D. O'Connor
title Modelling the transfer and accumulation of microplastics in a riverine freshwater food web
title_short Modelling the transfer and accumulation of microplastics in a riverine freshwater food web
title_full Modelling the transfer and accumulation of microplastics in a riverine freshwater food web
title_fullStr Modelling the transfer and accumulation of microplastics in a riverine freshwater food web
title_full_unstemmed Modelling the transfer and accumulation of microplastics in a riverine freshwater food web
title_sort modelling the transfer and accumulation of microplastics in a riverine freshwater food web
publisher Elsevier
publishDate 2022
url https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100192
https://doaj.org/article/10b2c3425da946859146372522b29f6f
genre Anguilla anguilla
European eel
Lutra lutra
genre_facet Anguilla anguilla
European eel
Lutra lutra
op_source Environmental Advances, Vol 8, Iss , Pp 100192- (2022)
op_relation http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266676572200028X
https://doaj.org/toc/2666-7657
2666-7657
doi:10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100192
https://doaj.org/article/10b2c3425da946859146372522b29f6f
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100192
container_title Environmental Advances
container_volume 8
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