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Multigenerational exposure of microplastics on the microbiota of E. affinis (copepod): a comparative study between biodegradable and nonbiodegradable microplastics
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Researchers compared multigenerational effects of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on copepod microbiota, finding that both types altered microbial communities and that microplastics served as substrates for pathogenic bacteria across generations.
The accumulation of plastic debris around the world, especially in marine environments, has been well documented during the past decades. Recent studies have found that inorganic surfaces of microplastics (MPs) can be used by microorganisms as living substrates and form an ecosystem named “plastisphere.” Some microorganisms present in MPs are capable of producing polymer-degrading enzymes. In addition, MPs can also serve as vectors and carry microorganisms (including potential pathogens) into higher trophic levels through their ingestion by animals. In this study, impacts on copepod microbiota during chronic exposure to MPs were investigated by exposing copepods to a classic single-use polymer (low-density polyethylene (LDPE)) and a biodegradable polymer (polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT)). Copepods were exposed to “virgin” and “weathered” MPs during four generations at an environmentally relevant concentration of 300 µg/L, followed by one “detoxification” generation without MP exposition. Impacts of MP exposure on copepod microbiota were investigated using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing. The result of nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis showed that copepods (with or without MP exposure) carried distinguishable microbiota as compared with the microbiota of water and microalgae used for maintaining copepods. According to the results of permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA), the microbiota of MP-exposed (both PBAT and LDPE) copepods was significantly different from the microbiota of unexposed copepods during generations one to four. After “detoxification,” however, no significant difference in microbiota composition was observed among all generation five copepods. Altogether, impacts on copepod microbiota of MP exposure for multiple generations were observed, despite plastic origin (biodegradable or not) and aging conditions. Furthermore, copepod microbiota seemed to return to their original structure as soon as the MP exposure stopped.
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Exposure of the estuarine copepod Eurytemora affinis to environmentally realistic concentrations of both compostable (PBAT) and conventional (LDPE) microplastics altered the composition of the copepod's microbiome across multiple generations, with the type of polymer making no significant difference to the microbial effect. This finding is notable because it suggests that labelling a plastic as compostable does not reduce its ecological impact on the gut microbiome of a key zooplankton species, which plays a central role in aquatic food webs.
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Researchers studied the effects of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on marine microbial communities in a large-scale mesocosm experiment. The study examined how different plastic types alter bacterial community composition and abundance using flow cytometry and sequencing.
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Researchers studied how microplastic exposure affects the copepod Eurytemora affinis and the mussel Mytilus edulis, examining effects on feeding, reproduction, and overall health at relevant environmental concentrations. Results showed microplastics impaired physiological functions in both species, with additional risks from microorganism-colonized plastic surfaces.
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Researchers conducted a mesocosm experiment to compare the effects of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on marine microbial communities in the Baltic Sea. Using epifluorescence microscopy and other techniques, they found that both types of microplastics had relatively weak effects on planktonic bacterial activity and abundance. The study suggests that the direct impact of microplastics on marine microbial communities may be less pronounced than previously assumed.
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