Uptake and Transfer of Polyamide Microplastics in a Freshwater Mesocosm Study

Steadily increasing inputs of microplastics pose a growing threat to aquatic fauna, but laboratory studies potentially lack realism properly investigate its effects on populations and ecosystems. Our study investigates the trophic ontogenetic transfer in near-natural exposure scenario. The controlled outdoor freshwater mesocosms were exposed polyamide (PA) 5–50 µm size concentrations 15 150 mg L?1 control without microplastic addition. To verify uptake particles via food chain, larvae imagines midges Chaoborus crystallinus C. obscuripes examined, which feed zooplankton during their larval stage. Larvae captured after 117 days caught emergence traps that emptied weekly. detect microparticles within organisms, 200 100 per application macerated treated with fluorescent dye before investigation under microscope. We could up 12 PA individual larvae, while nearly no plastic was found imagines. This shows that, sp. takes predation, most pollutant is egested through regurgitation remains water, where it can further accumulate harm other organisms.