Article
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Tier 2
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Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence.
Marine & Wildlife
Remediation
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Biodegradation of weathered polystyrene films in seawater microcosms
Scientific Reports2017
173 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 40
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Katerina Karkanorachaki,
Katerina Karkanorachaki,
Katerina Karkanorachaki,
Evdokia Syranidou,
Evdokia Syranidou,
Evdokia Syranidou,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Evdokia Syranidou,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Fabio Fava,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Katerina Karkanorachaki,
Evdokia Syranidou,
Katerina Karkanorachaki,
Katerina Karkanorachaki,
Boris A. Kolvenbach,
Katerina Karkanorachaki,
Katerina Karkanorachaki,
Evdokia Syranidou,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Evdokia Syranidou,
Katerina Karkanorachaki,
Boris A. Kolvenbach,
Filippo Amorotti,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Boris A. Kolvenbach,
Philippe F.-X. Corvini,
Boris A. Kolvenbach,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Fabio Fava,
Evdokia Syranidou,
Filippo Amorotti,
Fabio Fava,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Martina Franchini,
Martina Franchini,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Evdokia Syranidou,
E. Repouskou,
E. Repouskou,
Fabio Fava,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
E. Repouskou,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Fabio Fava,
Fabio Fava,
Fabio Fava,
E. Repouskou,
Fabio Fava,
M. Kaliva,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Boris A. Kolvenbach,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Philippe F.-X. Corvini,
Boris A. Kolvenbach,
Maria Vamvakaki,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Fabio Fava,
Fabio Fava,
Philippe F.-X. Corvini,
Philippe F.-X. Corvini,
Boris A. Kolvenbach,
Boris A. Kolvenbach,
Fabio Fava,
Philippe F.-X. Corvini,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Fabio Fava,
Philippe F.-X. Corvini,
Philippe F.-X. Corvini,
Nicolas Kalogerakis
Summary
Researchers found that natural marine bacterial communities, especially after adapting to plastic surfaces over time, can measurably break down weathered polystyrene films in seawater under realistic ocean conditions. Chemical and physical analysis confirmed actual degradation of the plastic's molecular structure, suggesting that ocean microbes play a role in the slow natural breakdown of plastic pollution.
A microcosm experiment was conducted at two phases in order to investigate the ability of indigenous consortia alone or bioaugmented to degrade weathered polystyrene (PS) films under simulated marine conditions. Viable populations were developed on PS surfaces in a time dependent way towards convergent biofilm communities, enriched with hydrocarbon and xenobiotics degradation genes. Members of Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria were highly enriched in the acclimated plastic associated assemblages while the abundance of plastic associated genera was significantly increased in the acclimated indigenous communities. Both tailored consortia efficiently reduced the weight of PS films. Concerning the molecular weight distribution, a decrease in the number-average molecular weight of films subjected to microbial treatment was observed. Moreover, alteration in the intensity of functional groups was noticed with Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) along with signs of bio-erosion on the PS surface. The results suggest that acclimated marine populations are capable of degrading weathered PS pieces.