Team > M.Sc. Simona Mondellini


Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Chair Animal Ecology I
PhD Student
PhD Project: Effects of biodegradable microplastics and water soluble synthetic polymers on freshwater invertebrates
This project regards the evaluation of the potential ecotoxicological effects that could be induced on freshwater invertebrates by the exposure to microplastics (MP) from biodegradable polymers and to water soluble synthetic polymers (WSSP).
Biodegradable polymers have been presented as a potential solution to the problem represented by plastic pollution. Even though, so far, the particles detected in the environment have predominantly been represented by commodity polymers, the demand, and so the environmental concentrations, of biodegradable polymers is increasing. Hence, data concerning their potential ecotoxicological effects is highly desirable for a reliable risk assessment.
WSSP are currently employed in a variety of different fields (e.g. pharmaceutical, biomedical, dietary, water treatments). Nevertheless, information about their effects, fate and prevalence in the environment are still scarce.
Hence, in this project acute and long-term exposures on freshwater invertebrates (e.g. Daphnia magna, Lumbriculus variegatus) are conducted to assess alterations on life history parameters, metabolism and stress of the employed model organisms.
This PhD project is part of LimnoPlast-ITN.