Smells good enough to eat: dimethyl sulfide (DMS) enhances copepod ingestion of microplastics
Open accessAbstract
Marine copepods have been shown to readily ingest microplastics - a crucial first step in the transfer of plastics into the marine food chain. Copepods have also been shown to elicit a foraging behavioural response to the presence of olfactory stimuli, such as dimethyl sulfide (DMS) - a volatile compound produced by their algal prey. Here, we show that the temperate Calanoid copepod Calanus helgolandicus displays enhanced grazing rates of between 0.7 and 3-fold (72%-292%) on microplastics that have been infused in a DMS solution, compared to DMS-free controls. Environmental exposure of microplastics may result in the development of an olfactory signature that includes algal-derived compounds such as DMS. Our study provides evidence that copepods, which are known to use chemosensory mechanisms to identify and locate dense sources of palatable prey, may be at an increased risk of plastic ingestion if it mimics the scent of their prey.
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Irrespective of the exposure concentration, the percent MP ingestion quantified here, and in previous studies, is extremely low (i.e., <1%).
“Yet, irrespective of the exposure concentration, the percent MP ingestion quantified here, and in previous studies (Cole et al., 2015; Procter et al., 2019), is extremely low (i.e., < 1 %).”
From Trophic transfer of polyester microfibres across a multi-level marine food web. (2025) · cites this paper as Procter et al., 2019
Methods (§§2.2–2.3; page unavailable) report about 80 fibres/mL in 615-mL bottles, with five copepods grazing for six hours. Results (§3.1; page unavailable) report even the lowest mean ingestion rate as 31,380 fibres per copepod per day. Converted to six hours, that is about 7,845 fibres per copepod—roughly 16% of the approximately 49,200 fibres initially in a bottle, not less than 1%. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredCopepods use chemosensory mechanisms to identify algal prey; for example, the presence of the algal gaseous metabolite dimethyl sulphide (DMS) results in increased MP ingestion.
“Copepods use chemosensory mechanisms to identify algal prey; for example, the presence of the algal gaseous metabolite dimethyl sulphide (DMS; the reduced form of DMSO and a known foraging attractant (Asher et al., 2017)) results in increased MP ingestion (Procter et al., 2019).”
From Trophic transfer of polyester microfibres across a multi-level marine food web. (2025) · cites this paper as Procter et al., 2019
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- Authors
- Procter, J., Hopkins, F. E., Fileman, E. S., & Lindeque, P. K.
- Affiliations
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Hopkins, Frances E.
- Venue
- Marine Pollution Bulletin
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2019-01
- Volume
- 138
- Pages
- 1-6
- ISSN
- 0025-326X (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2901097294
- Cited by
- 128
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 12
- FWCI
- 3.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Marine Pollution Bulletin (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Marine Biological Association (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Natural Environment Research Council (NE/L003988/1)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Keywords
- dimethyl sulfide, microplastics, Calanus helgolandicus, foraging behavior, olfactory cues, chemosensory cues, grazing rates, marine plastic pollution, trophic transfer
- MeSH terms
- Dietary Exposure, Animals, Plastics, Sulfides, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Copepoda, Ecotoxicology
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