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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to New insights into changes in phosphorus profile at sediment-water interface by microplastics: Role of benthic bioturbation
ClearEffects of microplastics on nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and microbial communities in sediments
Researchers found that PVC, PLA, and polypropylene microplastics altered nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in freshwater sediments by shifting microbial community composition, with effects varying by polymer type and biodegradability.
Varied influence of aged microplastics and related leachates on phosphorus transformation and release from the sediments
Researchers investigated how aged microplastics and their chemical leachates affect phosphorus cycling in freshwater sediments, a process linked to harmful algal blooms. They found that different types of weathered plastics and their leachates altered microbial communities and shifted the forms of phosphorus present in sediments. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in lake and river sediments may contribute to nutrient imbalances that worsen water quality problems.
Microplastics alter the microbiota-mediated phosphorus profiles at sediment-water interface: Distinct microbial effects between sediment and plastisphere
This study found that microplastics in lake sediments change how bacteria process phosphorus, a key nutrient in freshwater ecosystems. Both petroleum-based and biodegradable microplastics altered bacterial communities and phosphorus cycling, but in different ways depending on whether bacteria were in the sediment or on the plastic surfaces. These changes could contribute to water quality problems like algal blooms that affect both ecosystems and the drinking water supply.
Microplastics Affect Sediment Phosphorus Transformation: Based on the Interplay of Bioturbation and Microbial Regulation
This study investigated how microplastics (polypropylene, polystyrene, and polylactic acid) affect phosphorus cycling in river sediments, finding that MP contamination altered the distribution of phosphorus fractions and that bioturbation by benthic animals changed how MPs interacted with nutrient transformation processes.
Effects of plastisphere on phosphorus availability in freshwater system: Critical roles of polymer type and colonizing habitat
This study examined how biofilm-covered microplastics of different polymer types affect phosphorus availability in freshwater, finding that polymer type and colonization habitat determined whether plastisphere biofilms acted as phosphorus sources or sinks, with implications for nutrient cycling in aquatic ecosystems.
Effect of microplastics on ecosystem functioning: Microbial nitrogen removal mediated by benthic invertebrates
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect nitrogen removal in freshwater sediments where chironomid larvae and microorganisms coexist. They found that while microplastics and larvae each individually promoted nitrogen removal by boosting denitrifying bacteria, combining them together produced less benefit than expected. The study suggests that rising microplastic concentrations may disrupt the natural nitrogen cycling that benthic invertebrates help maintain in freshwater ecosystems.
Beneath the surface: Decoding the impact of Chironomus riparius bioturbation on microplastic dispersion in sedimentary matrix
Researchers investigated how the burrowing activity of midge larvae affects the movement of microplastics through lake and river sediments. They found that the larvae's bioturbation activity pushed microplastic particles deeper into the sediment, and the presence of microplastics in turn influenced the intensity of the larvae's burrowing behavior. The study highlights how bottom-dwelling organisms can act as unintentional transporters of microplastic pollution within freshwater ecosystems.
Downsizing plastics, upsizing impact: How microplastic particle size affects Chironomus riparius bioturbation activity
This study tested how different sizes of polyethylene microplastics affect the burrowing behavior of freshwater midge larvae, which play an important role in mixing and aerating lake and river sediments. Smaller microplastics were ingested more readily and disrupted the larvae's sediment-mixing activity more than larger particles. Since these organisms are critical for healthy freshwater ecosystems, the findings suggest that small microplastics could disrupt nutrient cycling in lakes and rivers.
Impact of Microplastic Contamination on Phosphorus Availability, Alkaline Phosphatase Activity, and Polymer Degradation in Soil
Researchers studied how different types of microplastics at various concentrations affect phosphorus availability and enzyme activity in soil. They found that microplastics altered phosphorus cycling both by directly supplying phosphorus in some cases and by changing microbial enzyme function. The study suggests that microplastic contamination could disrupt soil nutrient dynamics important for maintaining agricultural productivity.
Influence of microplastics on nutrients and metal concentrations in river sediments
Researchers investigated how microplastics influence nutrient and metal concentrations in river sediments, finding that microplastics alter the distribution of pollutants through their capacity to adsorb contaminants and support biofilm formation on their hydrophobic surfaces.
Microplastic Contamination in Freshwater Environments: A Review, Focusing on Interactions with Sediments and Benthic Organisms
This review focuses on microplastic contamination in freshwater sediments and the interactions between microplastics, sediment particles, and benthic organisms, synthesizing evidence on how sediment properties influence microplastic accumulation and how benthic fauna are exposed and affected.
Polyethylene microplastics interfere with the nutrient cycle in water-plant-sediment systems
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect nutrient cycling in freshwater systems containing submerged plants and sediment. They found that the microplastics significantly reduced nitrogen and carbon content in plant leaves and disrupted the microbial communities in sediment responsible for nutrient processing. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can interfere with fundamental biogeochemical cycles that maintain the health of aquatic ecosystems.
