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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Effect of long-term exposure to non-biodegradable and biodegradable microplastics in continuous anoxic/aerobic bioreactors: Nitrogen removal performance, microbial communities and functional gene responses
ClearResponse mechanism of non-biodegradable polyethylene terephthalate microplastics and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics to nitrogen removal in activated sludge system
Researchers compared how non-biodegradable PET and biodegradable PLA microplastics affect nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment systems. Surprisingly, the biodegradable PLA caused a much larger reduction in ammonia removal efficiency than the conventional PET plastic. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can significantly disrupt the microbial processes that wastewater treatment plants rely on to clean water.
The impacts of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastic on the performance and microbial community characterization of aerobic granular sludge
Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics and non-biodegradable polyethylene microplastics on aerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment. They found that high concentrations of both types impaired the sludge's ability to remove organic pollutants, but both actually enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal at moderate levels. The study reveals that even biodegradable microplastics can disrupt wastewater treatment processes in unexpected ways.
Insights into soil microbial assemblages and nitrogen cycling function responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics
Researchers compared how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional PVC microplastics affect soil bacteria and nitrogen cycling processes. They found that both types of microplastics altered microbial communities, but biodegradable plastics had distinct effects on nitrogen-processing bacteria and did not simply behave as a harmless alternative. The study suggests that switching to biodegradable plastics may change rather than eliminate the impact of microplastic contamination on soil health.
Responses of nitrogen removal, microbial community and antibiotic resistance genes to biodegradable microplastics during biological wastewater treatment
Researchers compared the effects of three biodegradable microplastics on nitrogen removal and microbial communities in activated sludge wastewater treatment. They found that PHA and PLA at higher concentrations enhanced denitrification but also promoted antibiotic resistance genes, while PBS had minimal effects. The study suggests that the breakdown of biodegradable plastics into microplastics in wastewater systems may have complex and sometimes counterintuitive effects on treatment performance.
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.
Impact of Polylactic Acid Microplastics on Performance and Microbial Dynamics in Activated Sludge System
This study found that polylactic acid microplastics at higher concentrations impaired nitrification and phosphorus removal in activated sludge wastewater treatment systems. Even biodegradable microplastics can disrupt the microbial communities essential for wastewater treatment, potentially reducing the quality of treated water discharged to the environment.
Influence of nanoplastic type on the short-cut nitrification-denitrification in a sequencing batch reactor: Elucidating the metabolic relationship of nitrogen, extracellular polymeric substances, and oxidative stress
Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable (PBAT) and non-biodegradable (polyethylene) nanoplastics on nitrogen-removing bacteria in a wastewater reactor, finding that both types disrupted nitrogen metabolism, extracellular polymer production, and oxidative stress pathways, with non-biodegradable polyethylene causing more severe inhibition of the treatment process.
Responses of nitrogen removal under microplastics versus nanoplastics stress in SBR: Toxicity, microbial community and functional genes
Researchers compared the effects of microplastics versus nanoplastics on nitrogen removal in sequencing batch reactors used in wastewater treatment. The study found that microplastics had no significant effect on nitrogen removal, while high concentrations of nanoplastics impaired the process by disrupting microbial communities and functional gene expression. The results suggest that nanoplastics may pose a greater threat to biological wastewater treatment performance than microplastics.
Insight into effect of polyethylene microplastic on nitrogen removal in moving bed biofilm reactor: Focusing on microbial community and species interactions
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment bioreactors and found that low concentrations slightly improved the process, while higher concentrations disrupted it. The microplastics changed the microbial communities responsible for breaking down nitrogen in wastewater. This matters because less effective wastewater treatment means more nitrogen pollution in waterways, and microplastics entering treatment plants could reduce their ability to clean water effectively.
Biodegradable Microplastics Increase N2O Emission from Denitrifying Sludge More Than Conventional Microplastics
Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics affect nitrous oxide emissions during wastewater denitrification. They found that biodegradable microplastics actually increased nitrous oxide production more than conventional plastics by serving as an additional carbon source that disrupted the normal denitrification process. The study challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always environmentally preferable, at least in wastewater treatment settings.
