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Agglomeration of nano- and microplastic particles in seawater by autochthonous and de novo-produced sources of exopolymeric substances
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Nano- and microplastic particles in seawater were found to readily form agglomerates with naturally produced exopolymeric substances, altering their surface properties, size, and sinking behavior compared to pristine particles. The study demonstrates that natural organic matter in seawater fundamentally changes how plastic particles behave and interact with marine organisms and sediments.
Microplastics (<5 mm) have often been studied under in-vitro conditions where plastics have been investigated in isolation. However, in the natural environment microplastics readily form agglomerates conferring the particles with properties different to their pristine counterparts. Here, we examined the interaction of exopolymers with polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics. Formation of plastic agglomerates was examined using simulated sea surface conditions. Flow cytometry coupled with microscopy revealed that nano- and microplastic particle spheres form agglomerates in seawater with a mucilagenous material and an associated microbial community. To characterise this material, differential staining methods revealed it to be glycoprotein in composition. Exposing increasing concentrations of a marine bacterial glycoprotein EPS to nano- or microplastics revealed that these types of polymers contribute to the formation and abundance of plastic agglomerates. This work highlights the importance of EPS on the fate of plastic and future research should take this into account when evaluating the impact of plastics.
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Heteroaggregation of nanoplastic particles in the presence of inorganic colloids and natural organic matter
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Nanoplastics were found to heteroaggregate extensively with inorganic colloids and natural organic matter in both freshwater and marine conditions, altering their size, surface charge, and settling behavior compared to pristine particles. The study demonstrates that nanoplastic behavior in natural waters is dominated by interactions with other environmental constituents rather than the intrinsic properties of the plastic alone.
Mechanistic understanding of the aggregation kinetics of nanoplastics in marine environments: Comparing synthetic and natural water matrices
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Researchers investigated aggregation kinetics of polystyrene nanoplastics in marine environments, finding that organic matter type and salt concentration strongly influenced particle stability, with nanoplastics in natural seawater aggregating differently than in synthetic matrices.
Impacts of extracellular polymeric substances on the behaviors of micro/nanoplastics in the water environment
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This review examines how extracellular polymeric substances produced by microorganisms interact with micro- and nanoplastics in aquatic environments. Researchers found that these natural polymers can form coatings on plastic particles that enhance pollutant adsorption and promote sinking, influencing how microplastics are transported, distributed, and ultimately removed from the water column.
Effects of organic matter on interaction forces between polystyrene microplastics: An experimental study
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Researchers examined how organic matter in seawater affects the aggregation and adhesion forces between polystyrene microplastics, finding that organic coatings alter surface interaction forces in ways that influence whether microplastics clump together and sink or remain dispersed in the water column.
Sediment organic carbon dominates the heteroaggregation of suspended sediment and nanoplastics in natural and surfactant-polluted aquatic environments
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Researchers found that sediment organic carbon plays a dominant role in the heteroaggregation of nanoplastics with suspended sediment particles, with surfactant pollution altering aggregation dynamics and influencing the environmental transport and fate of nanoplastics in aquatic systems.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.