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Supplementary material from "Rapid aggregation of biofilm-covered microplastics with marine biogenic particles"
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This supplementary material accompanies a study showing that biofilm-covered microplastics aggregate rapidly in seawater, causing them to sink and reducing their surface concentration in the ocean. The finding helps explain the so-called 'missing plastics' paradox — why far less plastic is found floating in surface waters than model predictions suggest.
Ocean plastic pollution has resulted in a substantial accumulation of microplastics in the marine environment. Today, this plastic litter is ubiquitous in the oceans, including even remote habitats such as deep-sea sediments and polar sea ice, and it is believed to pose a threat to ecosystem health. However, the concentration of microplastics in the surface layer of the oceans is considerably lower than expected, given the ongoing replenishment of microplastics and the tendency of many plastic types to float. It has been hypothesized that microplastics leave the upper ocean by aggregation and subsequent sedimentation. We tested this hypothesis by investigating the interactions of microplastics with marine biogenic particles collected in the southwestern Baltic Sea. Our laboratory experiments revealed a large potential of microplastics to rapidly coagulate with biogenic particles, which substantiates this hypothesis. Together with the biogenic particles, the microplastics efficiently formed pronounced aggregates within a few days. The aggregation of microplastics and biogenic particles was significantly accelerated by microbial biofilms that had formed on the plastic surfaces. We assume that the demonstrated aggregation behaviour facilitates the export of microplastics from the surface layer of the oceans and plays a significant role in the redistribution of microplastics in the oceans.
More Papers Like This
Rapid aggregation of biofilm-covered microplastics with marine biogenic particles
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Researchers demonstrated that biofilm-covered microplastics rapidly aggregate with marine biogenic particles such as algal cells and fecal pellets, which accelerates their sinking from surface waters. The study helps explain why microplastic concentrations at the ocean surface are lower than expected — biofouling causes the particles to be transported to deeper waters and sediments faster than previously assumed.
Supplementary data from Rapid aggregation of biofilm-covered microplastics with marine biogenic particles
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This supplementary dataset provides data on the proportions of biofilm-covered microplastics and particulate organic carbon incorporated into marine aggregates, supporting research on how microplastics rapidly clump with organic particles and sink in the ocean.
Biofouling impacts on polyethylene density and sinking in coastal waters: A macro/micro tipping point?
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Researchers measured biofouling-induced density changes in polyethylene microplastic particles deployed in coastal waters and found that biofouling caused buoyant particles to sink on timescales of days to weeks, challenging assumptions about surface plastic persistence and potentially explaining the missing plastic paradox.
Biogenic polymers aggregation drives the export and vertical dynamics of small microplastics in the North Atlantic Gyre
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Researchers found that biogenic polymers — natural sticky substances produced by marine organisms — cause small microplastics to aggregate and sink in the North Atlantic Gyre, helping explain why less plastic is found at the ocean surface than production estimates predict. Biofouling and aggregation with transparent exopolymer particles were the main drivers of microplastic export to deeper water. The findings improve understanding of how long microplastics reside in surface waters before sinking.
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Researchers investigated how microbial biofilm colonization of microplastics affects their buoyancy and sinking behavior in natural waters, finding that biological ballasting from attached microorganisms can significantly increase particle density and promote vertical transport toward sediments. The results suggest that biofouling is a key mechanism driving the removal of microplastics from surface waters.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.