Quantitative interface-specific deposition mechanisms of pathogenic microorganisms and nanoplastics in variable saturation zone

Microplastic to Accumulate Microbial Pathogens in the Terrestrial Environment

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Researchers examined how microplastic particles in soil can accumulate and transport microbial pathogens, suggesting that plastic pollution in terrestrial environments may not only carry chemical contaminants but also act as vehicles for spreading disease-causing microorganisms through ecosystems.

Unraveling the Interactions between nanoplastics and biofilms on dense membrane surfaces

Microplastics as emerging threats: advancement in biofilm interactions and remediation technologies

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This review examines how biofilms on microplastic surfaces serve as hotspots for virulent pathogens, evaluates microbial degradation pathways using bacteria, fungi, algae, and engineered enzymes, and surveys nanotechnology-based remediation approaches including TiO2 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Understanding how biofilm communities colonize and spread on microplastics is critical, as these plastisphere communities can harbor and transport antibiotic-resistant pathogens through aquatic ecosystems.

Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Physicochemical Properties and Toxicity of Microplastics: A Concise Review

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Researchers reviewing biofilm formation on microplastics found that microbial colonization alters the particles' surface chemistry, density, and pollutant adsorption capacity, ultimately affecting how microplastics are ingested by organisms and how they influence nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems.

Temporal dynamics of bacterial biofilms and their relationship with heavy metals on expanded polystyrene microplastics

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A year-long field exposure study on expanded polystyrene microplastics at an aquaculture farm in the South China Sea found significant seasonal variation in attached bacterial communities dominated by Pseudomonas and Exiguobacterium, with high correlations between bacterial composition and co-occurring heavy metals. The findings demonstrate that EPS microplastics in aquaculture environments serve as dynamic carriers of both pathogenic bacteria and heavy metals, posing compounding contamination risks to farmed seafood and the humans who consume it.