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Non-degradable microplastic promote microbial colonization: A meta-analysis comparing the effects of microplastic properties and environmental factors
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This meta-analysis found that non-degradable microplastics — particularly PVC and polystyrene — support significantly more microbial colonization and biofilm formation than degradable plastics. Smaller particles were more conducive to colonization, and environmental factors like temperature, salinity, and exposure duration became increasingly important over time, with ocean microplastics forming biofilms more easily than those in lakes.
Microplastics serve as favorable substrates for microbial colonization, promoting biofilm formation, which consequently facilitates the accumulation of pollutants and aids in the degradation of microplastics. Hence, obtaining a thorough comprehension of the factors that influence the development of microplastic biofilms is imperative. Nevertheless, there have been conflicting responses concerning biofilm formation in conjunction with microplastic characteristics and environmental conditions. As a result, a meta-analysis was conducted to quantitatively evaluate the impact of microplastic properties and environmental factors on biofilm formation. The findings indicated that the type and size of microplastics significantly influence biofilm growth on their surfaces. Non-degradable microplastics, particularly polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene (PS), exhibited higher surface biomass and biodiversity in microplastic-attached biofilms compared to degradable microplastics. Furthermore, it was observed that smaller microplastics were more conducive to microbial colonization. Model selection and correlation analysis further indicated that the environment acts as a substantial predictor of biofilm formation, with prolonged exposure significantly enhancing microbial diversity within biofilms as opposed to short-term exposure. Moreover, meta-regression analysis illustrated a positive correlation between biofilm biomass and alpha-diversity with temperature, while salinity exhibited a negative correlation in diverse aquatic settings. Notably, the ease of biofilm formation on microplastics was observed to be greater in oceans compared to lakes, yet biofilms exhibited a higher diversity increment in lakes than their oceanic counterparts. In the long-term growth of biofilms, initial biomass and diversity are influenced by microplastic characteristics and the surrounding environment, although environmental influences may assume more significance as time progresses.
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