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The plastisphere ecology: Assessing the impact of different pollution sources on microbial community composition, function and assembly in aquatic ecosystems
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Researchers studied the microbial communities living on microplastic surfaces (called the plastisphere) across four different aquatic sites and found that plastics host a distinctly different mix of microbes than the surrounding water, shaped by local pollution sources. These plastic-surface microbes also carry more antibiotic resistance genes and show greater potential for breaking down plastics, making the plastisphere both a health concern and a potential bioremediation resource.
In aquatic ecosystems microplastics (MPs) provide new habitat for microbes, forming the plastisphere. However, the effect of different pollution sources on microbiome compositions, functions and assembly processes remains largely cryptic, and hence requires further investigation. Thus, in this study microplastic and surrounding water samples were collected from four different locations and performed meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of different pollution sources on microbial community composition, function and assembly in plastisphere and surrounding environment. Results demonstrated that pollution source had a significant effect on microbial diversity ( p = 0.0012) and composition (PERMANOVA F = 16.386; R 2 = 0.15, p < 0.001) in surface water and plastisphere. Specifically, plastisphere harboured distinct microbial community and recruited unique taxa compared to surface water, suggesting that microplastics serve as new ecological habitats. We observed a clear shift in microbial community composition, with Bacteroidetes being significantly higher in surface water significantly, whereas α- and β-Proteobacteria dominated the plastic surface ( p < 0.05). These change in microbial communities were more likely due to unique chemical properties and substrates enrichment on plastic surfaces and different of pollution sources. Genes involved in metabolism, signaling, cell motility, vesicular transport energy production and defence were significantly enriched in plastisphere ( p = 0.001). The environmental factors such as DO and salinity drive the microbial communities in plastisphere. Niche-based selection process govern assembly in plastisphere microbiome, while as stochastic processes dominated the assembly process in aquatic microbial communities. These finding suggest that trajectory, continued microplastic emission and transport in aquatic ecosystems could pose serious planetary and health issues. • We studied the genetic potential of surface water and plastisphere microbial communities • Pollution source had a significant impact on surface water and plastisphere community • Environmental drivers of plastisphere community were explored • Selection processes governing microbiome assembly been explored • Shifts in bacterial communities were observed between surface water and plastisphere • The plastisphere is an untapped source of plastic-degrading enzymes
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The ecology of the plastisphere: Microbial composition, function, assembly, and network in the freshwater and seawater ecosystems
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Researchers studied the communities of bacteria and fungi that colonize microplastic surfaces in freshwater and seawater, forming what scientists call the plastisphere. These microplastic-associated communities were distinctly different from those in surrounding water, and included a higher proportion of disease-causing organisms and species involved in pollutant degradation. The findings suggest that microplastics create new habitats that can harbor pathogens and alter natural microbial ecosystems in ways that may affect water quality and human health.
Plastisphere and Planktonic Communities in Italian Lakes: Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Potential Pathogenic Taxa
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Researchers studied microbial communities living on microplastics (called the "plastisphere") in four Italian lakes, comparing them to communities in the surrounding water. Genes linked to antibiotic resistance were found more often on microplastics than in the water, though this varied by lake, while disease-causing bacteria were not consistently more common on the plastics.
Freshwater plastisphere: a review on biodiversity, risks, and biodegradation potential with implications for the aquatic ecosystem health
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This review examines the communities of microbes that colonize plastic debris in freshwater environments, known as the "plastisphere." These microbial communities include potentially dangerous bacteria and organisms that can carry antibiotic resistance genes, meaning plastic pollution may serve as a vehicle for spreading pathogens and drug-resistant infections through water systems that people rely on.
Comprehensive profiling and risk assessment of antibiotic resistomes in surface water and plastisphere by integrated shotgun metagenomics
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Researchers used shotgun metagenomics to compare antibiotic resistance genes in surface water versus the biofilms that form on microplastic surfaces, known as the plastisphere. They found that microplastics harbored distinct microbial communities with different antibiotic resistance profiles compared to surrounding water. The study raises concerns that microplastics may serve as vehicles for spreading antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments.
Plastisphere as a unique metabolic hotspot in river water: Impact of plastic substrate biodegradability
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A study of river water found that microplastic surfaces — even from tiny 100-micrometer particles — host distinct microbial communities called plastispheres that function as metabolic hotspots, with richer carbon and nitrogen cycling activity than the surrounding water. The biodegradability of the plastic substrate influenced which microbes colonized it and how they interacted, with biodegradable plastics supporting different communities than conventional plastics. This matters because plastisphere microbes can include potential pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and they alter the ecological function of freshwater environments.
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