TY - JOUR T1 - The first evidence of microplastics in plant-formed fresh-water micro-ecosystems: Dipsacus teasel phytotelmata in Slovakia contaminated with MPs JF - BioRisk JO - BR M3 - 10.3897/biorisk.18.87433 VL - 18 AU - Fogašová, Katarína AU - Manko, Peter AU - Oboňa, Jozef Y1 - 30/08/2022 UR - https://doi.org/10.3897/biorisk.18.87433 N2 - Tiny pieces of plastic, or microplastics, are one of the emerging pollutants in a wide range of different ecosystems. However, they have, thus far, not been confirmed from phytotelmata – specific small water-filled cavities provided by terrestrial plants. The authors confirmed microplastics (141 μm – 2.4 mm long fibres of several colour and blue and orange fragments with diameters of 9–81 μm) in quantities from 101 to 409 per ml in Dipsacus telmata from two different periods. The phytotelmata, therefore, appear to be possible indicators of current and future microplastic pollution of the environment. However, further research is needed to obtain accurate information and verify the methodology for possible assessment of the local environmental burden of microplastics. PB - Pensoft Publishers SP - 133-143 SN - 1313-2644 SN - 1313-2652 IS - ER -