Micro(nano)plastics: Unignorable vectors for organisms. (February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shen, Maocai; Zhu, Yuan; Zhang, Yaxin; Zeng, Guangming; Wen, Xiaofeng; Yi, Huan; Ye, Shujing; Ren, Xiaoya; Song, Biao
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 139(2019)
• Page Start: 328
• Page End: 331
• Publication Date: 2019-02
• Subjects: Micro(nano)plastics -- Organism vector -- Aggregation -- Diffusion -- Gene exchange -- Energy flow; Marine pollution -- Periodicals; Marine Biology -- Periodicals; Water Pollution -- Periodicals; Mer -- Pollution -- Périodiques; Publications périodiques; Pollution des mers; Lutte antipollution; Electronic journals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.01.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: Micro(nano)plastics, as emerging contaminants, have attracted worldwide attention. Nowadays, the environmental distribution, sources, and analysis methods and technologies of micro(nano)plastics have been well studied and recognized. Nevertheless, the role of micro(nano)plastic particles as vectors for attaching organisms is not fully understood. In this paper, the role of micro(nano)plastics as vectors, and their potential effects on the ecology are introduced. Micro(nano)plastics could 1) accelerate the diffusion of organisms in the environment, which may result in biological invasion; 2) increase the gene exchange between attached biofilm communities, causing the transfer of pathogenic and antibiotic resistance genes; 3) enhance the rate of energy, material and information flow in the environment. Accordingly, the role of microplastics as vectors for organisms should be further evaluated in the future research. Graphical abstract: Highlights: Questions of micro(nano)plastics as organism vectors have been raised. Ecological effects of micro(nano)plastics as organism vectors are discussed. Role of micro(nano)plastics as organism vectors need to be studied in future.