Zooplankton as a suitable tool for microplastic research

ALFONSO, MARÍA B.; LINDSAY, DHUGAL J.; ARIAS, ANDRÉS H.; NAKANO, HARUKA; SUPPAKARN JANDANG; ISOBE, ATSUHIKO

THE SCIENCE OF TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

Elsevier

Año: 2023

0048-9697

In recent years, significant efforts have been dedicated to measuring and comprehendingthe impact of microplastics (MPs) in the ocean. Despite harmonization guidelines for MPsresearch, discrepancies persist in the applied methodologies and future challenges, mostly for thesmaller fractions (< 100 μm). Whether intentional or accidental, ingesting plastic particles byzooplankton can lead to incorporating this pollutant into aquatic food chains. Therefore,zooplankton can serve as a suitable proxy tool for assessing the presence of plastic particles inocean waters. However, reliable information is essential for conducting experimental laboratorystudies on the impact of MPs ingestion by zooplankton organisms. Using zooplankton as a research tool for MPs offers numerous advantages, including similar sampling methodologiesand study techniques as MPs and particle data integration over space and time. The scientificcommunity can gain novel perspectives by merging zooplankton studies with MPs research. Thisreview explores key aspects of using zooplankton as a tool for MPs research in water samples,encompassing various views such as particles ingestion in natural environments, particlequantification in zooplankton samples (past and future), ecotoxicological and toxicology modelstudies. By leveraging the potential of zooplankton research, advancements can be made indeveloping innovative techniques for MPs analysis.