Acute and chronic effects of polystyrene microplastics on juvenile and adult Daphnia magna.

We investigate the distribution and effects of polystyrene microplastic (MP) particles in exposure experiments with the ecotoxicology model organism Daphnia magna. The aim was to investigate the short and long-term toxicity of MP at different concentrations. To achieve this goal, the effects of 6 μm commercially available polystyrene beads on two different life-stages of D.

Impact of Fe and Ag nanoparticles on seed germination and differences in bioavailability during exposure in aqueous suspension and soil.

The potential environmental toxicity of zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) and three types of nanosilver differing in average particle size from 1 to 20 nm was evaluated using seed germination tests with ryegrass, barley, and flax exposed to 0-5000 mg L(-1) nZVI or 0-100 mg L(-1) Ag. For nZVI, germination tests were conducted both in water and in two contrasting soils to test the impact of assumed differences in bioavailability of nanoparticles. Inhibitory effects were observed in aqueous suspensions at 250 mg L(-1) for nZVI and 10 mg L(-1) for Ag.