Razporeditev, interakcije z onesnaževali in ekotoksikološki vpliv mikroplastike v Tržaškem zalivu

Jamšek, Jena (author), Bajt, Oliver (mentor), Prosen, Helena (comentor)

Tržaški zaliv kot najbolj severni in polzaprti del Jadranskega morja zaradi svoje plitvosti, omejene izmenjave vodnih mas in intenzivnih antropogenih pritiskov predstavlja okolje z izrazitim potencialom za kopičenje mikroplastike. V prvem delu raziskave smo preučili prostorsko razporeditev in lastnosti mikroplastike v sedimentih ter izbranih morskih organizmih. Mikroplastika je bila potrjena na vseh vzorčevalnih mestih, pri čemer so bile koncentracije v slovenskih sedimentih izrazito višje in bolj heterogene kot v italijanskem delu, zlasti na območjih pristanišč in marin. Prevladovali so sekundarni delci, predvsem vlakna in fragmenti, manjši od 700 µm, sestavljeni iz polietilena, polipropilena in polietilen tereftalata. Vsi analizirani organizmi so vsebovali mikroplastiko, pri čemer so bile najvišje vrednosti ugotovljene pri filtratorjih, kot je sredozemska klapavica, kar potrjuje dostopnost onesnaževala v prehranski verigi. Ugotovitve o prevladi polietilena in polipropilena so služile kot podlaga za drugi del, v katerem smo preučili interakcije med omenjenima polimeroma in izbranimi organskimi onesnaževali. Okoljsko starana mikroplastika je zaradi povečane hrapavosti, poroznosti in prisotnosti polarnih skupin izkazovala večjo adsorpcijsko kapaciteto, ki je odvisna od hidrofobnosti onesnaževala in vrste polimera. Hkrati mikroplastika pomembno spreminja potek fotolize in fotokatalize onesnaževal bodisi z zaviranjem razgradnje bodisi s pospeševanjem nastanka reaktivnih kisikovih zvrsti. V tretjem delu smo preučili toksikološki vpliv na sredozemske klapavice z uporabo poliamidnih vlaken iz ribiških mrež ter nanje adsorbiranega dibutil ftalata in fenantrena. Izpostavljenost tema spojinama je povzročila izrazito inhibicijo aktivnosti acetilholinesteraze, kar potrjuje nevrotoksični potencial, medtem ko je bila pri spojinah, vezanih na mikroplastiko, zaznana zmanjšana akutna toksičnost zaradi manjše biološke dostopnosti. Mikronukleusni test je pokazal zmeren porast genotoksičnih poškodb brez dokazov za trajne okvare. Raziskava tako celovito osvetljuje vlogo mikroplastike pri usodi organskih onesnaževal in njenih vplivih na morske organizme v Tržaškem zalivu.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: mikroplastika, sediment, morski organizmi, fotokemijska razgradnja, organska onesnaževala, Tržaški zaliv, genotoksičnost
• Work type: Doctoral dissertation
• Organization: FPP - Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transport
• Year: 2026
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-189063
• COBISS.SI-ID: 293230083
• Publication date in RUL: 01.10.2026

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Distribution, interactions with pollutants and ecotoxicological effect of microplastics in the Gulf of Trieste

Abstract

The Gulf of Trieste as the northernmost and semi-enclosed part of the Adriatic Sea due to its shallowness, limited water mass exchange, and intensive anthropogenic pressures represents an environment with a distinct potential for microplastic accumulation. In the first part of the research, we examined the spatial distribution and characteristics of microplastic in sediments and selected marine organisms. Microplastic was confirmed at all sampling sites, with concentrations in Slovenian sediments being significantly higher and more heterogeneous than in the Italian part, particularly in port and marina areas. Secondary particles predominated, mainly fibers and fragments smaller than 700 µm, composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate. All analyzed organisms contained microplastic, with the highest values found in filter feeders such as the Mediterranean mussel, which confirms the availability of the pollutant in the food web. The findings regarding the predominance of polyethylene and polypropylene served as the basis for the second part, in which we studied the interactions between these two polymers and selected organic pollutants. Environmentally aged microplastic exhibited a higher adsorption capacity due to increased roughness, porosity, and the presence of polar groups, which depends on the hydrophobicity of the pollutant and the type of polymer. At the same time, microplastic significantly alters the course of photolysis and photocatalysis of pollutants, either by inhibiting degradation or by accelerating the formation of reactive oxygen species. In the third part, we examined the toxicological impact on Mediterranean mussels using polyamide fibers from fishing nets and adsorbed dibutyl phthalate and phenanthrene. Exposure to these two compounds caused a pronounced inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity, confirming their neurotoxic potential, while reduced acute toxicity was detected for compounds bound to microplastic due to lower bioavailability. The micronucleus test showed a moderate increase in genotoxic damage without evidence of permanent impairment. The research thus comprehensively illuminates the role of microplastic in the fate of organic pollutants and its impacts on marine organisms in the Gulf of Trieste.

• Keywords: microplastics, sediment, marine organisms, photochemical degradation, organic pollutants, Gulf of Trieste, genotoxicology