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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Wastewater-induced microplastic biofouling in freshwater: role of particle size and flow velocity
ClearMicroplastic biofilm in fresh- and wastewater as a function of microparticle type and size class
Researchers compared the biofilm communities that form on microplastics of different types and sizes in both freshwater and wastewater, finding that biofilm composition was influenced by particle type, size, and water source. These findings advance understanding of the plastisphere — the microbial community unique to plastic surfaces — and its potential role in spreading microorganism-associated risks.
Assessment of Biofilm Growth on Microplastics in Freshwaters Using a Passive Flow-Through System
Researchers developed a laboratory flow-through system to study how biofilms grow on microplastics under controlled freshwater conditions. They found that biofilm formation varied depending on the polymer type, water temperature, and nutrient levels, with warmer and more nutrient-rich conditions promoting faster colonization. The study provides a standardized method for assessing how microplastics in freshwater systems become platforms for microbial communities that could include harmful organisms.
Enhanced settling of microplastics after biofilm development: A laboratory column study mimicking wastewater clarifiers
Researchers found that biofilm development on microplastics significantly enhances their settling velocity in laboratory columns mimicking wastewater clarifiers, suggesting that biological fouling is an important mechanism for microplastic removal during wastewater treatment and sedimentation in water bodies.
The Effect of Microplastics on Microbial Succession at Impaired and Unimpaired Sites in a Riverine System
Researchers compared microbial biofilm diversity on microplastic polymers and natural substrates at impaired and unimpaired riverine sites, examining how environmental nutrient loads, seasonality, and geography influence microbiome succession on plastic surfaces in freshwater ecosystems.
Hydrodynamics shape riverine biofilms on microplastics: insights from an in-situ incubation study
Researchers incubated polystyrene microplastics in the Rhine River under different water flow conditions and found that faster-flowing water produced much denser and more diverse microbial communities (called biofilms) on the plastic surfaces. Because biofilms change how microplastics move and interact with ecosystems, water flow conditions need to be considered when studying microplastic behavior in real rivers.
Perspective into bio-fouled microplastic behaviour, transportation and characterization in water bodies
This review examines how biofouling alters the physicochemical properties of microplastics — including density, surface charge, hydrophobicity, and roughness — and how the resulting 'plastisphere' biofilm community reshapes microplastic transport dynamics, vertical flux, and long-term fate in aquatic systems.
Distribution, biological effects and biofilms of microplastics in freshwater systems - A review
This review examines microplastic distribution, biological effects, and biofilm formation in freshwater systems, highlighting knowledge gaps compared to marine studies and the ecological risks posed by microplastics as vectors for pathogens and pollutants.
Microalgae colonization of different microplastic polymers in experimental mesocosms across an environmental gradient
Microalgal colonization of five different microplastic polymer types was monitored in freshwater mesocosms across an environmental gradient, finding that polymer type, surface properties, and environmental conditions all influenced the biomass and community composition of epiplastic microalgal biofilms.
Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Fate and Potential Effects of Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment
Researchers reviewed how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces affects the fate and potential ecological effects of microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that biofilms alter particle buoyancy, surface chemistry, and interactions with organisms.
Microbial composition on microplastics mediated by stream impairment
This study compared the microbial communities living on microplastics collected from streams with different levels of water quality impairment, finding that poorer water quality was associated with distinct biofilm compositions on the plastic surfaces. Streams with greater impairment harbored different — and potentially more harmful — communities of microorganisms on the microplastics they carried. The findings suggest that microplastics in degraded waterways may act as vectors for spreading pollution-adapted or pathogenic microbes downstream.
Sources of microplastics to two Southeast Michigan rivers and biofilm responses plastic substrata
Researchers measured microplastic loads upstream and downstream of two southeast Michigan wastewater treatment plants to assess their contribution to rivers feeding Lake Erie, and conducted experiments on the effects of plastic substrates on stream biofilm function. They found that wastewater treatment plants were significant sources of microplastics to receiving rivers, with plastic substrates also influencing biofilm community responses.
Impact of Biofilm Formation on Microplastic Behaviour in Aquatic Environments: An Comprehensive Review.
This review examines how biofilms — communities of microorganisms that coat microplastics — change the behavior of plastic particles in aquatic environments, affecting how they move, sink, and interact with ecosystems. Understanding biofilm formation on microplastics is key to predicting where these particles end up and what risks they pose to water quality and aquatic life.
