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Impact of Microplastics on Microbial Community Composition and Diversity in Surface Flow Constructed Wetland Sediments
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A study of conventional PVC and biodegradable PLA microplastics in constructed wetland sediments found both types altered microbial diversity and community composition, with PVC enriching denitrifying bacteria and PLA promoting methanogenic pathways at concentrations as low as 1%. These microbial shifts in wetland sediments could disrupt nitrogen and carbon cycling in ecosystems that serve as critical water quality filters.
Accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in sediments threatens wetland ecosystems, yet the impacts of distinct microplastic types on sediment microbial community and biogeochemical cycling remain poorly understood. This study investigates the impacts of conventional polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) MPs, at concentrations of 0%, 1%, and 5%, on microbial community composition and diversity in constructed wetland (CW) sediments. Both PVC and PLA MPs increased microbial α-diversity (Shannon index up to 6.4%) but reduced evenness (Simpson index decreased by 40.3%) and altered β-diversity (p < 0.05). Microplastics decreased the abundance of bacteria while increasing that of archaea and eukaryotes. PVC MPs significantly enriched Acidovorax and Magnetospirillum genera associated with denitrification, while PLA MPs significantly enriched Anaerolinea in denitrification and Clostridium in methanogenesis. Results revealed that 5% microplastic exposure significantly increased the abundance of methanogenic enzymes, particularly under PLA exposure. PVC MPs increased the abundance of denitrification enzymes, while PLA MPs promoted the abundance of amino acid metabolism enzymes. This study offers a novel analysis of the impacts of different microplastic types and concentrations on microbial community composition and diversity in wetland sediments, providing valuable insights into the ecological risks posed by MPs in wetland ecosystems and emphasizing the need for further research on their environmental impacts.
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Analysis of bacterial communities on microplastics in Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, found that MP surfaces host distinct microbial assemblages with lower diversity but unique taxa enriched with Pseudomonas, and that MPs facilitate bacterial exchange between water and sediment. The plastisphere — the microbial community colonizing MP surfaces — may serve as a vector for pathogens and disease-associated microbes, raising concerns about ecological disruption and indirect human health risks through contaminated freshwater.
Microplastics can Alter the Nitrogen Cycle in Surface Flow Constructed Wetlands
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Both conventional PVC and biodegradable PLA microplastics disrupted nitrogen cycling in constructed wetlands, with PVC causing ammonium accumulation and PLA acting as a carbon source, while both enhanced biofilm formation and enzyme activities at higher concentrations. These polymer-specific effects on nitrogen dynamics reveal that microplastic contamination poses distinct and complex threats to the water treatment functions of natural and engineered wetlands.
Microplastics in Wetland Ecosystem: A Complex Nexus and Way Forward
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This review examines the distribution, fate, and ecological impacts of microplastics in wetland ecosystems, which serve as both sinks and potential secondary sources of microplastic contamination. Wetlands filter water supplies and support biodiversity, so microplastic accumulation there directly threatens aquatic food webs, drinking water quality, and the communities that depend on these ecosystems.
Effects of Operating Water Level Regulation on the Microplastic Distribution in Constructed Wetlands
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Experiments in free water surface constructed wetlands showed that higher operating water levels significantly improved microplastic removal efficiency — up to 70% in summer — by promoting particle settling and reducing resuspension of larger fragments. Optimizing water management in constructed wetlands offers a cost-effective, ecologically integrated approach to reducing microplastic discharge from treated wastewater into downstream aquatic environments.
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