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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on the biodegradation of a polyhydroxyalkanoate and its associated biofilm
ClearBiofilm development as a factor driving the degradation of plasticised marine microplastics
Researchers investigated how natural marine biofilms drive the degradation of plasticized microplastics. The study found that biodegradation was dependent on polymer type, plasticizer type, and time, with polystyrene containing bisphenol A showing the most degradation, coinciding with increased abundance of putative biodegradative bacteria in the colonizing biofilm.
Biodegradation of weathered polystyrene films in seawater microcosms
Researchers found that natural marine bacterial communities, especially after adapting to plastic surfaces over time, can measurably break down weathered polystyrene films in seawater under realistic ocean conditions. Chemical and physical analysis confirmed actual degradation of the plastic's molecular structure, suggesting that ocean microbes play a role in the slow natural breakdown of plastic pollution.
Bacterial Abundance, Diversity and Activity During Long-Term Colonization of Non-biodegradable and Biodegradable Plastics in Seawater
Biofilm communities on conventional (polyethylene and polystyrene) and biodegradable plastics were tracked over 7 months of seawater immersion, finding highly abundant and diverse plastisphere communities on all polymer types but limited evidence of active plastic biodegradation under natural marine conditions.
Microbiological Characterization of the Biofilms Colonizing Bioplastics in Natural Marine Conditions: A Comparison between PHBV and PLA
Researchers characterized biofilm communities colonizing bioplastics and conventional plastics in natural marine conditions, finding that bioplastic surfaces hosted distinct microbial communities compared to petroleum-based plastics, with implications for biodegradation and ecological interactions.
A review on microbial-biofilm mediated mechanisms in marine microplastics degradation
This review examines how microbial biofilms form on microplastics in marine environments and their potential role in degrading these persistent pollutants. Researchers found that plastic-associated biofilm communities are diverse and influenced by factors such as polymer type, particle size, and seasonal conditions. The study identifies knowledge gaps in understanding how bacterial and fungal communities on microplastics may contribute to their breakdown in ocean environments.
MNPs in marine environment: Sources, distribution, trophic transfer, toxicity, fate and the remediating role of epiplastic syntrophic microbial consortia (Biofilms)
This review summarizes the sources, distribution, trophic transfer, and toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics in marine ecosystems. Researchers highlight how these particles bioaccumulate through food chains and cause harmful physiological and reproductive effects in marine organisms. The study advocates for using epiplastic microbial biofilms as potential bioremediation agents, though the specific mechanisms of nanoplastic biodegradation remain poorly understood.
Degradation of subµ-sized bioplastics by clinically important bacteria under sediment and seawater conditions: Impact on the bacteria responses.
Researchers found that clinically important bacteria colonized submicron-sized bioplastic particles in both seawater and sediment and showed biochemical stress responses to the bioplastics. The ability of pathogens to form biofilms on bioplastic surfaces in marine environments raises concerns that bioplastics, like conventional plastics, could act as vectors for disease-causing microorganisms.
Size-dependent influences of nanoplastics on microbial consortium differentially inhibiting 2, 4-dichlorophenol biodegradation
Researchers investigated how different sizes of polystyrene nanoplastics affect microbial communities responsible for breaking down the pollutant 2,4-dichlorophenol in wastewater. They found that smaller nanoplastics caused greater disruption to the microbial consortium, significantly reducing its ability to biodegrade the chemical contaminant. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in wastewater systems could interfere with the natural biological processes used to clean up other pollutants.
Identification of the bacterial community that degrades phenanthrene sorbed to polystyrene nanoplastics using DNA-based stable isotope probing
Researchers used DNA-based stable isotope probing to identify marine bacteria that can break down chemical pollutants sorbed onto polystyrene nanoplastics. They found that specific bacterial taxa in coastal seawater could degrade phenanthrene, a common petrochemical, when it was attached to plastic particle surfaces. The study reveals that the microbial communities colonizing ocean plastics may play an active role in processing harmful chemicals that accumulate on these particles.
Mechanistic understanding of the aggregation kinetics of nanoplastics in marine environments: Comparing synthetic and natural water matrices
Researchers investigated aggregation kinetics of polystyrene nanoplastics in marine environments, finding that organic matter type and salt concentration strongly influenced particle stability, with nanoplastics in natural seawater aggregating differently than in synthetic matrices.
Do microbial decomposers find micro- and nanoplastics to be harmful stressors in the aquatic environment? A systematic review of in vitro toxicological research
Researchers systematically reviewed in vitro studies on how bacteria and fungi respond to micro- and nanoplastics, finding that polystyrene particles and E. coli dominate the literature and that nanoplastic toxicity commonly disrupts antioxidative systems, gene expression, and cell membrane integrity in microbial decomposers.
Biodegradation assessment of polymer-based films by bacterial species in the marine environment and its correlation with microplastic production and toxicity
Researchers tested five polymer-based film materials in marine environments and measured biodegradation, bacterial colonization, and microplastic formation, finding that polymer composition strongly determines both marine biodegradability and the amount of microplastic debris generated during degradation.
Toxicities of polystyrene nano- and microplastics toward marine bacterium Halomonas alkaliphila
Polystyrene nano- and microplastics were found to be toxic to the marine bacterium Halomonas alkaliphila, with nanoplastics causing more severe membrane damage and oxidative stress than microplastics of equivalent mass. The results highlight that nanoplastics may pose greater risks to marine microbial communities than larger particles, with potential cascading effects on ocean biogeochemical cycles.
Nanoplastic Generation from Secondary PE Microplastics: Microorganism-Induced Fragmentation
Researchers found that microorganisms accelerate the fragmentation of secondary polyethylene microplastics into nanoplastics through enzymatic and mechanical processes, suggesting biological activity is a significant driver of nanoplastic generation in marine environments.
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.
Combined effects of photoaging and natural organic matter on the colloidal stability of nanoplastics in aquatic environments
Researchers found that photoaging of polystyrene nanoplastics alters how natural organic matter interacts with their surfaces — reducing humic acid adsorption while increasing protein adsorption — with downstream effects on the nanoplastics' stability and transport in aquatic environments.
Nanoplastics in the oceans: Theory, experimental evidence and real world
Researchers critically review over 200 studies on nanoplastic pollution — focusing predominantly on polystyrene — synthesizing knowledge on how nanoplastics form from polymer degradation, accumulate in seawater, and affect organisms in controlled conditions, while identifying key methodological standards needed for reliable ecotoxicological assessments.
Microplastics increase the marine production of particulate forms of organic matter
Researchers added polystyrene microbeads to oligotrophic seawater mesocosms and monitored organic matter and microbial dynamics over 12 days, finding that microplastics significantly increased the production of organic carbon and its aggregation into gel-like particles. The results suggest that microplastic-stimulated biofilm formation enhances particulate organic matter production with potential consequences for the marine biological pump and plastic transport.
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.
Evaluation of the degradation from micro to nanoplastics from biodegradable bags in marine conditions
Researchers evaluated how biodegradable plastic bags degrade into micro- and nanoplastics under environmental conditions, comparing them to conventional plastics. The study found that even biodegradable materials generate persistent micro- and nanoplastic particles under real-world conditions.