Microplastics (MPs) are abundantly present in aquatic environments, where the phytoplankton—microalgae, are now inevitably bound to a long-term coexistence with them. While numerous studies have focused on the toxicological effects of high-concentration MPs exposure, there remains controversy over whether and how MPs affect microalgae at environmentally relevant concentrations. This study aims to draw conclusions that narrow the gap from 52 studies with varying results. Overall, MPs can inhibit growth and photosynthesis, induce oxidative damage, from which microalgae can recover after an appropriate period. Cyanobacteria exhibit greater vulnerability than chlorophyta. The relative size of MPs to algal cells potentially governs their coexistence behavior, thereby altering the mechanisms of impact. Pristine MPs may increase the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and microcystins (MCs), while aged MPs have the opposite effect. Additionally, relevant factors are systematically discussed, offering insights for future research.

中文翻译：

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评估微藻对环境共存微塑料的生理反应：荟萃分析


微塑料 （MP） 大量存在于水生环境中，浮游植物——微藻现在不可避免地与它们长期共存。虽然许多研究都集中在高浓度 MP 暴露的毒理学影响上，但关于 MP 是否以及如何影响环境相关浓度的微藻仍然存在争议。本研究旨在得出结论，缩小 52 项研究的差距，但结果各不相同。总体而言，MP 可以抑制生长和光合作用，诱导氧化损伤，微藻可以在适当的时期后恢复。蓝细菌比绿藻门更易受感染。MP 与藻类细胞的相对大小可能控制它们的共存行为，从而改变影响机制。原始 MP 可能会增加细胞外聚合物物质 （EPS） 和微囊藻毒素 （MC） 的产生，而老年 MP 则具有相反的效果。此外，系统地讨论了相关因素，为未来的研究提供了见解。