Why this little flea could be our water's new best friend
Let me introduce you Daphne the Daphnia. Now you might be either (a) wondering why i'm writing a post about a see through Sea Horse or (b) hoping it's not about to attack the USS Enterprise. However, this little water flea has been found to have some super powers....
I think by now (and i'm testing this supposition) that microplastics are starting to enter the common vernacular. These tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size have become ubiquitous in the environment, including our rivers and other bodies of water.
One of the major impacts of microplastics on river water quality is the release of toxic chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA), into the water. These small plastic particles have significant impacts on river water quality and biodiversity, making them a growing concern for both environmental and human health and as such are a major concern to the water industry.
Microplastics can absorb and contain harmful chemicals, and when they are ingested by aquatic life, the chemicals are released into the food chain, potentially affecting the health of wildlife and humans who consume contaminated seafood.
And (not to worry anyone as it's not proven to be harmful yet) but this week research has been shown where microplastics have been found to have moved from human blood directly into vascular tissue.
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So, I think we can all agree that this isn't something that we need to be encouraging more of in human society. In a world where our ability to do everything in a sustainable way, this is an area that we need to urgently address.
Microplastics pose a significant threat to our biodiversity by affecting the health and reproductive success of aquatic species. Studies have shown that microplastics can block the digestive tracts of fish, birds, and other aquatic animals, leading to malnutrition and death. Additionally, we see microplastics having a direct impact on the wider river water ecosystem by altering the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the water itself. This is being seen in an effect on the availability of essential nutrients, reducing the water's ability to support diverse and thriving aquatic communities.
Enter the UK Water Industry and Daphne
Daphnia, (this article's cover model) is a type of water flea and is gaining recognition as a potential natural capital solution to removing microplastics from the environment. Recent research has shown that Daphnia can effectively remove microplastics from the water by consuming them as food. In laboratory experiments (and now field trials), Daphnia were found to consume a range of different types of microplastics, including polystyrene and polyethylene. The key aspect of this capture process is then the ultimate end point of excretion (everything seems to come back to poo when it comes to water) Daphnia were able to effectively excrete the plastic particles, making them a potential viable tool for removing microplastics from the environment.
Utilising BioSolutions like this as a way of improving water quality is just another example of the exemplary innovative work that is being driven in the UK by our water companies. As the UK Water Industry looks for multiple solutions to environmental management, we are working together to use data efficiently and effectively. We need more and more environmentally friendly and cost-effective environmental methods such as Daphne to really make a difference.