We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter components determine Microcystis aeruginosa-bacteria interaction network and community assembly
ClearEffects of micro-sized biodegradable plastics on Microcystis aeruginosa
Researchers tested how micro-sized biodegradable plastics made from polylactic acid and polyhydroxybutyrate affect a common freshwater cyanobacterium. They found that even biodegradable microplastics inhibited the growth and photosynthetic activity of the organism, though to a lesser extent than conventional plastics. The study suggests that switching to biodegradable plastics does not eliminate the risk of microplastic-related harm to aquatic microorganisms.
Biodegradability of microplastics reshapes surface biofilm microbial community structure and nitrogen cycling functions in aquatic environments
Researchers compared how biodegradable (PLA) and non-biodegradable (polyethylene and PVC) microplastics affect the microbial communities that form on their surfaces in aquatic environments, finding substantial differences in which bacteria colonized each plastic type and how they processed nitrogen. PLA supported communities rich in nitrogen-cycling bacteria, while PVC and polyethylene enriched different microbial groups associated with pollutant degradation. The study suggests that the push toward biodegradable plastics will change — not just reduce — the ecological effects of microplastics in rivers and lakes.
NewInsights into the Long-Term Leaching Process ofDissolved Organic Matter from Microplastics: Dynamic Formation andTransformation Mechanism
Researchers studied the long-term photoaging process and dissolved organic matter (DOM) release from conventional polystyrene and biodegradable PBAT microplastics, finding distinct molecular transformation pathways for each polymer type. Biodegradable PBAT released more labile DOM that altered aquatic carbon cycling differently than conventional PS-derived DOM.
Ecological implications of biodegradable and conventional microplastics: Dissolved organic matter bioavailability and microbial response in marine systems
Researchers compared the dissolved organic matter released by biodegradable and conventional microplastics and assessed its bioavailability to marine microbial communities. They found that biodegradable plastics like PLA released organic matter that was more readily used by microorganisms, which altered microbial community composition. The study suggests that while biodegradable plastics break down faster, their leached compounds may have distinct and potentially significant ecological effects in marine environments.
Microplastic exposure drives divergent assembly mechanisms in riverine microorganisms: Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) triggers metabolic shifts vs polyethylene-enhanced network complexity
Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PBAT microplastics affect microbial communities in river water over 60 days. They found that both types significantly altered bacterial diversity, but through different mechanisms: PBAT triggered metabolic shifts in microorganisms while polyethylene increased the complexity of microbial networks. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can meaningfully disrupt aquatic microbial ecosystems.
Long-term exposure to biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics promotes Microcystis aeruginosa proliferation
Researchers conducted a 45-day co-culture experiment exposing the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics. PLA-MPs promoted algal growth and photosynthetic activity and altered nutrient cycling, suggesting that biodegradable plastic particles can unexpectedly fuel cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater ecosystems.
Revealing the environmental hazard posed by biodegradable microplastics in aquatic ecosystems: An investigation of polylactic acid's effects on Microcystis aeruginosa
Researchers tested whether biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics are safer for aquatic life than traditional plastics by exposing the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa to them for 63 days. Surprisingly, PLA microplastics actually promoted algae growth despite causing oxidative stress and cell damage, which could fuel harmful algal blooms. This suggests that so-called biodegradable plastics may still pose environmental risks and are not necessarily a safe alternative in aquatic ecosystems.
Dissolved organic matter leached from microplastic (MPs-DOM) divergently alters pyrene adsorption in soil
Dissolved organic matter leached from microplastics (MPs-DOM) was shown to alter microbial community structure and chemical cycling in water. This suggests that even without direct particle ingestion, the chemical leachates from plastics can reshape aquatic ecosystems.
Microplastics benefit bacteria colonization and induce microcystin degradation
Polystyrene microplastics in a microcosm experiment facilitated bacterial colonization and promoted the degradation of the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin, with the plastisphere community showing distinct metabolic activity compared to free-living bacteria. The study reveals that microplastic biofilms can unexpectedly accelerate detoxification of co-occurring harmful algal bloom toxins.
Molecular insights into effects of PBAT microplastics on latosol microbial diversity and DOM chemodiversity
Researchers found that biodegradable PBAT microplastics significantly altered soil microbial community diversity and dissolved organic matter composition in tropical latosol over 120 days, with effects intensifying at higher microplastic concentrations.
Microplastics: New substrates for heterotrophic activity contribute to altering organic matter cycles in aquatic ecosystems
This study demonstrated that heterotrophic bacteria colonizing microplastic surfaces in aquatic ecosystems have distinct metabolic capabilities and can process organic matter at rates different from planktonic bacteria. The findings suggest that the plastisphere — the microbial community on plastic surfaces — may alter organic matter cycling in aquatic environments as microplastic abundance grows.
Microplastic characteristics differentially influence cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom microbial community membership, growth, and toxin production
Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics influence the growth and toxin production of harmful algal blooms in freshwater. They found that certain microplastic characteristics, such as shape and polymer type, significantly affected which microbial species thrived and how much toxin was produced. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may play an underappreciated role in worsening harmful algal blooms in lakes and reservoirs.
