Effects of Cyanotoxins on Nitrogen Transformation in Aquaculture Systems with Microplastics Coexposure: Adsorption Behavior, Bacterial Communities and Functional Genes

Effects of cyanotoxins on nitrogen transformation in aquaculture systems with microplastics coexposure: Adsorption behavior, bacterial communities and functional genes

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Combined exposure of polystyrene and polylactic acid microplastics with microcystin-LR in simulated aquaculture ponds disrupted nitrogen transformation processes and shifted microbial communities, with adsorption behavior of the toxin on different MP types influencing overall ecotoxicity.

Coexistence of cyanobacteria and microplastics in eutrophic lake ecosystems: Interactions and combined effects

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Microplastics and harmful algae (cyanobacteria) often build up together in polluted lakes, and this review of existing research shows they actually affect each other, plastics stress out the algae, while algae can coat plastics and change how they break down or sink. This combo appears to make lake pollution worse for fish and other wildlife than either problem alone, which matters since these same lakes can be sources of drinking water and food, meaning the risks to human health may be greater than previously understood.

Microplastics disrupt the nitrogen-fixing bacterial community with consequences for plant growth

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Tiny plastic fibers in soil can mess with the helpful bacteria that plants rely on to pull nitrogen from the air, a process crucial for healthy growth, but the effects depend on the type of plastic, with some helping and others hurting root growth or the bacterial partnerships plants need. This matters because as plastic pollution builds up in farmland, it could quietly disrupt the natural systems that keep our food crops fed and healthy, even before we fully understand the ripple effects on the food we eat.

Effects and Mechanisms of Microplastics on Photosynthetic Bacterial Protein Production in Wastewater

The Effect of N Mineralization, Nitrification and Ammonification Rates in Soils Contaminated with Microplastics

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Researchers found that polypropylene, polyethylene, and PET microplastics all disrupt soil nitrogen cycling, with polypropylene having the most harmful effect — reducing the availability of nitrogen that plants need to grow, raising concerns about long-term agricultural soil health in contaminated areas.