Hotspots lurking underwater: Insights into the contamination characteristics, environmental fates and impacts on biogeochemical cycling of microplastics in freshwater sediments
This review examines how microplastics accumulate in freshwater lake and river sediments, which act as major collection points for these particles. Researchers found that microplastic distribution in sediments varies significantly depending on local conditions, and that the particles can alter nutrient cycling and affect sediment-dwelling organisms. The study highlights freshwater sediments as critical but understudied hotspots for microplastic contamination.
Microplastic impacts on soil and sediment bioturbation: insights from microcosm experiments across diverse ecosystems
This study used microcosm experiments across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems to assess whether microplastics affect bioturbation — the physical reworking of sediment and soil by organisms. Microplastic exposure reduced bioturbation activity in multiple ecosystems, with implications for nutrient cycling and sediment health.
Environmentally relevant concentrations of polyethylene microplastics negatively impact the survival, growth and emergence of sediment-dwelling invertebrates
Researchers exposed sediment-dwelling invertebrates, including midges and worms, to environmentally realistic concentrations of polyethylene microplastics and found significant reductions in survival, growth, and emergence rates. The study provides evidence that even at concentrations currently found in freshwater sediments, microplastics can negatively affect benthic organisms that play key roles in ecosystem functioning.
Effect of different microplastics on the mobilization of soil inorganic phosphorus by exomycorrhizal fungi
Researchers examined how different microplastic types affect soil inorganic phosphorus mobilization, finding that polymer type and particle size influence phosphorus release from soil minerals, with implications for nutrient cycling in plastic-contaminated soils.
Preliminary indoor evidences of microplastic effects on freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates
Researchers exposed caddisfly and mayfly larvae to various microplastic polymers in laboratory experiments and found that caddisflies incorporated microplastics into their rebuilt cases and mayflies preferentially burrowed in microplastic substrates over natural ones. The study suggests that freshwater macroinvertebrates may not perceive microplastics as a direct threat, raising concerns about chronic exposure effects in heavily contaminated waterways.
Microplastics in Freshwater Sediments Impact the Role of a Main Bioturbator in Ecosystem Functioning
This study investigated how microplastics in freshwater sediments affect Tubifex worms, which are important bioturbators that mix and aerate sediment. Researchers found that microplastic contamination altered the worms' burrowing behavior and disrupted biogeochemical processes at the sediment-water interface. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution could impair fundamental ecosystem functions by affecting the organisms that maintain healthy sediment environments.
Microplastics in freshwaters: Comparing effects of particle properties and an invertebrate consumer on microbial communities and ecosystem functions
Researchers tested how different microplastic properties, including concentration, shape, and polymer type, affect microbial communities and ecosystem functions in freshwater environments. They found that the presence of an invertebrate consumer had a stronger influence on microbial activity than the microplastics themselves, though high concentrations of certain particle shapes did alter community composition. The study suggests that the ecological effects of microplastics in freshwater depend heavily on the broader biological context.
Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific
Researchers used a microcosm approach to test how three common plastic types found in Great Lakes sediments affect freshwater benthic biogeochemistry and microbial communities. They found that each polymer had distinct effects: PET fibers decreased ecosystem metabolism, PVC particles increased nutrient uptake, and tire-derived rubber most substantially altered microbial community function. The study highlights that the environmental impact of microplastics in freshwater sediments depends heavily on the specific polymer type involved.
Changes in particle mixing by benthic infauna induced by microplastics: implications for nitrogen cycling in marine sediments
Researchers found that increasing polypropylene microplastic concentrations impaired deep-burrowing behaviour of the marine worm Macroclymenella stewartensis but not the bivalve Macomona liliana, with microplastics also modifying interspecific relationships and thereby disrupting particle mixing and nutrient cycling processes in marine sediments.
Research on the Effect of Microplastics on Phosphorus in Soil and Water Environment
This review synthesizes research on how microplastics interact with phosphorus in soil and water environments, finding that adsorption capacity varies with particle size and polymer type, that aging increases adsorption, and that microplastic-phosphorus complexes alter phosphorus migration and bioavailability in ecosystems.
Disentangling the influence of microplastics and their chemical additives on a model detritivore system
Researchers disentangled the physical and chemical effects of microplastics on freshwater detritivores, finding that chemical additives leaching from plastics contributed more to negative impacts on organisms than the polymer particles themselves.
Microplastics affect assimilation efficiency in the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum
Researchers examined how two types of microplastics affect the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum. The study found that microplastic exposure reduced assimilation efficiency in these invertebrates, indicating that microplastic ingestion can interfere with nutrient uptake and energy processing in freshwater organisms.