how can it be? This is the first time it has been detected. Microplastics were found in the water of plant leaves. It is the water they retain.
Cardinal plants have characteristic opposite leaves. They grow on the stem one above the other in several tiers. As they grasp the stem, they form cup-shaped structures that collect water. They are known as phytotelmas.
Extensive contamination
To their surprise, scientists from the University of Presov, Slovakia, found fragments and fibers of different colors. Some up to 2.4 mm in length. And they were identified as microplastic contamination.
“These phytotelmas are very small and have a short lifespan.” That’s what the researchers write in their paper. It was published in the journal BioRisk. “The question is, therefore, how did they become contaminated with microplastics?”.
No other sources of contaminants were found in the area studied. The fragments and fibers came from a polluted atmosphere, they suggest. Another theory is that the snails may have transported them from the ground or from other plants. Either inside or on their bodies.
“This is the first finding of microplastics in small, short-term water reservoirs created by plants. Contamination of this type spreads through several pathways. Probably no environment on Earth is safe. This makes our discovery quite discouraging,” say the researchers.
New approaches
They suggest taking advantage of their abundance and theoretical ability to capture microplastics from the environment. Microplastics in leaf water may serve as a good indicator of their environment.
“This is the first discovery of microplastic contamination of habitats of this type. And also the first proposal of a new approach to the use of cardinal phytotelmas. Not only that, but similar plant-provided (or artificially created) microecosystems. They would serve as bioindicators of the presence of microplastics in the environment. We will identify possible sources and pathways of their spread through the environment.”
