Natasha Neves, MSc Candidate, Orihel Lab Effects of microplastics on benthic macroinvertebrates in a limnocorral experiment The response of freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates to microplastics (< 5 mm) under environmentally relevant conditions is not well understood. The objective of the present study was to determine effects of a microplastic particle mixture (polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyethylene) on benthic invertebrates under an environmentally relevant gradient of microplastic pollution. Twelve open-bottom limnocorrals were deployed in the littoral zone of a boreal lake at the International Institute for Sustainable Development – Experimental Lakes Area in Ontario, Canada in June 2022. Pre-colonized leaf litterbags (5x3 mm mesh size) were added to the limnocorrals and sampled after 5 and 8 weeks of microplastic exposure to characterize the benthic invertebrate community. Results will elucidate a concentration-response relationship between microplastics and benthic invertebrates at the organismal (body size), population (species abundance), and community (diversity, evenness) levels. This study will help to identify thresholds in microplastic pollution that could be hazardous to freshwater benthic invertebrates.
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