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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Comparison of pristine and aged poly-L-lactic acid and polyethylene terephthalate as microbe carriers in surface water: Displaying apparent differences
ClearPolymer type and aging drive the selective enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogens in microplastics biofilms
Researchers compared how microorganisms colonize conventional polypropylene versus biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics in a wetland environment. They found that while biodegradable PLA attracted fewer total microbes, it actually enriched a higher proportion of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and resistance genes, especially after environmental aging. The findings raise important questions about whether biodegradable plastics may pose unexpected risks as carriers of antibiotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems.
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.
Wastewater discharges and polymer type modulate the riverine plastisphere and set the role of microplastics as vectors of pathogens and antibiotic resistance
Researchers investigated how wastewater treatment plant discharges and polymer type shape microbial communities on microplastics in a river environment. They found that microplastics harbored significantly higher microbial diversity than surrounding water, and that wastewater discharges led to a 2.3-fold increase in antibiotic resistance gene abundance on the plastic surfaces. Different polymer types, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET, each attracted distinct microbial communities with varying levels of pathogens and resistance genes.
Differential responses of bacterial and archaeal communities to biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics in river
A 14-day microcosm experiment compared bacterial and archaeal community responses to biodegradable PLA and non-biodegradable PVC microplastics in river water using metagenomics. Both microplastic types selectively enriched distinct microbial assemblages, with archaeal communities more sensitive to colonization time than bacterial communities, and PLA fostering distinct biodegrading taxa.
Selective enrichment of high-risk antibiotic resistance genes and priority pathogens in freshwater plastisphere: Unique role of biodegradable microplastics
This study found that biodegradable microplastics like polylactic acid (PLA) -- often marketed as eco-friendly -- actually attracted more dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria than conventional plastics in freshwater. The biodegradable plastics selectively enriched high-priority pathogens carrying multiple resistance genes, meaning they could help spread antibiotic resistance through water systems that ultimately affect human health.
Different wetting states in riparian sediment ecosystems: Response to microplastics exposure
This study examined how biodegradable PLA microplastics affect microbial communities in river sediments under different moisture conditions. The microplastics disrupted the natural balance of soil microbes, made microbial networks less stable, and acted as carriers for 87 species of disease-causing organisms. The findings suggest that even biodegradable plastics can alter ecosystems and potentially spread pathogens in waterways.
Biodegradable Microplastics Increase the Health Risks of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Eutrophic Urban Lake
Researchers conducted an in-situ experiment in an urban lake comparing how biodegradable and conventional plastics accumulate antibiotic resistance genes on their surfaces. They found that biodegradable polymers like PBS and PLA harbored significantly more resistance genes than conventional polystyrene, and that bacterial communities on all plastics differed markedly from those in the surrounding water. The study suggests that biodegradable microplastics may actually pose higher health risks by serving as hotspots for antibiotic resistance in polluted freshwater environments.
Effects of photoaging on biofilm development and microbial community in polypropylene and polylactic acid microplastics in freshwater
Researchers systematically examined how varying degrees of photoaging affect the physicochemical properties, biofilm formation, and bacterial community composition of polypropylene and polylactic acid microplastics in freshwater environments.
Biofilms on plastic litter in an urban river: Community composition and activity vary by substrate type
Researchers examined biofilms colonizing plastic litter versus natural surfaces in an urban river, finding that community composition and metabolic activity vary by substrate type, with plastic surfaces hosting distinct microbial communities that may influence plastic degradation rates.
Bacterial Population Changes during the Degradation Process of a Lactate (LA)-Enriched Biodegradable Polymer in River Water: LA-Cluster Preferable Bacterial Consortium
Not relevant to microplastics — this study tracks how the bacterial community in river water changes during the biodegradation of a lactate-enriched biopolymer (LAHB), identifying which microbial groups preferentially break down the polymer's lactate-rich segments.
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.
Comparative Photo‐Induced Aging of Poly(Butylene Adipate‐co‐Terephthalate) and Polystyrene Microplastics and their Divergent Affinities for Tetracycline in Aquatic Environments
Researchers UV-aged biodegradable PBAT and conventional polystyrene microplastics in river water for 30 days, finding that aging caused surface oxidation in PBAT while polystyrene showed minimal change, and that the two types had divergent affinities for adsorbing tetracycline.
