Publications by authors named "Felicia J Haase"
Retention of microplastics by biofilms and their ingestion by protists in rivers.
Environ Microbiol Rep
October 2024
Article Synopsis
- Microplastics (MPs) are generated by human activities and travel from rivers to the ocean, with biofilms in aquatic ecosystems potentially influencing their distribution and ingestion by organisms.
- A study in the River Rhine showed that biofilms collected from clay tiles contained significantly higher amounts of MPs compared to the surrounding water, with a majority of these particles being less than 50 micrometers.
- Laboratory findings demonstrated that biofilm-covered tiles captured 6-12 times more MPs, and experiments confirmed that the ciliate Stentor coeruleus ingests these particles, indicating their potential impact on aquatic life and particle transport models.