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Microplastics increase the microbial functional potential of greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution in a freshwater lake: A metagenomic study

Environmental Research 2024 47 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Yang Li, Kehong Yu, Yang Li, Kehong Yu, Beibei Chai, Tianyu Zhuo, Tianyu Zhuo, Yang Li, Yang Li, Yang Li, Jiamin Wang, Yang Li, Yang Li, Kehong Yu, Yang Li, Kehong Yu, Kehong Yu, Kehong Yu, Beibei Chai, Beibei Chai, Jiamin Wang, Jiamin Wang, Jiamin Wang, Tianyu Zhuo, Yang Li, Yang Li, Yang Li, Yang Li, Yang Li, Xia Gao, Beibei Chai, Yang Li, Beibei Chai, Beibei Chai, Yang Li, Yang Li, Qingfeng Tang, Qingfeng Tang, Qingfeng Tang, Yang Li, Xia Gao, Qingfeng Tang, Qingfeng Tang, Yang Li, Xia Gao, Xia Gao, Xia Gao, Yang Li, Yang Li, Xia Gao, Yang Li, Jiamin Wang, Yang Li, Jiamin Wang, Jiamin Wang, Yang Li, Jiamin Wang, Yang Li, Lixin He, Lixin He, Yang Li, Beibei Chai, Yang Li, Yang Li, Yang Li, Yang Li, Jiamin Wang, Yang Li, Lixin He Lixin He Yang Li, Jiamin Wang, Xiaohui Lei, Xiaohui Lei, Yang Li, Bin Chen, Bin Chen, Yang Li, Meng Yuan, Xiaohui Lei, Lifeng Wu, Xiaohui Lei, Bin Chen, Xia Gao, Bin Chen, Bin Chen, Lixin He

Summary

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.

Polymers

PE PP PS

Study Type Environmental

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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