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Factors Impacting Microplastic Biofilm Community and Biological Risks Posed by Microplastics in Drinking Water Sources
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Exposing microplastics from two rivers to controlled conditions for 21 days showed that bacteria preferentially colonize microplastic surfaces over open water, forming distinct biofilm communities with higher diversity and enrichment of potential pathogens including Mycobacterium. These microplastic-associated biofilms pose a dual risk to drinking water safety: carrying waterborne pathogens and potentially evading conventional water treatment processes.
Due to inefficient removal of microplastics by drinking water treatment process, widely distributed microplastics in drinking water sources may pose risks to drinking water safety. To explore the factors influencing the colonization of bacteria on microplastics and biological risks posed by microplastics in drinking water sources, we exposed microplastics with different sizes and polymer types to water from Yangtze River and Jialing River for 21 days under controlled conditions. High-throughput sequencing and qPCR were conducted to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the bacterial community on microplastics. The results showed that bacteria tended to adhere to the surfaces of microplastics, resulting in higher community richness and diversity and different community structure on microplastics compared with those in incubation water. The number of bacteria on microplastics increased with decreasing particle size. It was the nature of incubation water rather than microplastics determined the bacterial community structure on microplastics. Some potential pathogens were discovered on microplastics, especially Mycobacterium which accounted for a high proportion. Overall, this study provided an insight into microplastic biofilm and the challenges brought by them in drinking water sources.
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Microplastic surfaces in freshwater develop biofilm communities structurally distinct from surrounding water, with specific bacterial taxa dominating depending on whether conditions are nutrient-rich or ambient, regardless of plastic polymer type. These unique MP-associated microbial communities matter because they can alter nutrient cycling, harbor potential pathogens, and serve as vehicles for spreading antimicrobial resistance through aquatic ecosystems.
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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.
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