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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Profiling trace organic chemical biotransformation genes, enzymes and associated bacteria in microbial model communities
ClearAerobic Biological Treatment of Microconstituents
This chapter reviews aerobic biological treatment systems and their effectiveness at removing trace organic micropollutants (including pharmaceuticals and personal care products) from wastewater. Biological treatment processes are also relevant to removing microplastics and their associated chemical contaminants from municipal wastewater.
Microbial Community in a Wastewater System
Researchers characterized microbial community composition in a wastewater treatment system, examining how treatment stage and operational conditions shape bacterial diversity and functional potential relevant to pollutant degradation.
Microbial degradation of contaminants of emerging concern: metabolic, genetic and omics insights for enhanced bioremediation
This review covers how microorganisms have evolved the ability to break down emerging pollutants including plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides, turning them into less harmful substances. Understanding the genes, enzymes, and metabolic pathways these microbes use could lead to cost-effective, eco-friendly cleanup methods for removing persistent contaminants -- including plastic-derived chemicals -- from the environment before they reach people.
Unveiling the Interactions Between the Antibiotic Resistome and Microplastics Influenced by Trace Elements and PPCPs in Wastewater Treatment Plants
Researchers monitored wastewater treatment plants containing microplastics, trace elements, and pharmaceutical/personal care products, finding that these co-occurring pollutants interact to influence the survival and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes through the treatment process.
Research advances of biodegradable microplastics in wastewater treatment plant: Current knowledge and future directions
This review examines how biodegradable plastics break down into microplastics during wastewater treatment and their effects on the treatment process. Biodegradable microplastics can alter microbial communities in treatment systems and carry pollutants on their surfaces due to abundant oxygen-containing chemical groups. The findings challenge the notion that biodegradable plastics are a complete solution to plastic pollution, since they still generate microplastics that could affect water quality and human health.
Diversity of antibiotic resistance gene variants at subsequent stages of the wastewater treatment process revealed by a metagenomic analysis of PCR amplicons
Not relevant to microplastics — this study uses next-generation sequencing to catalog antibiotic resistance gene variants at different stages of a wastewater treatment plant, finding that some variants change in abundance through the process while novel variants are present throughout.
Plastic-Degrading Microbial Consortia from a Wastewater Treatment Plant
Researchers isolated bacteria from a wastewater treatment plant that can break down common plastics including polyethylene and polystyrene, some of the hardest plastics to recycle. The microbial communities worked together to degrade the plastics more effectively than individual bacterial strains. While biological plastic degradation is still slow compared to the scale of pollution, identifying these bacteria is a step toward developing biotechnology solutions for plastic waste cleanup.
Characterization of microplastics and their interaction with antibiotics in wastewater
Researchers characterized microplastics in wastewater and investigated their interactions with antibiotics, examining how microplastic surfaces adsorb antibiotic compounds and the implications for antibiotic transport and dissemination in wastewater treatment systems.
Partitioning Of Hydrophobic Organic Contaminants And Microbial Communities On Microplastics
This study examined how hydrophobic organic contaminants and microbial communities partition onto microplastics in aquatic environments. Microplastics were found to concentrate toxic chemicals and harbor distinct microbial communities compared to surrounding water, reinforcing their role as vectors for pollutants.
Identification of microplastic-associated microbial communities from various stages of wastewater treatment and recipient surface waters using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry
Researchers deployed six polymer types at different stages of wastewater treatment across three Hungarian plants and used MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to identify the bacteria colonizing microplastic surfaces, finding distinct microbial communities that may act as vectors for antibiotic resistance.
Size-dependent effects of microplastics on antibiotic resistance genes fate in wastewater treatment systems: The role of changed surface property and microbial assemblages in a continuous exposure mode
Researchers developed a continuous exposure method to evaluate how different sizes of microplastics affect antibiotic resistance gene fate in wastewater treatment, finding that smaller microplastics had greater impacts on microbial communities and resistance gene proliferation.
A combined metagenomics and metatranscriptomics approach to assess the occurrence and reduction of pathogenic bacteria in municipal wastewater treatment plants
This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it uses metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to assess pathogenic bacteria, antibiotic-resistant genes, and mobile genetic elements in wastewater treatment plants in South Africa.
Plastic-degrading clusters of orthologous groups reveal near-universal biodegradation potential in prokaryotes
Bioinformatic analysis of prokaryotic genomes identified a set of Plastic-Degrading Clusters of Orthologous Groups, revealing that plastic-degrading protein families are distributed across diverse bacterial and archaeal lineages, suggesting near-universal biodegradation potential in microbial communities.
Microplastics’ toxic effects and influencing factors on microorganisms in biological wastewater treatment units
This review examines how microplastics harm the biological treatment processes in sewage treatment plants by disrupting the microbial communities that break down waste. Microplastics alter the structure of these essential microbial communities, reduce their activity, and release toxic additives that cause oxidative stress and enzyme damage. Since treatment plants are a key barrier between pollutants and waterways, understanding how microplastics compromise their effectiveness is important for protecting downstream drinking water sources.
The occurence of pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants in wastewater treatment plant in the aspect of interaction with microplastics
Researchers analysed the occurrence of antibiotics, virucidal, and fungicidal pharmaceuticals in raw and treated sewage at a wastewater treatment plant in southern Poland, examining their removal efficiency and potential interactions with microplastics present in the effluent. The study found that pharmaceutical micropollutants persisted through treatment to varying degrees, raising concerns about combined contamination pathways when microplastics act as co-vectors for these compounds.
Integration of metagenomic analysis and metabolic modeling reveals microbial interactions in activated sludge systems in response to nanoplastics and plasticizers
Researchers combined amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and metabolic modeling to show that PVC nanoplastics and the plasticizer DEHP alter microbial community interactions in activated sludge wastewater systems — with DEHP exposure promoting cooperative metabolic relationships and both pollutants shifting interspecies iron and antioxidant exchange pathways.
Microbes as Biocatalysts of Marine Micropollutants
This review examines how marine microorganisms can serve as biocatalysts to break down micropollutants including industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics in ocean environments. The study highlights advances in synthetic biology and genomics that are improving microbial efficiency for targeted bioremediation, while noting the need for cooperation among scientists, policymakers, and industry to address implementation challenges.
Bacterial degradation of phenol: a review of the current state of knowledge
Not relevant to microplastics — this review summarizes how bacteria degrade phenol, a toxic industrial contaminant, covering metabolic pathways, influencing factors, and challenges for applied bioremediation in contaminated wastewater.
The application of bioremediation in wastewater treatment plants for microplastics removal: a practical perspective
This review assessed strategies for incorporating bioremediation into wastewater treatment plants specifically targeting microplastic removal, including bioaugmentation with microplastic-degrading microorganisms. The authors identified potential in using biofilm reactors and enhanced biological treatment but noted that microbial degradation of common polymers in wastewater timeframes remains limited.
Decoding the microplastic Micro-interface: a complex Web of gene transfer and pathogenic threats in wastewater
Researchers used metagenomics to study how microplastic surfaces in wastewater treatment systems serve as hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenic bacteria. They found that microplastic micro-interfaces supported more robust microbial networks and facilitated horizontal gene transfer of resistance and virulence genes more actively than surrounding environments. The study suggests that microplastics in wastewater may accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance and increase pathogenicity risks.