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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Effects of Different Types of Microplastics on Cold Seep Microbial Diversity and Function
ClearRevealing the response of microbial communities to polyethylene micro(nano)plastics exposure in cold seep sediment
Researchers explored how polyethylene micro- and nanoplastics affect microbial communities in cold seep ocean sediments over a 120-day experiment. While the plastics did not significantly change overall microbial diversity, they did alter the community structure and affected methane-related metabolic processes. The study suggests that plastic pollution could interfere with important deep-sea biogeochemical cycles, including those involved in methane regulation.
Microplastics Affect Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane and Sedimentary Prokaryotic Communities in Cold Seep Areas
Laboratory experiments exposing cold seep seafloor sediments to microplastics for 120 days showed that polyamide and PET microplastics reduced methane oxidation rates to roughly a third of normal and altered the bacterial communities responsible for this process. Cold seep sediments are major global sinks for methane, so microplastic disruption of this microbial activity could have implications for greenhouse gas cycling in deep ocean environments.
Effects of microplastics on cold seep sediment prokaryotic communities
Researchers studied how polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene microplastics affect microbial communities in cold seep sediments over a 120-day incubation period. The study found that microplastics significantly altered bacterial community structure in a type- and concentration-dependent manner, with some bacteria associated with plastic degradation increasing, while archaeal communities were less affected.
A Study of the Effects of Microplastics on Microbial Communities in Marine Sediments
This study investigated how the presence of microplastics in marine sediments affects microbial communities and, specifically, the methane cycle, finding that microplastics significantly altered microbial community structure and function. Since marine sediment microbes play a critical role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions, microplastic contamination could have broader climate-relevant effects beyond direct toxicity.
Synergetic effects of chlorinated paraffins and microplastics on microbial communities and nitrogen cycling in deep-sea cold seep sediments
Researchers studied the combined effects of chlorinated paraffins and microplastics on microbial communities in deep-sea cold seep sediments. They found that the two pollutants together disrupted nitrogen cycling processes more severely than either one alone, altering the composition of key microbial groups. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of these contaminants in deep-sea environments could have cascading effects on important ocean nutrient cycles.
Microplastic type and concentration affect prokaryotic community structure and species coexistence in deep-sea cold seep sediments
Researchers conducted incubation experiments with cold seep sediments amended with four microplastic types (polyamide, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene) at varying concentrations, finding that both MP type and concentration significantly altered prokaryotic community structure and species coexistence patterns.
Interactions of Microplastics and Methane Seepage in the Deep-Sea Environment
Researchers examined the accumulation of microplastics in cold seep sediments characterized by methane fluid seepage and chemosynthetic ecosystems in the deep sea, detecting 16 types of microplastics with high abundances at sediment surfaces. The findings suggest that cold seep environments act as effective sinks for small-scale microplastics under 100 micrometers and represent an important but overlooked reservoir in the marine carbon cycle.
Impact of Microplastics on the Gene Abundance of ANME-1 Methane Metabolism
Researchers tested whether microplastics affect methane-metabolizing archaea in cold seep environments and found that microplastic addition did not significantly change gene abundance related to methane production or oxidation, though environmental factors like habitat type had a much stronger influence on these microbial communities.
Weathered microplastics alter deep sea benthic biogeochemistry and organic matter cycling: insights from a microcosm experiment
Weathered (aged) microplastics deposited in deep-sea sediments were found to alter benthic biogeochemical cycles, affecting nitrogen and carbon processing by seafloor microorganisms. The findings show that plastic pollution can disrupt the chemical ecology of even the most remote deep-ocean environments.
Tracing the Century‐Long Evolution of Microplastics Deposition in a Cold Seep
Researchers traced a century of microplastic deposition in a deep-sea cold seep, finding that burial rates increased significantly since the 1930s in non-seepage areas, while methane seepage zones showed lower microplastic levels, suggesting potential microbial degradation of plastics.
Influence of microplastics on the structure and function of deep-sea communities during long-term enrichment processes
Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations affect deep-sea microbial communities over 50 days of incubation. They observed that microorganisms caused visible degradation of the plastic surfaces, while the smallest particles and plastic films significantly inhibited bacterial growth and increased reactive oxygen species production. The study reveals that microplastic pollution can substantially alter deep-sea microbial community structure and function.
Dynamics and functions of microbial communities in the plastisphere in temperate coastal environments
Researchers explored microbial communities colonizing microplastics in coastal environments of Japan, comparing bacterial and fungal communities across different plastic types, water, sediment, and sand. The study found that while microbial communities varied by sample type and location rather than plastic shape, microplastics harbored hydrocarbon-degrading organisms as well as potential pathogens, highlighting the ecological significance of plastic-associated biofilms.
