Researchers / Institutional Affiliations

Principal Investigator

• Yoshifumi Horie
  Research Center for Inland Seas
  Kobe University
  (Japan)

Collaborators

• Hideo Okamura
  Research Center for Inland Seas
  Kobe University
  (Japan)
• Christopher Gomez
  Graduate School of Maritime Sciences
  Kobe University
  (Japan)
• Akira Ijiri
  Graduate School of Maritime Sciences
  Kobe University
  (Japan)
• Kazuyo Yamaji
  Graduate School of Maritime Sciences
  Kobe University
  (Japan)

Timeline

Underway since March 2023

Additional Information

There is currently a lack of data on risks posed by microplastics in natural ecosystems. The purpose of this project is to assess the ecological risk posed by microplastics using Osaka Bay as a model case. First, researchers investigated microplastic residues in the surface water of the sea in the Osaka Bay area as a measure of ecosystem exposure to microplastics. Second, they examined whether the time required to remove microplastics is affected when ingestion occurs through a food chain. Third, the effects of microplastics on the life cycles of aquatic organisms (Daphnia and fish) were investigated. Finally, the researchers explored whether microplastics in the water are harmful to aquatic organisms

Profession Presentations

N/A

Published Papers

Horie Y, Dorcas U, Mitsunaga K, Akkajit P, Ríos JM, Naija A. Food chain-mediated variation in excretion times of microplastics: Unraveling the interactions with plasticizers. Regional Studies in Marine Science. 69, 103343. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2023.103343