We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microbes with plastic-degrading and pathogenic potentials are present on plastics in the final polishing pond of a wastewater treatment plant
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers characterized microbial communities colonizing six plastic types and glass in a wastewater treatment plant's polishing pond over 52 weeks, finding that biofilm communities differed from surrounding water but showed no polymer-specific composition. Both plastic-degrading microbes and potential pathogens were detected on all surfaces, suggesting the volume of plastic rather than its polymer type drives ecological and public health risks.
We characterised plastisphere microbial communities in the polishing pond of a municipal wastewater treatment plant, applying prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene, eukaryotic 18S rRNA gene and fungal ITS2 region sequencing to identify changes in microbial biofilm community compositions over time. Pondwater and biofilm from linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), nylon-6 (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), oxo-degradable linear low-density polyethylene (OXO) and glass were sampled after 2, 6, 26 and 52 weeks of constant immersion. Microbial communities in ambient pondwater differed significantly from those forming biofilms on solid substrates. Biofilm age and depth in the water influenced microbial community compositions. However, no substrate-specific microbial communities were found among glass and plastic polymer types, regardless of artificial ageing. All substrates housed taxa associated with microbes previously reported to biodegrade plastics, being most abundant at two and 52 weeks for bacteria and fungi, respectively. Potential pathogens were found on all substrates, also being most abundant at two and 52 weeks for bacteria and eukaryotes, respectively. Our study highlights that the volume of plastics, more than its polymer form, may be most important when considering plastic's potential impacts on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and for public health.
More Papers Like This
Plastic Type and Condition Have Minimal Impact on Associated Marine Biofilm Communities
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers submerged five common plastic types in Auckland Harbour for 12 months and found that plastic type and UV-ageing had minimal effect on biofilm community composition or function, with biofilm age being the dominant driver — though nylon did selectively enrich hydrolase genes potentially involved in its own degradation.
Taxonomic variation, plastic degradation, and antibiotic resistance traits of plastisphere communities in the maturation pond of a wastewater treatment plant
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers placed different types of weathered plastics in a wastewater treatment pond for up to a year and studied the microbial communities that grew on them. The study suggests that the bacteria colonizing plastics in wastewater were shaped more by time and water depth than by the type of plastic, and that these communities may carry genes related to plastic degradation and antibiotic resistance.
Changes in microbial community structure of bio‐fouled polyolefins over a year‐long seawater incubation in Hawai'i
AI summary Read the abstract
A year-long experiment tracked microbial biofilm succession on polypropylene and polyethylene debris floating in Hawaiian seawater, finding that plastic type was more important than shape for bacterial community structure. All plastics were dominated by the diatom Nitzschia, and polyethylene plastics showed higher differential abundance of the known plastic-degrading bacterium Hyphomonas compared to polypropylene.
Microbial colonization patterns and biodegradation of petrochemical and biodegradable plastics in lake waters: insights from a field experiment
AI summary Read the abstract
This field experiment studied microbial colonization of petrochemical (LDPE, PET) and biodegradable (PLA, Mb) plastics in lake water, finding that plastic materials served as adhesion surfaces rather than carbon sources for opportunistic aquatic bacteria. Only biodegradable Mb-associated communities harbored likely starch-degrading bacteria, while all polymer types sorbed PAHs from sediment, though ingested plastics are unlikely to significantly increase PAH burden in deposit-feeders.
Distinct community structure and microbial functions of biofilms colonizing microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Biofilm communities were established on polyethylene, polypropylene, cobblestone, and wood substrates over 21 days under controlled conditions and compared by 16S rRNA sequencing, finding that plastic substrates harbored distinct microbial communities and functional profiles compared to natural materials. The study demonstrates that microplastics in freshwater environments provide a selective niche that enriches for distinct microbial taxa and metabolic functions.
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.