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Effects of microplastics on cold seep sediment prokaryotic communities

Environmental Pollution 2023 9 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunlei Chen, Chunlei Chen, Chunlei Chen, Chunlei Chen, Chunfang Zhang Qing Liu, Chunlei Chen, Chunlei Chen, Chunlei Chen, Chunlei Chen, Chunlei Chen, Chunlei Chen, Yinan Deng, Yinan Deng, Yinan Deng, Hongfei Lai, Yinan Deng, Qing Liu, Hongfei Lai, Chunfang Zhang Chunlei Chen, Chunlei Chen, Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Yinan Deng, Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Yinan Deng, Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang Chunfang Zhang

Summary

Researchers studied how polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene microplastics affect microbial communities in cold seep sediments over a 120-day incubation period. The study found that microplastics significantly altered bacterial community structure in a type- and concentration-dependent manner, with some bacteria associated with plastic degradation increasing, while archaeal communities were less affected.

Polymers

PE PP PS

Study Type Environmental

Cold seep sediments are an important reservoir of microplastics (MPs) whose impact on the structure and function of prokaryotic community is not well understood. In this study, the impact of 0.2% and 1% (w/w) polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polypropylene (PP) MPs on the cold seep sediment prokaryotic community was investigated in a 120-day laboratory incubation experiment. The results revealed that exposure to MPs altered sedimentary chemical properties in a type- and concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, MPs significantly altered the structure of bacterial community, with some MPs degradation-associated bacterial phyla significantly increasing (p < 0.05). However, in the case of archaea, the changes in the structure of microbial community were less pronounced (p > 0.05). Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the addition of MPs reduced the network complexity, while PICRUSt2 and FAPROTAX analyses suggested that 0.2% PP and 1% PS MPs had the most significant effects on the nitrogen and carbon cycles (p < 0.05). Overall, this study provides new insights into the effects of MPs on the structure and function of microbial communities in cold seep sediments.

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