Synthetic Microfiber Material Influences Ingestion by Freshwater Worms

Sarah A. Martinez, Conner J. Simon, Risa A. Cohen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Plastics enter the environment, amongst others, from synthetic textiles, which shed microplastic fibers (microfibers) during their production, use and disposal. We tested whether short- and long-term effects of microfibers on the aquatic worm, Lumbriculus variegatus, depend on the synthetic microfiber material. Microcosms containing L. variegatus were exposed to no microfibers (control) or one of three polymer treatments (nylon, polyester, or olefin) at 5 g of microfibers kg-1 of sediment for 48 h or 28 days. Following exposure, L. variegatus were counted, weighed, and the number of microfibers ingested determined. Polyester microfibers occurred in higher quantities (10–12) than nylon and olefin (< one) per individual after 48 h and 28 days. Only the olefin per individual doubled after 28 days compared to 48 h. These findings indicate that polyester microfibers are more likely to affect L. variegatus and have greater potential to be ingested by higher trophic levels than other polymers.

Original languageEnglish
Article number87
JournalBulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Volume110
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2023

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Toxicology
  • Pollution
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Keywords

  • Aquatic
  • Lumbriculus variegatus
  • Microplastics
  • Pollution
  • Sediment

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Synthetic Microfiber Material Influences Ingestion by Freshwater Worms'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this