Chronic toxicity of biodegradable microplastic (Polylactic acid) to Daphnia magna: A comparison with polyethylene terephthalate
Scientists compared the toxicity of biodegradable PLA microplastics with conventional PET microplastics on water fleas and found that PLA was actually more harmful. At higher concentrations, PLA microplastics killed nearly half the organisms, reduced reproduction, and increased birth defects more than PET particles did. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are safer for the environment, suggesting they may pose similar or even greater ecological risks than conventional plastics.
Impact of polyethylene microplastics on the nitrogen removal and bacterial community in sequencing batch reactor at different hydraulic retention times
Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics affect nitrogen removal performance in biological wastewater treatment at different hydraulic retention times. The study found that the presence of microplastics amplified the negative effects of shortened treatment times on nitrogen removal efficiency and altered bacterial communities and enzyme levels involved in nitrification and denitrification, offering new insights into how microplastics interfere with wastewater treatment processes.
Microplastics in granular sequencing batch reactors: Effects on pollutant removal dynamics and the microbial community
Researchers investigated how polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics affect pollutant removal in granular sludge wastewater treatment reactors. They found that microplastic type and concentration influenced nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic compound removal rates, with PET particles showing a stronger tendency to accumulate within the biomass. The study indicates that microplastic contamination in wastewater treatment systems may compromise treatment efficiency and alter microbial community dynamics.
Discrepant soil microbial community and C cycling function responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics
Scientists compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics affect soil microbial communities and carbon cycling. Researchers found that the two types of microplastics had markedly different effects, with biodegradable plastics causing more changes to microbial community structure and carbon-related gene activity. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics, while designed to be more environmentally friendly, may still significantly alter soil biology.
Microplastics perturb nitrogen removal, microbial community and metabolism mechanism in biofilm system
Researchers found that polystyrene and PET microplastics reduced total nitrogen removal by 7-16% in biofilm wastewater treatment systems by causing cell damage, altering microbial community structure, and suppressing key genes involved in denitrification and nitrogen conversion.
Responses of performance, antibiotic resistance genes and bacterial communities of partial nitrification system to polyamide microplastics
Short- and long-term exposure of a partial nitrification bioreactor to polyamide microplastics found that while overall treatment performance was minimally affected, chronic exposure elevated ammonia oxidation rates and shifted bacterial community composition, with enrichment of microplastic-colonizing taxa potentially altering nitrogen removal pathways over time.
Effects of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics on plant growth and bacterial community in the soil
Researchers compared the effects of regular polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on soybean growth and soil bacteria. Surprisingly, the biodegradable microplastics caused more harm than conventional ones, significantly reducing root growth and altering soil bacterial communities important for nitrogen fixation. This finding challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer for the environment and raises questions about their impact on food crops.
Nonlinear microbial nutrient limitation responses to biodegradable vs. conventional microplastics under long-term agricultural management
Researchers sampled long-term agricultural plots to compare how biodegradable and conventional microplastics affect microbial nutrient limitation in soil. Both types of MPs altered microbial metabolism, with biodegradable MPs in some cases causing greater disruption to nutrient cycling than conventional plastics.
Comparison of pristine and aged poly-L-lactic acid and polyethylene terephthalate as microbe carriers in surface water: Displaying apparent differences
Researchers compared how pristine and UV-aged biodegradable poly-L-lactic acid and non-degradable PET microplastics serve as carriers for microbial communities in river water. They found that aged microplastics attracted more microbes and had higher biofilm formation than pristine ones, and that the biodegradable PLLA supported greater microbial enrichment and diversity than PET. The study demonstrates that microplastics in aquatic environments are highly effective carriers for bacteria, including pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes.
The microbial response to biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics during anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge
Polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics — often assumed to be benign because they are 'biodegradable' — were found to inhibit the breakdown of organic matter in wastewater sludge by 5–18%, disrupting microbial communities and key enzymes. The result challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are environmentally safe once they enter wastewater treatment systems.