Effect of microplastics and microplastic-metal combinations on growth and chlorophyll a concentration of Chlorella vulgaris.

Microplastic pollution has become a global problem and it is threatening soil and water bodies around the world. In this study, i) the sole effect of 0.5 μm sized polystyrene microplastics under different concentrations (1, 5, 50, 100, and 1000 mg/L) and ii) the combined effect of the microplastic-metal combination (Cu, Zn, Mn) were investigated on the growth and chlorophyll a content of the freshwater microalgae; Chlorella vulgaris.