Where have all the beads gone? Fate of microplastics in a closed exposure system and their effects on clearance rates in Mytilus spp.

The fate of microplastic particles (MP) in exposure experiments is mostly unclear. We measured the recovery of polystyrene (PS) microbeads, which were applied in various concentrations from 0.07 to 47.47 beads/ml, from the different compartments of an experimental system with mussels (Mytilus spp.). At the end of the experiment, we detected a significant loss of MP indicating that the mussels were exposed to less particles than intended. If such a discrepancy remains un-recognized by the experimenter, observed effects are related to an inaccurate particle concentration. Additionally, we observed reduced clearance rates of the mussels in the presence of MP and the effect size increased with increasing particle concentration. This effect was more pronounced in mussels that had recently spawned than in mussels that still had mature gonads. This is a hint that effects of MP may depend on the reproductive status of an organism.

Avoidance behavior of juvenile common toads (Bufo bufo) in response to surface contamination by different pesticides.

Most agricultural soils are expected to be contaminated with agricultural chemicals. As the exposure to pesticides can have adverse effects on non-target organisms, avoiding contaminated areas would be advantageous on an individual level, but could lead to a chemical landscape fragmentation with disadvantages on the metapopulation level. We investigated the avoidance behavior of juvenile common toads (Bufo bufo) in response to seven pesticide formulations commonly used in German vineyards. We used test arenas filled with silica sand and oversprayed half of each with different pesticide formulations. We placed a toad in the middle of an arena, filmed its behavior over 24 hours, calculated the proportion of time a toad spent on the contaminated side and compared it to a random side choice. We found evidence for the avoidance of the folpet formulation Folpan® 500 SC, the metrafenone formulation Vivando® and the glyphosate formulation Taifun® forte at maximum recommended field rates for vine and a trend for avoidance of Wettable Sulphur Stulln (sulphur). No avoidance was observed when testing Folpan® 80 WDG (folpet), Funguran® progress (copper hydroxide), SpinTorTM (spinosad), or 10% of the maximum field rate of any formulation tested. In the choice-tests in which we observed an avoidance, toads also showed higher activity on the contaminated side of the arena. As video analysis with tracking software is not always feasible, we further tested the effect of reducing the sampling interval for manual data analyses. We showed that one data point every 15 or 60 minutes results in a risk of overlooking a weak avoidance behavior, but still allows to verify the absence/presence of an avoidance for six out of seven formulations. Our findings are important for an upcoming pesticide risk assessment for amphibians and could be a template for future standardized tests.