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Environmentally aged microplastics alter archaeal and bacterial roles in ammonia oxidation of intertidal soils
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Scientists found that plastic pollution which has been broken down by sun, waves, and time (like the microplastics washing up on beaches and marshes) disrupts the natural process soil microbes use to cycle nitrogen, an essential nutrient for coastal ecosystems. Specifically, aged plastic bits threw off the balance between two types of nitrogen-processing microbes, slowing down the overall process by nearly a third. This matters because these coastal wetlands act as natural filters and buffers for our environment, and if microplastics are quietly disrupting the microbes that keep them healthy, it could have ripple effects on water qu
Increasing microplastic pollution in intertidal wetlands poses significant risks to global nitrogen cycling. As microplastics inevitably undergo environmental aging, their impacts on soil physicochemical properties and microbial functions differ from those of virgin materials. However, how environmentally aged microplastics interfere with the rate-limiting ammonia oxidation step remains poorly understood. Here, we conducted a 90-day microcosm experiment using intertidal soils amended with virgin and environmentally aged polypropylene (PP) microplastics at 0.5% and 1.0% (w/w) concentrations, respectively, and explored the potential roles of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in ammonia oxidation rates (PAR) based on a selective inhibitor. Our results showed that high-concentration aged PP microplastics significantly suppressed total PAR after 90 days, with an approximately 31.4% reduction compared to the control treatment. In addition, aged PP microplastics increased the ammonia oxidation rate associated with AOA, whereas they decreased that for AOB. These functional shifts may be linked to changes in soil microenvironments and geochemical properties, where aged PP microplastics decreased pH, increased organic carbon content and the Fe/Fe ratio, as well as sulfide accumulation. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of considering environmentally aged microplastics in studies of nitrogen cycling, as they may substantially alter soil microbial processes and related nitrogen dynamics in intertidal ecosystems.
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Environmental aging alters microplastic effects on soil DNRA in estuarine and coastal wetlands
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Plastic pollution in coastal wetlands doesn't just sit there unchanged, over time it "weathers" or ages in the environment, and this study found that aged plastic particles can significantly boost a soil process that keeps nitrogen locked in the soil rather than released into water or air. This matters because coastal wetlands act as natural filters that help control nitrogen pollution in our waterways, and this research shows that as microplastics break down over years in the environment, they may disrupt this filtering system in ways that fresh plastic doesn't, meaning current pollution assessments based on new plastic may be underestimating real-world impacts on these
Microplastics as pathway-selective modulators rewire nitrogen cycling in coastal wetlands: Polymer identity outweighs concentration
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Coastal wetlands act like natural water filters, using bacteria to remove excess nitrogen pollution before it causes harmful algae blooms in our oceans. This study found that certain plastics—especially polystyrene (like foam cups) and polypropylene (common in packaging)—can disrupt this filtering process, causing wetlands to trap nitrogen as ammonium instead of safely releasing it as gas. This matters because it means plastic pollution isn't just about visible litter or ingestion risks—it could be quietly weakening one of nature's key defenses against water pollution that affects seafood safety and coastal ecos
Aging behaviors intensify the impacts of microplastics on nitrate bioreduction-driven nitrogen cycling in freshwater sediments
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This study found that microplastics that have aged in the environment have stronger effects on nitrogen cycling in lake sediments than fresh microplastics, significantly altering how bacteria process nitrogen. These disruptions to natural nutrient cycles in freshwater systems could affect water quality and the broader food web that ultimately connects to human food sources.
Microplastics affect sedimentary microbial communities and nitrogen cycling
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A microcosm experiment showed that microplastics added to salt marsh sediment altered microbial community composition and disrupted nitrogen cycling, including reduced denitrification rates, suggesting that microplastic contamination could impair important biogeochemical functions.
Unveiling the impact of microplastics with distinct polymer types and concentrations on tidal sediment microbiome and nitrogen cycling
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Researchers tested how five different types of microplastics at varying concentrations affect microbial communities and nitrogen cycling in tidal sediments over 30 days. They found that microplastics generally reduced microbial diversity and enhanced nitrogen fixation, with biodegradable PLA plastic showing concentration-dependent effects. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in coastal sediments can disrupt important nutrient cycling processes driven by microorganisms.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.