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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Environment-driven regulation of EPS secretion and interfacial coupling in microalgae-microplastic hetero-aggregates: Insights from molecular mechanisms to utilization potential
ClearMicroplastic interactions with freshwater microalgae: Hetero-aggregation and changes in plastic density appear strongly dependent on polymer type
Researchers studied interactions between microplastics and freshwater microalgae, finding that microplastics can physically attach to algal cells to form hetero-aggregates, altering both particle behavior and algal physiology.
Spatial heterogeneity of EPS-mediated microplastic aggregation in phycosphere shapes polymer-specific Trojan horse effects
Researchers investigated how algal communities in water aggregate different types of microplastics through sticky extracellular substances they produce. They found that the binding behavior varied significantly by plastic type and by the layer of the algal colony, with some plastics being captured more effectively than others. The study reveals that these natural aggregation processes can concentrate pollutants on microplastic surfaces, creating a "Trojan horse" effect that increases risks to organisms that consume the clumps.
Functional groups in microalgal extracellular polymeric substances: A promising biopolymer for microplastic mitigation in marine ecosystems
Researchers characterized the sticky, sugar-like substances (extracellular polymeric substances, or EPS) produced by three types of microalgae and found these natural biopolymers could potentially bind and aggregate microplastics in marine environments, pointing toward a nature-based approach to reducing ocean plastic pollution.
An ecotoxicological approach towards the understanding of the impacts of micro- and nanoplastics in the marine environment
This PhD thesis investigated how micro- and nanoplastics affect marine microalgae and associated microbial consortia, examining how extracellular polymeric substances mediate plastic-biota interactions and how these effects cascade to higher trophic levels in marine food webs.
Heterogeneous aggregation between microplastics and microalgae: May provide new insights for microplastics removal
Researchers investigated heterogeneous aggregation between microplastics and various microalgal species, elucidating the formation process and influencing factors, which may provide new insights for developing microplastic removal strategies from aquatic environments.
Hetero-Aggregation of Nanoplastics with Freshwater Algae and the Toxicological Consequences: The Role of Extracellular Polymeric Substances
Researchers studied how polystyrene and polylactic acid nanoplastics hetero-aggregate with the alga Chlorella vulgaris, finding that extracellular polymeric substances released by algae strongly influenced aggregation behavior and that aggregation altered the toxicity of nanoplastics.
Microalgae–microplastics interactions at environmentally relevant concentrations: Implications toward ecology, bioeconomy, and UN SDGs
This study investigated how microalgae interact with microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations, examining growth inhibition, aggregation, and photosynthetic effects, with implications for aquatic ecosystem function and the feasibility of microalgae-based bioremediation.
Nano- and microplastics trigger secretion of protein-rich extracellular polymeric substances from phytoplankton
Researchers exposed four marine phytoplankton species to polystyrene nano- and microplastics and found that the smallest particles (55 nm nanoplastics) caused the most stress, reducing cell survival and altering the composition of secreted extracellular substances. The stressed phytoplankton produced protein-rich exopolymeric substances that facilitated the formation of aggregates around the plastic particles. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution can change how marine microorganisms interact with their environment, affecting both plastic fate and microbial ecology.
A critical review of interactions between microplastics, microalgae and aquatic ecosystem function
This review of microplastic-microalgae interactions found that microplastics form distinct epiplastic algal communities that differ from surrounding water communities, and that the interactions are bidirectional — MP properties affect algal physiology while algal surface coatings alter MP behavior and fate.
Perfluorobutanoic acid weakens the heterogeneous aggregation of microplastics and microalgae: Perspective from physicochemical properties, extracellular polymeric substances secretion and DLVO theory
Researchers investigated how a PFAS chemical (perfluorobutanoic acid) affects the natural clumping of microplastics with microalgae in water. They found that the PFAS compound weakened this aggregation process by changing the surface properties of both the algae and the plastic particles. This is significant because algae-microplastic clumping is one natural mechanism that helps remove microplastics from the water column, and PFAS contamination may undermine it.
Molecular modeling to elucidate the dynamic interaction process and aggregation mechanism between natural organic matters and nanoplastics
Researchers used molecular modeling to understand how nanoplastics interact with natural organic matter found in water environments. They found that the chemical properties of both the plastic surface and the organic molecules determined whether they clumped together or remained dispersed. The study provides new molecular-level insights into how nanoplastics behave and spread in natural water systems, which is important for predicting their environmental fate.
Toxic effects of microplastics on extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in estuarine microalgae under stress conditions
Researchers examined how extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) mediate the response of two estuarine microalgae species — Scenedesmus obliquus and Skeletonema costatum — to polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics. They found species-specific differences, with EPS removal reducing stress tolerance in both species, and S. costatum showing greater photosynthetic regulation capacity under high microplastic concentrations.
