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Adsorption of Linear and Spherical DNA Oligonucleotides onto Microplastics
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Researchers investigated DNA adsorption onto common microplastics and found that DNA oligonucleotides bind to polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and PVC surfaces, suggesting microplastics could serve as carriers for environmental DNA in aquatic ecosystems.
Microplastic pollution of water and food chains can endanger human health. It has been reported that environmental DNA can be carried by microplastics and spread into the ecosystem. To better comprehend the interactions between microplastics and DNA, we herein investigated the adsorption of DNA oligonucleotides on a few important microplastics. The microplastics were prepared using common plastic objects made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), composite of PS/PVC, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The effect of environmentally abundant metal ions such as Na+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ on the adsorption was also studied. Among the microplastics, PET and PS had the highest efficiency for the adsorption of linear DNA, likely due to the interactions provided by their aromatic rings. The study of DNA desorption from PET revealed the important role of hydrogen bonding and metal-mediated adsorption, while van der Waals force and hydrophobic interactions were also involved in the adsorption mechanism. The adsorption of spherical DNA (SNA) made of a high density of DNA coated on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was also studied, where the adsorption affinity order was found to be PET > PS/PVC > PS. Moreover, a tighter DNA adsorption was achieved in the presence of Ca2+ and Mg2+ compared to Na+.
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Researchers studied how environmental DNA, genetic material shed by organisms, attaches to different types of microplastics under varying water conditions. They found that DNA adsorption depends on the type of plastic polymer, water chemistry factors like pH and salt concentration, and the presence of natural organic matter. The findings suggest that microplastics could serve as carriers of genetic material in the environment, with implications for tracking both pollution sources and the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.
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Adsorption and Protectionof Environmental DNA (eDNA)on Polymer and Silica Surfaces
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Researchers used quartz-crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring to systematically study how environmental DNA adsorbs onto polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and silica surfaces under freshwater and seawater ionic conditions. They found that adsorption rate and extent were strongly influenced by ion type and concentration, with cation identity playing a key role in eDNA-microplastic interactions relevant to aquatic ecosystem genetics monitoring.
Adsorption potential of microplastics for extracellular nucleic acids in natural and synthetic waters
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Microplastics may do more than physically clog organisms—they could also act as a conveyor belt for DNA, including antibiotic resistance genes, moving genetic material from agricultural fields into rivers and other water bodies. Lab experiments showed that extracellular DNA (including gene fragments from engineered crops) readily adsorbs onto common HDPE plastic particles in freshwater and rainwater, with binding capacity reaching tens of nanograms per square centimeter. If microplastics can transport functional genetic material through the environment, this raises new questions about how agricultural biotechnology and antibiotic resistance spread beyond their intended settings.
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