Marine ecosystems are contaminated by plastic products, particularly microplastics (MPs), which settle on the seafloor and affect benthic organisms. This study explores the toxicity of irregular fibril-shaped MPs of various sizes and lengths on Artemia franciscana. We exposed juvenile A. franciscana to irregular-shaped MPs of three sizes, small (<20 μm), medium (40–70 μm), and large (>120 μm), and MP fibers of two length categories, short (200–300 μm) and long (3 mm), in a sand-layered benthic system. The concentrations of the MPs were maintained at 0.05–20 mg/L, and the study was conducted over a 28-d of chronic period. Among all the MPs considered in this study, the small and short MPs exerted the most severe effects (causing mortality, growth inhibition, gut damage, alterations in movement, and a decrease in positive phototaxis). Our study highlights the importance of considering the morphological characteristics of MPs for analyzing their toxicity to aquatic eco-receptors.

中文翻译：

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不规则和原纤维微塑料对底栖环境中方济各卤虫的慢性影响：大小和形状依赖性毒性


海洋生态系统受到塑料制品的污染，尤其是微塑料 （MP），它们会沉积在海底并影响底栖生物。本研究探讨了不同大小和长度的不规则原纤维状 MPs 对方济各青蒿的毒性。我们在沙层底栖系统中将 A. franciscana 幼鱼暴露于三种尺寸的不规则形状的 MP，小 （<20 μm）、中 （40-70 μm） 和大 （>120 μm），以及短 （200-300 μm） 和长 （3 mm） 两种长度类别的 MP 纤维。MPS 的浓度保持在 0.05-20 mg/L，并且该研究在 28 天的慢性期内进行。在本研究考虑的所有 MP 中，小个子和矮个 MP 产生的影响最严重（导致死亡、生长抑制、肠道损伤、运动改变和正趋光性减少）。我们的研究强调了考虑 MPS 的形态学特征以分析其对水生生态受体的毒性的重要性。