Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea Ecological Safety of Coastal and Shelf Zones of Sea 2413-5577 20230308 Research Article Are Polymer-Based Single-Use Face Masks Subject to Biofouling in Seawater? Bondarenko A. V.
Russian Federation
gonzurassa@mail.ru Ryabushko L. I.
Russian Federation
larisa.rybushko@yandex.ru Blaginina A. A.
Russian Federation
aablagini@ibss-ras.ru A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS Sevastopol Russian Federation 25 09 2023 2023 3 114 128 04 05 2023 28 06 2023 25 05 2023 Copyright © 2023, A. V. Bondarenko, L. I. Ryabushko, A. A. Blaginina 2023 A. V. Bondarenko, L. I. Ryabushko, A. A. Blaginina https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ https://ecological-safety.ru/en/repository/issues/2023/03/08/

The paper presents for the first time the results of an experimental study of the species composition and quantitative characteristics: species richness (S), abundance (N) and biomass (B) of the microalgae and cyanobacteria in the fouling of synthetic single-use face masks as a technogenic substrate. Fouling experiments were conducted for two months and for one year in 2021-2022 in Karantinnaya Bay (the Black Sea). The surface of masks and microfouling suspensions were studied using light and electron microscopy. In total, 48 taxa from 5 phyla were noted: Cyanoprocaryota - 3 species, Bacillariophyta - 36, Dinophyta - 6, Haptophyta - 2, Ochrophyta - 1. After a two-month exposure of masks, 30 species were found, and 40 species were found after a one-year exposure, 22 species were shared. For the first time for the bay, we have identified benthic species of diatoms Cocconeis guttata and Karayevia amoena. Out of 14 benthic typical colonial fouling species of diatoms, Tabularia fasciculata was on all masks with 100 % occurrence. Solitary-living species were also recorded among the frequently encountered ones: potentially toxic Halamphora coffeiformis and bentoplanktonic Cylindrotheca closterium. The features of the mask fouling at different exposure periods in the sea are the absence of the formation of diatoms colonies, unlike fouling on other anthropogenic and natural substrates, and low quantitative characteristics at different periods: after a two-month exposure, the corresponding values were: S - 10-15 species, N - 9200-13100 cells/cm² and B - 0.001-0.02 mg/cm²; after a one-year exposure, the same were: S - 8-14 species, N - 4900-8400 cells/cm², B - 0.01-0.03 mg/cm².

 diatoms cyanobacteria microalgae fouling single-use face masks Crimea coastal waters Black Sea The work was performed under state assignment of IBSS of RAS "Research of control mechanisms for production processes in biotechnological complexes with the aim of developing scientific foundations for obtaining biologically active substances and technical products of marine genesis", state registration no. 121030300149-0. We would like to express our gratitude to Chief Research Associate, Dr. Sci. (Biol.), V. I. Ryabushko for the idea of studying and support, to S. V. Shchurov for sampling and hydrological indicators, and to V. N. Lishaiev for processing the material in the SEM.

About the authors:

Anna V. Bondarenko, Senior Research Associate, A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimova Ave, Sevastopol, 299011, Russian Federation), Ph.D. (Biol.), ORCID: 0000-0003-2202-4014, gonzurassa@mail.ru

Larisa I. Ryabushko, Chief Research Associate, A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimova Ave, Sevastopol, 299011, Russian Federation), Dr. Sci. (Biol.), ORCID: 0000-0003-0443-9929, larisa.rybushko@yandex.ru

Anastasiia A. Blaginina, A. O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS (2 Nakhimova Ave, Sevastopol, 299011, Russian Federation), Ph.D. (Biol.), ORCID: 0000-0001-7115-4427, aablagini@ibss-ras.ru

Contribution of the authors:

Anna V. Bondarenko – material processing and manuscript writing

Larisa I. Ryabushko – statement of the task and objectives of the comprehensive study, manuscript editing

Anastasiia A. Blaginina – preparation of samples to obtain illustrations in the SEM

All the authors have read and approved the final manuscript.

Article text not included.

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