Exploring carbon content variation in microplastics sequestrated from seawater to sediment in the Haima cold seep area
Sampling the Haima cold seep in the South China Sea, researchers found that microplastic abundance in the water column increased with methane seepage strength, while the carbon content of microplastics varied with depth and seepage activity. The study suggests that deep-sea cold seeps act as sinks for microplastics and that microbial communities in these oxygen-poor environments may process carbon from plastic particles in ways not yet well understood.
Discrepancy strategies of sediment abundant and rare microbial communities in response to floating microplastic disturbances: Study using a microcosmic experiment
Using microcosm experiments with fluvial sediment exposed to four plastic types, researchers found that floating microplastics altered sediment microbial diversity and reduced bacteria involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling. Abundant microbial taxa were more sensitive to microplastic disturbance than rare taxa, and microplastics decreased network complexity and increased negative species interactions in microbial communities.
The ecology of the plastisphere: Microbial composition, function, assembly, and network in the freshwater and seawater ecosystems
Researchers studied the communities of bacteria and fungi that colonize microplastic surfaces in freshwater and seawater, forming what scientists call the plastisphere. These microplastic-associated communities were distinctly different from those in surrounding water, and included a higher proportion of disease-causing organisms and species involved in pollutant degradation. The findings suggest that microplastics create new habitats that can harbor pathogens and alter natural microbial ecosystems in ways that may affect water quality and human health.
Marine Microbial Assemblages on Microplastics: Diversity, Adaptation, and Role in Degradation
This review examines microbial communities that colonize microplastics in the ocean, collectively known as the plastisphere. Researchers found that these biofilms differ significantly from those on natural surfaces and may include pathogenic bacteria and species capable of partially degrading plastics. The study highlights both the ecological risks of microplastics as vectors for harmful microbes and the potential for harnessing plastic-degrading organisms.
Biofilms in plastisphere from freshwater wetlands: Biofilm formation, bacterial community assembly, and biogeochemical cycles
Researchers studied how bacteria form biofilms on microplastic surfaces in freshwater wetlands and found that these plastic-associated communities differ significantly from natural soil bacteria. The microplastic biofilms had lower diversity but higher activity in carbon processing and nitrogen cycling genes. This means microplastics in wetlands can alter natural nutrient cycles, potentially affecting water quality in ecosystems that many communities rely on.
Unveiling the impact of microplastics with distinct polymer types and concentrations on tidal sediment microbiome and nitrogen cycling
Researchers tested how five different types of microplastics at varying concentrations affect microbial communities and nitrogen cycling in tidal sediments over 30 days. They found that microplastics generally reduced microbial diversity and enhanced nitrogen fixation, with biodegradable PLA plastic showing concentration-dependent effects. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in coastal sediments can disrupt important nutrient cycling processes driven by microorganisms.
Ocean acidification has a strong effect on communities living on plastic in mesocosms
A mesocosm experiment found that simulated ocean acidification significantly changed the microbial communities colonizing plastic debris (the "plastisphere"), increasing the relative abundance of pathogenic and parasite bacteria and altering nutrient cycling. This is concerning because ocean acidification driven by climate change could make plastic pollution even more dangerous by turning floating plastics into enhanced vectors for harmful microbes.
Deep-sea anthropogenic macrodebris harbours rich and diverse communities of bacteria and archaea
Diverse communities of bacteria and archaea were found living on anthropogenic debris (including plastics) in the deep sea, suggesting that human waste is creating new microbial habitats in the ocean's most remote regions. These plastic-associated microbial communities may spread non-native organisms to new deep-sea locations.
Beyond plastisphere transfer, deep corals are subject to dysbiosis when exposed to plastics
Researchers investigated the impact of colonized macro- and microplastics on the microbiome of the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa, finding that plastic exposure caused dysbiosis in the coral-associated bacterial community beyond simple plastisphere transfer, suggesting early biological impacts on deep-sea coral reefs.
Investigating the roles of microbes in biodegrading or colonizing microplastic surfaces
Researchers investigated the roles of microbes in biodegrading or colonizing microplastic surfaces, examining how microbial communities interact with plastic polymers in environmental settings. The study characterized the 'plastisphere' — the community of microorganisms that colonize microplastic surfaces — and assessed the extent to which microbial activity contributes to plastic degradation in natural environments.
Microbial communities on plastic particles in surface waters differ from subsurface waters of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
Researchers sampled plastic particles from the ocean surface down to 2,000 meters in the North Pacific and found that microbial communities on deep, sinking plastics are rapidly replaced by microbes from surrounding water, suggesting that plastic particles are not an efficient vehicle for transporting surface microorganisms into the deep sea.
Microplastic biofilms as potential hotspots for plastic biodegradation and nitrogen cycling: a metagenomic perspective
Researchers used genetic analysis to study the microbial communities that form biofilms on different types of microplastics in an estuarine environment. They found that these plastic-associated communities contained genes for both plastic degradation and nitrogen cycling, suggesting the biofilms may play dual roles in the ecosystem. The study indicates that microplastic surfaces in waterways create unique microbial habitats that could influence both pollution breakdown and nutrient processing.