We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effect of microplastics on phosphorus mobility in freshwater sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Tiny plastic particles from common plastics (PET bottles and PLA "biodegradable" plastic) don't just sit inertly in lake and river sediments, they actually change how phosphorus, a key nutrient, is stored and released, mainly by boosting microbial activity. This matters because shifts in phosphorus cycling can affect water quality and algae growth, showing that microplastic pollution may have ripple effects on freshwater ecosystems we rely on for drinking water and food.
Mikroplastika predstavlja enega najpogostejših onesnaževal vodnih ekosistemov, ki se med drugim kopiči tudi v sedimentih, kjer lahko vpliva na biogeokemijske procese in kroženje hranil. Namen diplomskega dela je bil raziskati vpliv mikroplastike iz polietilen tereftalata (PET) in polimlečne kisline (PLA) v nizki in visoki koncentraciji na mobilnost fosforja v sedimentu površinskih vod. Poleg sprememb koncentracije fosforja v vodnem mediju smo določili tudi posamezne oblike fosforja v sedimentu (celotni fosfor, anorganski fosfor vezan na železo, aluminij in mangan, fosfor vezan na kalcij ter organski fosfor), dodatno pa smo spremljali še koncentracijo raztopljenega kisika v sedimentu, aktivnost mikroorganizmov na sedimentu z določanjem encima alkalne fosfataze, ter koncentracijo celotnega organskega ogljika in pH v mediju. Rezultati so pokazali, da se je koncentracija fosforja v mediju med poskusom zmanjšala v vseh vzorcih, pri čemer je bilo zmanjšanje nekoliko izrazitejše pri vzorcih z dodano mikroplastiko. Analiza sedimenta je pokazala spremembe v porazdelitvi posameznih oblik fosforja, pri čemer so bile najbolj izrazite pri fosforju, vezanem na kalcij, medtem ko pri celotnem fosforju zaradi večje standardne deviacij razlik med vzorci ni bilo mogoče zanesljivo potrditi. Vrednost pH je med poskusom ostala razmeroma stabilna, koncentracija raztopljenega kisika pa se je zmanjšala v vseh vzorcih, najbolj izrazito pri visokih koncentracijah PET in PLA, kar nakazuje na povečano mikrobno aktivnost. Vsebnost TOC se je pri vseh vzorcih zmanjšala, razen pri vzorcu PLA z visoko koncentracijo, kjer se je povečala za več kot 50 %. To nakazuje na začetke biorazgradljive mikroplastike, ki je nato povečala količino organskega ogljika v mediju. Aktivnost alkalne fosfataze je bila najvišja pri vzorcih z visokima koncentracijama PET in PLA, kar nakazuje, da lahko višje koncentracije mikroplastike vplivajo na procese mineralizacije organskega fosforja v sedimentu. Na podlagi rezultatov lahko zaključimo, da mikroplastika ne deluje zgolj kot inertni onesnaževalec, temveč spreminja procese vezave, prerazporejanja in zadrževanja fosforja v sedimentu, predvsem preko vpliva na mikrobne združbe, razvoj biofilma ter spremembe fizikalno-kemijskih lastnosti sedimenta. Izrazitejši vpliv smo večinoma opazili pri višjih koncentracijah mikroplastike, medtem ko so bile razlike med PET in PLA manj izrazite.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics alter the microbiota-mediated phosphorus profiles at sediment-water interface: Distinct microbial effects between sediment and plastisphere
AI summary Read the abstract
This study found that microplastics in lake sediments change how bacteria process phosphorus, a key nutrient in freshwater ecosystems. Both petroleum-based and biodegradable microplastics altered bacterial communities and phosphorus cycling, but in different ways depending on whether bacteria were in the sediment or on the plastic surfaces. These changes could contribute to water quality problems like algal blooms that affect both ecosystems and the drinking water supply.
Effects of microplastics on nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and microbial communities in sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that PVC, PLA, and polypropylene microplastics altered nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in freshwater sediments by shifting microbial community composition, with effects varying by polymer type and biodegradability.
Varied influence of aged microplastics and related leachates on phosphorus transformation and release from the sediments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how aged microplastics and their chemical leachates affect phosphorus cycling in freshwater sediments, a process linked to harmful algal blooms. They found that different types of weathered plastics and their leachates altered microbial communities and shifted the forms of phosphorus present in sediments. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in lake and river sediments may contribute to nutrient imbalances that worsen water quality problems.
Microplastics Affect Sediment Phosphorus Transformation: Based on the Interplay of Bioturbation and Microbial Regulation
AI summary Read the abstract
This study investigated how microplastics (polypropylene, polystyrene, and polylactic acid) affect phosphorus cycling in river sediments, finding that MP contamination altered the distribution of phosphorus fractions and that bioturbation by benthic animals changed how MPs interacted with nutrient transformation processes.
New insights into changes in phosphorus profile at sediment-water interface by microplastics: Role of benthic bioturbation
AI summary Read the abstract
The study examined how different types of microplastics affect phosphorus cycling at the sediment-water interface through their impacts on burrowing chironomid larvae. Researchers found that both bio-based and fossil fuel-based microplastics altered the larvae's biochemical responses and disrupted phosphorus profiles, suggesting microplastics can indirectly affect nutrient dynamics in freshwater ecosystems.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.