Products Cited in Publications Worldwide Co-Exposure of Chlorella Vulgaris to Emerging Contaminants–Glyphosate and Polyethylene Microplastics

Co-Exposure of Chlorella Vulgaris to Emerging Contaminants–Glyphosate and Polyethylene Microplastics

Podbielska, Magdalena; Kus-Liśkiewicz, Małgorzata; Płoch, Dariusz; Szpyrka, Ewa

DOI:

Abstract

Polyethylene (PE) microplastics and glyphosate (GLY) are emerging ubiquitous contaminants in various aquatic environments. Little is known about their toxicity and combined influence on the alga Chlorella vulgaris. Our study provides reliable data supporting understanding of toxic effects to microalgae C. vulgaris of GLY in a single system and GLY-PE in a combined system after 3 and 7 days of exposure. Microalgae co-exposure to GLY and PE resulted in their greater growth inhibition, which is GLY concentration-dependent. The presence of PE increases toxicity and a synergistic effect was observed. The GLY-PE combined system resulted in a greater reduction in the pigment production. The antioxidant system was activated, indicating that pesticides and microplastics have a negative influence on microalgae. For the GLY-PE combined system, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were higher than those in the single system. Our results confirm that microplastics can exhibit a synergistic effect with other xenobiotics, like GLY and contribute to a significant increase in aquatic organisms exposure. As microplastics are ubiquitous in environment, more studies are needed to examine combine effects of microplastics - emerging contaminants to living organisms.

Keywords

Microplastics ; Polyethylene ; Algae ; Chlorella vulgaris ; Toxicity

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Nitro blue tetrazolium chloride

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Nitro blue tetrazolium chloride

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