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The co-occurrent microplastics and nano-CuO showed antagonistic inhibitory effects on bacterial denitrification: Interaction of pollutants and regulations on functional genes
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Co-occurring microplastics (PVC, PS, PE) and nano-CuO were found to have antagonistic inhibitory effects on denitrification processes in sediment microbial communities, with combined exposure producing less inhibition than either pollutant alone. The antagonistic interaction has implications for predicting nitrogen cycling disruption in contaminated aquatic environments.
The wide occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoparticles resulted in their inevitable coexistence in environment. However, the joint effects of these two types of particulate emerging contaminants on denitrification have seldomly been investigated. Herein, non-biodegradable polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene and biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) MPs were chosen to perform the co-occurrent effects with nano copper oxide (nano-CuO). Both the nano-CuO and MPs inhibited the denitrification process, and biodegradable PHA-MPs showed severer inhibition than non-biodegradable MPs. However, the presence of MPs significantly alleviated the inhibition of nano-CuO, suggesting an antagonistic effect. Other than MPs decreasing copper ion release from nano-CuO, MPs and nano-CuO formed agglomerations and induced lower levels of oxidative stress compared to individual exposure. Transcriptome analysis indicated that the co-occurrent MPs and nano-CuO induced different regulation on denitrifying genes (e. g. nar and nor) compared to individual ones. Also, the expressions of genes involved in denitrification-associated metabolic pathways, including glycolysis and NADH electron transfer, were down-regulated by nano-CuO or MPs, but exhibiting recovery under the co-occurrent conditions. This study firstly discloses the antagonistic effect of nano-CuO and MPs on environmental process, and these findings will benefit the systematic evaluation of MPs environmental behavior and co-occurrent risk with other pollutants.
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Researchers studied how the combined presence of microplastics and cadmium in soil affects nitrogen cycling, a process essential for soil fertility. They found that the pollutant mixture altered enzyme activity and shifted the balance of ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities more than either contaminant alone. The findings suggest that co-contamination of soils with microplastics and heavy metals could disrupt nutrient cycles critical for plant growth.
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Agricultural soil experiments found that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics and the nitrification inhibitor DMPP interact antagonistically, meaning their combined presence partially cancels out each other's individual effects on reducing nitrous oxide emissions from soil. This unexpected interaction suggests that widespread microplastic contamination in farm soils could quietly undermine the effectiveness of agrochemicals designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
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