Toxicity of microplastic particles and adsorbed fluoranthene to epibenthic copepods

This study focuses on the chronic uptake of polyethylene microplastics in the gut of the epibenthic copepod, Amphiascus tenuiremis, for a period of 32 days. Uptake is quantified during the three developmental stages, and the resulting growth, reproduction, and mortality is quantified. Polyethylene microplastics used in this study ranged between 10 and 27 microns. The same polyethylene microplastics were saturated with the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, fluoranthene, and the bioavailability of fluoranthene to adult copepods was also quantified following 7 day exposures.