Comparative effects of polyvinyl chloride microplastics on the brittle star Ophiactis virens and the amphibian Xenopus laevis.

In this study, we investigated the effects of PVC microplastics (PVC-MPs) using two different animal models: the brittle star Ophiactis virens, and the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis. This is the first study using an environmental relevant sample of PVC-MPs obtained through mechanical fragmentation of a common PVC plumbing pipe. Exposure experiments on brittle star were performed on the adult stage for a duration of 14 days, while those on African clawed frog were performed on the embryogenic developmental stage according to the standardized FETAX protocol (Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay-Xenopus).

Indigo-dyed cellulose fibers and synthetic polymers in surface-feeding seabird chick regurgitates from the Gulf of Alaska.

We provide evidence of anthropogenic materials ingestion in seabirds from a remote oceanic area, using regurgitates obtained from black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) chicks from Middleton Island (Gulf of Alaska, USA). By means of GPS tracking of breeding adults, we identified foraging grounds where anthropogenic materials were most likely ingested. They were mainly located within the continental shelf of the Gulf of Alaska and near the Alaskan coastline.

Nutritional ecology of a prototypical generalist predator, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes).

Generalist species, which exploit a wide range of food resources, are expected to be able to combine available resources as to attain their specific macronutrient ratio (percentage of caloric intake of protein, lipids and carbohydrates). Among mammalian predators, the red fox Vulpes vulpes is a widespread, opportunistic forager: its diet has been largely studied, outlining wide variation according to geographic and climatic factors. We aimed to check if, throughout the species' European range, diets vary widely in macronutrient composition or foxes can combine complementary foods to gain the same nutrient intake.

Anti-predator behavioral responses of Italian agile frog tadpoles (Rana latastei) exposed to microplastics.

Microplastics (MPs) are nowadays abundant, persistent, and ubiquitous in the environment, representing a new threat for terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems. Although anuran populations and species are globally declining, the effect of MP exposure on this taxon has been poorly investigated. With the aim of assessing the effects of microplastic exposure on the defensive responses of Italian agile frog (Rana latastei) tadpoles, we exposed them to three different concentrations (1, 7, and 50 mg L) of a mixture of plastic polymers (HPDE, PVC, PS, and PES) for 2 weeks.

Microplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems: A study using barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets.

Microplastics (MPs) are recognised as an emerging environmental problem that needs to be carefully monitored. So far, MPs have been widely recorded in marine and freshwater ecosystems. Still, few studies have focused on MP occurrence in terrestrial ecosystems, although soils are suspected to be one of the main MP reservoirs.