Effect of particle size on the colonization of biofilms and the potential of biofilm-covered microplastics as metal carriers
Industrial and food-grade polystyrene microplastics of different sizes were colonized by biofilms in aquatic conditions, with smaller particles supporting denser biofilm growth and showing greater metal adsorption capacity than larger ones. The findings suggest that particle size is a key factor governing both the ecological properties of the plastisphere and the capacity of microplastics to concentrate heavy metals.
Wastewater treatment alters microbial colonization of microplastics
Analysis of microplastics and their biofilms across raw sewage, effluent, and sludge at two wastewater treatment plants found that >99% of influent MPs were retained in sludge, and that wastewater treatment substantially altered biofilm microbial composition, enriching bioflocculation-associated taxa.
Comparative Analysis of Selective Bacterial Colonization by Polyethylene and Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics
Biofilm communities were compared on polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics incubated in two freshwater bacterial communities, finding that the original water source bacteria largely determined biofilm composition rather than the plastic type. The study suggests that the plastisphere in freshwater systems reflects local microbial pools more than plastic-specific selection.
Effects of microplastic biofilms on nutrient cycling in simulated freshwater systems
Polypropylene microplastic biofilms in freshwater microcosms accelerated nitrogen cycling processes including ammonia oxidation and denitrification, and temporarily accumulated phosphorus before releasing it as biofilms matured and broke apart. The results demonstrate that microplastic-associated biofilms actively alter nutrient dynamics in freshwater systems, with potential consequences for water quality.
Microbial biofilm formation and community structure on low-density polyethylene microparticles in lake water microcosms
Researchers investigated biofilm formation on low-density polyethylene microparticles in lake water microcosms, finding that microplastic surfaces supported distinct and dynamic microbial communities that differed from those in the surrounding water.
Quantifying the impact of biofouling on microplastic transport: a modeling study
Researchers developed a modeling study to quantify how biofouling -- the attachment of microorganisms to microplastic surfaces -- affects microplastic transport in river systems by altering particle size, shape, density, and settling velocity, using quantified data to simulate transport dynamics.
The factors affecting bacterial colonisation on microplastics and the impact of tertiary treatment of wastewater on the attached bacteria and microplastics
This study examined the factors that influence bacterial colonization on microplastics and tested how tertiary wastewater treatment affects the bacteria and microplastics discharged from a treatment plant. Microplastic-associated biofilms in wastewater can carry harmful and antibiotic-resistant bacteria into receiving water bodies.
Plastic habitats: Algal biofilms on photic and aphotic plastics
Researchers tracked algae colonizing plastic surfaces in a freshwater reservoir over six weeks, finding that different plastic types developed distinct algae communities and that plastic surfaces showed early signs of degradation — suggesting that biofouling may accelerate microplastic fragmentation in freshwater systems.
Biofilm formation on microplastics in wastewater: insights into factors, diversity and inactivation strategies
This study investigated how bacteria form biofilms on different types of microplastics in wastewater, finding that polyethylene supported the most biofilm growth, especially in dark, warm, oxygen-rich conditions. The biofilms contained bacteria from groups that include potential human pathogens, and different plastic types supported different microbial communities. This matters because microplastics coated in bacterial biofilms could transport harmful microorganisms through water systems and into the environment.
Distinct community structure and microbial functions of biofilms colonizing microplastics
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.
Quantifying the impact of biofouling on microplastic transport: a modeling study
Researchers modelled the impact of biofouling on microplastic transport in fluvial environments by simulating scenarios in which biofilm accumulation altered particle buoyancy, size, shape, density, and settling velocity. Using probability density functions to capture variability in biofilm thickness, suspended solids, and turbulence, the study quantified how biofouling dynamics shift microplastic transport behaviour.
Impacts of hydraulic conditions on microplastics biofilm development, shear stresses distribution, and microbial community structures in drinking water distribution pipes
Researchers studied how different hydraulic conditions in drinking water distribution pipes affect microplastic biofilm development and microbial community structures. The study found that water flow velocity significantly influenced biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces, shear stress distribution, and the composition of microbial communities, highlighting potential water quality concerns from the interaction of microplastics and biofilms in water supply systems.