Table 1 Known impacts of NMP on pollinators, pests and biocontrol agents

From: Plastic pollution in agricultural landscapes: an overlooked threat to pollination, biocontrol and food security

Target

Type

Impact

Aspect

Effect

Evidence

Referencces

Pollinator (Apis mellifera)

MP

Direct

Mortality

No effect or low effect on survival rate

**

41,42,43,48,49,52

  

Biomass

Reduce body weight

?

41,48

  

Food consumption

Less intake of sucrose solution

?

41,42,43

  

Behaviors

Disturb sucrose responsiveness

**

42,45

   

No effect to sucrose preference

**

42,43

   

Impair learning and memory

*

45

  

Alimentary system

Damage midgut tissue

*

47

   

Disrupt gut microbiota community

**

46,48,49

  

Gene expression

Stimulate expressions related to immunity, detoxification, etc.

**

47,48

 

Indirect

Infection

More infectious to pathogens

**

47,49

  

Amplifier of pollutants

More vulnerable to antibiotics

*

48

NP

Direct

Mortality

Reduce survival rate

**

42,46

  

Biomass

Reduce body weight

*

46

  

Food consumption

More intake of food

-

42

  

Behaviors

Disturb PER to sucrose

-

42

   

No effect to sucrose preference

-

42

  

Alimentary system

Damage midgut tissue (stronger than MP)

*

47

   

Induce intestinal dysplasia

*

46

   

Certain gut microbiota loss

*

46

  

Gene expression

Stimulate expressions related to immunity, detoxification, etc.

**

46,47

 

Indirect

Infection

More infectious to pathogens

*

46

Pollinator (Apis cerana)

MP

Direct

Alimentary system

Damage midgut tissue

*

47

  

Gene expression

Alter gene expressions

*

47

 

Indirect

Infection

More infectious to viruses

*

47

NP

Direct

Alimentary system

Damage midgut tissue (stronger than MP)

*

47

  

Gene expression

Alter gene expressions

*

47

Pollinator (Partamona helleri)

MP

Direct

Biomass

Increase body weight

*

44

  

Circulatory System

Change hemocyte counts

*

44

  

Foraging behavior

Disturb walking behavior

*

44

Biocontrol agent (Hermetia illucens)

MP

Direct

Larvae

Alter larvae biomass

-

56

Biocontrol agent (Steinernema feltiae)

NP

Direct

Fitness

Reduced survival, reproduction and pathogenicity

*

59

  

Physiological

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction

*

59

Pest (Bradysia difformis)

MP

Indirect

Oviposition

Lower oviposition interest to polluted plant-soil systems

*

57

Pest (Culex pipiens & Cx tarsalis)

MP

Direct

Fitness-related

No effects on body size, development and growth rate

*

58

  1. **Some supporting literature, i.e., ≥ 2 supporting studies.
  2. *Limited supporting literature, i.e., <2 supporting studies.
  3. -Results not obvious, i.e., the only supporting study used mixtures of NP and MP, or showed mixed effects within the same study;
  4. ?Controversial, where conflicting results were provided by different studies.
Back to article page