Distinct microbial community structures formed on the biofilms of PLA and PP, influenced by physicochemical factors of sediment and polymer types in a 60-day indoor study
This 60-day lab study compared the microbial communities that grow on traditional polypropylene microplastics versus biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics in sediment. Each plastic type attracted distinctly different bacterial communities, influenced by the plastic's properties and surrounding sediment chemistry. The findings suggest that even biodegradable plastic alternatives still alter microbial ecosystems in ways that could affect environmental and human health.
Deciphering the interaction of sulfamethoxazole with biodegradable versus conventional, virgin versus aged microplastics in aquatic environment
Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics interact with the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in water, both before and after UV aging. They found that biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics had the highest capacity to absorb the antibiotic, and that aging generally increased absorption for all plastic types. The study suggests that microplastics in waterways may act as carriers for pharmaceutical pollutants, with biodegradable plastics potentially posing a greater transport risk than conventional ones.
Distinctive patterns of bacterial community succession in the riverine micro-plastisphere in view of biofilm development and ecological niches
Scientists studied how bacterial communities develop on microplastics versus natural materials in river water and found that plastics support a distinct pattern of microbial colonization. The research identified specific bacteria capable of degrading microplastics and revealed that competition among microbes on plastic surfaces follows unexpected patterns compared to natural substrates.
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.
Persistent versus transient, and conventional plastic versus biodegradable plastic? —Two key questions about microplastic-water exchange of antibiotic resistance genes
Researchers compared antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) exchange between water and floating biodegradable (PBAT) versus non-biodegradable (PET) microplastics, finding that ARG exchange was persistent over time for both polymer types. Biodegradable plastics did not substantially reduce ARG accumulation compared to conventional plastics, suggesting biodegradability alone does not lower the antimicrobial resistance risk of plastic pollution.
Diversity, abundance and distribution characteristics of potential polyethylene and polypropylene microplastic degradation bacterial communities in the urban river
Researchers conducted a 1,150-day experiment in an urban river to identify bacteria capable of degrading polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics. The study found two distinct groups of plastic-degrading bacteria, with many rare or low-abundance species in natural river biofilms that may serve as potential degraders, helping explain the slow breakdown rate of these common microplastics in waterways.
Plastic substrate and residual time of microplastics in the urban river shape the composition and structure of bacterial communities in plastisphere
Researchers conducted an in-site incubation experiment in an urban river using microplastics from three plastic product types (garbage bags, shopping bags, and plastic bottles), finding that both plastic substrate type and incubation time shaped the bacterial communities colonizing the plastisphere. Different plastic products harbored distinct microbial communities, with potential implications for the spread of plastic-associated microorganisms in urban freshwater.
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.
Assessment of Emerging Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Biofilm of Microplastics Incubated Under a Wastewater Discharge Simulation
Researchers incubated common plastic types in flowing water that simulated wastewater discharge conditions for 10 weeks and studied the bacteria that colonized the plastic surfaces. They found that microplastics exposed to treated wastewater developed distinct bacterial communities compared to those in clean river water, including emerging pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes. The study suggests that microplastics in waterways receiving wastewater may serve as mobile platforms for spreading harmful bacteria and antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Effects of Aged Biodegradable Plastics and Antibiotics on the Conjugative Transfer of Antibiotic Resistance Genes Between Bacteria
This study examined how UV-aged microplastics from biodegradable PLA and conventional PET plastics, combined with the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole, affect the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. Researchers found that aged microplastics promoted bacterial conjugation more than pristine particles, with PLA microplastics showing stronger effects, suggesting that even biodegradable plastics may increase the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment.
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.
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
Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics on nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment bioreactors over an extended period. They found that biodegradable polylactic acid particles were actually more harmful than conventional PET microplastics, significantly reducing the efficiency of ammonia removal by damaging beneficial bacteria. The study challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer for wastewater treatment systems.