Ecological risk analysis and prediction of microplastics' effects on Microcystis aeruginosa in freshwater system: a meta-analysis approach
This meta-analysis found that micro- and nanoplastics can both inhibit and stimulate the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa — a harmful algal bloom cyanobacterium — depending on particle size and degradability. Smaller, degradable plastics tend to promote algal growth, suggesting microplastic pollution could worsen toxic algal blooms in freshwater systems used for drinking water.
Acute Toxicity Effects of Aged Polyethylene and Polylactic Acid Microplastics on Microcystis aeruginosa: Growth and Oxidative Stress Response
Researchers compared the acute toxicity of aged polyethylene (conventional plastic) and polylactic acid (biodegradable plastic) microplastics on the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. Aged PLA microplastics inhibited algal growth more than aged PE, and UV-aged particles were more toxic than heat-aged ones for both plastic types. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics may not be less harmful than conventional plastics once they begin degrading in the environment.
Photo-induced leaching behaviors and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter from microplastics and terrestrial-sourced particles
Researchers studied how light exposure causes microplastics and terrestrial particles to leach dissolved organic matter, and how this leachate behaves in the environment. The study found differences in the biodegradability of leachate from plastic versus natural sources, suggesting that microplastic-derived organic matter may persist differently in aquatic ecosystems.
Traditional and biodegradable plastics host distinct and potentially more hazardous microbes when compared to both natural materials and planktonic community
Researchers compared the bacterial communities that colonize traditional plastics, biodegradable plastics, and natural materials like wood and glass in freshwater environments. They found that both conventional and biodegradable plastics hosted distinct and potentially more hazardous microbial communities than natural materials. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safer from a microbial perspective and may still serve as platforms for harmful bacteria in the environment.
Microplastics as carbon-nutrient sources and shaper for microbial communities in stagnant water
Six types of microplastics were tested as carbon and nutrient sources for microbial communities in stagnant water over eight weeks, finding that certain polymers including polyurethane elevated assimilable organic carbon and selectively enriched plastic-degrading bacterial genera, demonstrating that microplastics can actively shape microbial community structure by serving as a substrate.
Divergent biofilm colonization on plastics in wastewater: Accelerated maturation on polyamide versus growth inhibition on biodegradable polymers
Researchers tracked 30-day biofilm formation on three plastic types in simulated wastewater, finding that polyamide promoted rapid, robust microbial colonization via nitrogen enrichment, while biodegradable PBAT/PLA plastic initially attracted bacteria but then inhibited sustained growth due to toxic leachates — demonstrating that plastic chemistry shapes plastisphere ecology in wastewater treatment.
Combined effects of microplastics and excess boron on Microcystis aeruginosa
Researchers studied the combined effects of microplastics and excess boron on a common freshwater cyanobacterium (Microcystis aeruginosa). They found that amino-modified polystyrene microplastics were the most harmful, inhibiting growth and worsening boron toxicity, while other surface-modified types actually stimulated growth. The study reveals that the surface chemistry of microplastics plays a key role in how they interact with other pollutants to affect aquatic microorganisms.
Reformed microplastic biofilms by ambient BPA showed limited acceleration ability in subsequent BPA degradation in natural lake water
Researchers found that bisphenol A (BPA) significantly reshaped microplastic biofilm communities and that while these reformed biofilms showed short-term acceleration of BPA degradation in natural lake water, complex interactions among microorganisms and between microorganisms and their environment constrained any sustained enhancement over time. The findings provide a foundation for assessing the environmental risk posed by the co-occurrence of bisphenol compounds and microplastics in aquatic systems.
Dissolved organic matter derived from biodegradable microplastic promotes photo-aging of coexisting microplastics and alters microbial metabolism
Dissolved organic matter leaching from two biodegradable microplastics (PBAT/PCL blends) was characterized, finding that it can promote photo-oxidation reactions in water by acting as a photosensitizer. The study raises concerns that biodegradable plastics, while designed to break down, generate chemically reactive leachate with potential environmental impacts.
Succession of soil bacterial communities and network patterns in response to conventional and biodegradable microplastics: A microcosmic study in Mollisol
Using a soil microcosm experiment, researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics affected soil bacterial communities over 90 days across four dosages. Biodegradable microplastics induced greater community dissimilarity from controls and tended to enrich environmentally beneficial taxa, while conventional polyethylene promoted potentially hazardous bacteria.
Deciphering the pathogenic risks of microplastics as emerging particulate organic matter in aquatic ecosystem
Researchers compared how microplastics and natural organic matter like leaves and algae affect bacterial communities in aquatic environments. The study found that microplastics uniquely promoted pathogenic bacteria as keystone species and amplified their capacity to host antibiotic resistance genes, suggesting that microplastic pollution may pose distinct pathogenic risks beyond those of natural particles.
Effects of microplastics on nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and microbial communities in sediments
Researchers found that PVC, PLA, and polypropylene microplastics altered nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in freshwater sediments by shifting microbial community composition, with effects varying by polymer type and biodegradability.