Page - 153 - in Freshwater Microplastics - Emerging Environmental Contaminants?

InteractionsofMicroplasticswithFreshwater Biota ChristianScherer,AnnkatrinWeber, ScottLambert, andMartinWagner Abstract The ubiquitous detection of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems pro- motes theconcern for adverse impactson freshwater ecosystems.Thewidevariety of material types, sizes, shapes, and physicochemical properties renders interac- tionswith biota viamultiple pathways probable. So far, our knowledge about the uptake and biological effects ofmicroplastics comes from laboratory studies, applying simplified exposure regimes (e.g., one polymerandsize, spherical shape,highconcentrations)oftenwith limitedenviron- mental relevance. However, the available data illustrates species- and material- related interactions and highlights that microplastics represent a multifaceted stressor. Particle-related toxicities will be driven by polymer type, size, and shape. Chemical toxicity is driven by the adsorption-desorption kinetics of addi- tives and pollutants. In addition,microbial colonization, the formation of hetero- aggregates, and the evolutionary adaptations of the biological receptor further increase the complexity of microplastics as stressors. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to synthesize andcritically revisit these aspects basedon the state of the science in freshwater research.Whereunavailablewesupplement thiswithdataon marinebiota. This provides an insight into the direction of future research. In this regard, the challenge is to understand the complex interactions of biota and plasticmaterials and to identify the toxicologicallymost relevant characteris- ticsof theplethoraofmicroplastics. Importantly,as thedirectbiological impactsof This chapter has been externally peer reviewed. C. Scherer (*),A.Weber, andS.Lambert DepartmentAquaticEcotoxicology,GoetheUniversity,Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt amMain,Germany e-mail: c.scherer@bio.uni-frankfurt.de M.Wagner Department ofBiology,NorwegianUniversity ofScience andTechnology (NTNU), Trondheim,Norway M.Wagner, S.Lambert (eds.),FreshwaterMicroplastics, HdbEnvChem58,DOI10.1007/978-3-319-61615-5_8, ©TheAuthor(s) 2018 153