Extracellular polymeric substances in green alga facilitate microplastic deposition
Extracellular polymeric substances secreted by the green alga Spirogyra facilitated microplastic aggregation and deposition in lab experiments, with EPS forming physical bridges between plastic particles and sediment, suggesting that algal biofilm formation can accelerate the settling and burial of buoyant microplastics in aquatic environments.
Interaction between polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastic and microalgae (Scenedesmus spp.): Effect on the growth, chlorophyll content, and hetero-aggregation
Researchers exposed two types of freshwater microalgae to PET microplastics at various concentrations, finding that higher levels significantly stunted growth, reduced chlorophyll, and caused the algae to cluster around the plastic particles. This "hetero-aggregation" behavior suggests microplastics can physically trap microalgae, potentially disrupting aquatic food webs that depend on algae as a foundation.
Impact of Heterosigma akashiwo on the environmental behavior of microplastics: Aggregation, sinking, and resuspension dynamics
The harmful microalga Heterosigma akashiwo promoted aggregation and sinking of microplastics through extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) rather than direct cell attachment, with aggregation causing low-density PE spheres to sink following a logistic curve—demonstrating how harmful algal blooms can alter microplastic vertical distribution.
Marine vs freshwater microalgae exopolymers as biosolutions to microplastics pollution
Marine and freshwater microalgae were found to produce exopolymer substances that form hetero-aggregates with microplastic particles, suggesting these biological secretions could promote microplastic sedimentation and reduce surface-water concentrations.
Enhancing aggregation of microalgae on polystyrene microplastics by high light: Processes, drivers, and environmental risk assessment
Researchers found that bright light conditions caused algae to clump together with polystyrene microplastics much more readily than dim light, by secreting sticky protein-rich substances. This aggregation process changes how microplastics behave in water, potentially causing them to sink and concentrate in certain zones. Since algae are at the base of aquatic food chains, these interactions could affect how microplastics move through ecosystems and eventually reach organisms consumed by humans.
The interaction between plastics and microalgae affects community assembly and nutrient availability
Researchers found that plastic debris coated with biological growth (biofilm) — but not clean plastic — altered the community composition of microalgae and changed nutrient levels in the surrounding water. This suggests that plastic particles act as rafts carrying organisms between environments, potentially disrupting aquatic ecosystems in ways that have been largely overlooked.
Interplay between extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from a marine diatom and model nanoplastic through eco-corona formation
Researchers incubated polystyrene nanoplastics with extracellular polymeric substances secreted by a marine diatom and found that these biological molecules rapidly formed an "eco-corona" coating on the nanoparticles, significantly slowing their aggregation and reducing oxidative stress in algae — suggesting that natural organic matter in seawater substantially alters nanoplastic behavior and toxicity.
Toxic Effects of Microplastics on Culture Scenedesmus quadricauda: Interactions between Microplastics and Algae
Researchers found that microplastics from multiple polymer types inhibit growth of the freshwater alga Scenedesmus quadricauda and induce oxidative stress, with toxicity varying by polymer type, particle size, and concentration.
MicrobialDynamics on Different Microplastics in CoastalUrban Aquatic Ecosystems: The Critical Roles of Extracellular PolymericSubstances
Researchers investigated microbial community composition and extracellular polymeric substance secretion across plastispheres formed on different microplastic types at two coastal urban water sites, using permutational multivariate analysis to show that microplastic type significantly shaped microbial community structure. The findings reveal that EPS production and microbial colonization patterns vary systematically with polymer chemistry, influencing plastisphere ecology.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Aggregation of Extracellular Polymeric Substance
Researchers used molecular dynamics simulations to model how the components of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) — biological glues secreted by microorganisms — interact and aggregate. Understanding EPS structure is relevant to microplastics because EPS coatings alter how microplastic particles behave and interact with organisms in aquatic environments.
The role of microplastics in microalgae cells aggregation: A study at the molecular scale using atomic force microscopy
Atomic force microscopy was used at the molecular scale to study how microplastics interact with microalgae cells and affect their aggregation, finding that plastic particles altered cell surface properties and promoted clumping. The results suggest that microplastics can disrupt the normal behavior of primary producers at the base of aquatic food chains.
Interplay of plastic pollution with algae and plants: hidden danger or a blessing?
Researchers tested the ability of three microalgae species to remove microplastics from water through bioadhesion, finding that all three species could adsorb particles onto their surfaces. Removal efficiency depended on particle size, surface charge, and algae cell morphology.