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Microplastics increase the microbial functional potential of greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution in a freshwater lake: A metagenomic study
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A lab study found that adding common types of microplastics to freshwater lake water changed the microbial community in ways that could increase greenhouse gas production and water pollution. Microplastics, especially polyethylene, boosted genes involved in methane production and nitrogen loss from water. This suggests that microplastic pollution in lakes and reservoirs could have hidden environmental effects beyond direct toxicity, including contributing to climate change and degrading water quality.
Aquatic ecosystems are being increasingly polluted by microplastics (MPs), which calls for an understanding of how MPs affect microbially driven biogenic element cycling in water environments. A 28-day incubation experiment was conducted using freshwater lake water added with three polymer types of MPs (i.e., polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene) separately or in combination at a concentration of 1 items/L. The effects of various MPs on microbial communities and functional genes related to carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycling were analyzed using metagenomics. Results showed that Sphingomonas and Novosphingobium, which were indicator taxa (genus level) in the polyethylene treatment group, made the largest functional contribution to biogenic element cycling. Following the addition of MPs, the relative abundances of genes related to methane oxidation (e.g., hdrD, frhB, accAB) and denitrification (napABC, nirK, norB) increased. These changes were accompanied by increased relative abundances of genes involved in organic phosphorus mineralization (e.g., phoAD) and sulfate reduction (cysHIJ), as well as decreased relative abundances of genes involved in phosphate transport (phnCDE) and the SOX system. Findings of this study underscore that MPs, especially polyethylene, increase the potential of greenhouse gas emissions (CO, NO) and water pollution (PO, HS) in freshwater lakes at the functional gene level.
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