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Early colonization and temporal development of biofilms on microplastics: Influence of polymer type, season, and surrounding land use
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Researchers placed five types of plastic in urban rivers and lakes during winter and summer, tracking microbial communities that grew on them over 60 days. Bacterial communities changed over time and with season, plastic type, and surrounding land use, with biodegradable plastic showing distinct patterns and water pH linked to communities at later stages.
Microplastic pollution has emerged as a concerning environmental issue worldwide. Microplastic-associated microbial biofilms and the temporal dynamics of their development remain insufficiently investigated in freshwater systems. In this study, 60-day in situ field studies using microplastic pieces of uniform size and shape were conducted across winter (December 2022 to February 2023) and summer (July to August 2023) in urban freshwater systems employing five plastic materials (polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polylactic acid) at locations representing five land use patterns. Samples were collected on Days 7, 15, 30, and 60 and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed to explore the microbial community structures in biofilms formed on microplastics and their temporal dynamics. Results identified incubation time as a fundamental factor associated with temporal biofilm development on microplastics with significant seasonal influences. Phylum Pseudomonadota dominated early-stage biofilms but gradually declined towards later stages of development. Plastic materials were associated with the temporal dynamics, with biodegradable polylactic acid showing unique succession patterns from short to longer incubation. Different land use patterns were also related to temporal changes in biofilm microbial community, which were more pronounced under industrial and commercial land use. Among the measured environmental parameters, pH showed the strongest association with late-stage biofilm community structure. This study provided insights into the temporal dynamics of biofilm development on microplastics associated with seasonal variations, plastic materials, and land use patterns, emphasizing their important roles for understanding microplastic biofilms and evaluating environmental behavior and implications associated with microplastics.
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Scientists studied how bacterial communities develop on microplastics versus natural materials in river water and found that plastics support a distinct pattern of microbial colonization. The research identified specific bacteria capable of degrading microplastics and revealed that competition among microbes on plastic surfaces follows unexpected patterns compared to natural substrates.
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Researchers submerged five types of microplastics in a freshwater lake for about a year to study how bacterial communities colonize their surfaces over time. They found that different plastic types attracted distinct microbial communities, which changed significantly across seasons. The study reveals that microplastics serve as unique habitats for bacteria in freshwater, potentially influencing nutrient cycling and ecosystem dynamics.
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