We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
BenthicFauna Enhance Biodegradation of Microplasticsin Riparian Sediments: Reactive Oxygen, Keystone Microbes, and Metabolites
Summary
Researchers found that benthic fauna (Branchiura sowerbyi) enhance microplastic biodegradation in riparian sediments through bioturbation, achieving 1.68 to 2.19 times greater weight loss for PLA, PS, and PP compared to fauna-free controls, by promoting hydroxyl radical generation, reshaping plastisphere microbial communities, and driving degradation through ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria.
Microplastics (MPs) are biodegraded slowly in riparian sediments due to their stable chemical properties and high polymerization. Thus, we proposed a technique involving the benthic fauna (Branchiura sowerbyi) to enhance MP biodegradation in sediments. Bioturbation significantly enhanced MP degradation in sediments (P < 0.05). Compared to MPs in sediments without benthic fauna, bioturbation resulted in a 2.08-, 2.19-, and 1.68-fold increase in weight loss for polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and polylactic acid (PLA), respectively. The bioturbation of benthic fauna could not only promote ·OH generation to cause a higher aging degree of MPs and destroy the structure of MPs but also reshape the keystone microbial community of the plastisphere, thereby enhancing MP degradation to low-molecular-weight products. The contributions of biotic and abiotic factors to MP degradation were found to be 46.9–57.0% and 43.0–53.1%, respectively. Metabolomics further indicated that (−)-alpha-Bisabolol was the main metabolite in the degradation of PLA, whereas hexadecanedioate was the main metabolite in the degradation of PS and PP. These metabolite-related metabolic pathways might be mediated by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (Thaumarchaeota) and bacteria (Nitrospirae), implying that MP degradation might occur in parallel with nitrification. This study has the potential to inform the remediation of MP pollution in riparian zones.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Benthic Fauna Enhance Biodegradation of Microplastics in Riparian Sediments: Reactive Oxygen, Keystone Microbes, and Metabolites
Laboratory experiments found that benthic (bottom-dwelling) fauna accelerated the biodegradation of microplastics in riverine sediments through bioturbation and microbial activity. This suggests that diverse benthic communities may play an underappreciated role in naturally breaking down plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems.
Microplastics and benthic animals reshape the geochemical characteristics of dissolved organic matter by inducing changes in keystone microbes in riparian sediments
Researchers found that microplastics and benthic animals together reshape the geochemical characteristics of dissolved organic matter in riparian sediments. The study revealed that both stressors altered keystone microbial communities, leading to changes in how organic matter is processed in river ecosystems, with implications for pollutant behavior and nutrient cycling.
Microplastic-induced shifts in bioturbation and oxygen penetration depth in subtidal sediments
This study examined how microplastics affect meiofauna -- organisms smaller than 500 micrometers living between sediment grains -- and their role in biogeochemical cycling including bioturbation and oxygen penetration in subtidal sediments. Results showed microplastics shifted meiofaunal community structure, with cascading effects on sediment oxygen dynamics.
New insight into ammonium removal in riverbanks under the exposure of microplastics
Researchers discovered that microplastic accumulation in riverbank sediments decreases ammonium removal capacity by 8-13%, caused by reduced abundance of nitrifying bacteria, revealing a previously unknown mechanism by which plastic pollution impairs natural water purification.
Microplastics Affect Sediment Phosphorus Transformation: Based on the Interplay of Bioturbation and Microbial Regulation
This study investigated how microplastics (polypropylene, polystyrene, and polylactic acid) affect phosphorus cycling in river sediments, finding that MP contamination altered the distribution of phosphorus fractions and that bioturbation by benthic animals changed how MPs interacted with nutrient transformation processes.