Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects 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.

2022 Environmental Pollution 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic particles on carbon source metabolism and bacterial community in freshwater lake sediments

A microcosm experiment tested how four common plastic types affect carbon metabolism and bacterial communities in freshwater lake sediments, finding that microplastics disrupted microbial carbon cycling and altered community composition.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 3 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in sediment of freshwater systems

Researchers found that PET microplastics of different sizes significantly affected greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in freshwater sediments, with smaller particles (5 micrometers) notably increasing methane emissions and altering nutrient cycling over 90 days.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Sediment bacterial and fungal communities exhibit distinct responses to microplastic types and sizes in Taihu lake

Researchers conducted microcosm experiments to study how polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics of different sizes affect sediment bacterial and fungal communities in Taihu Lake over 60 days. They found that microplastics reduced microbial diversity and significantly altered community structures, with particle size being the most influential factor. The study suggests that microplastic pollution in lake sediments may disrupt natural biogeochemical processes by shifting microbial community composition and network complexity.

2023 Environmental Pollution 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the structure and function of bacterial communities in sediments of a freshwater lake

Researchers examined how microplastics alter the structure and function of bacterial communities in sediments, finding that plastic exposure shifted community composition and reduced overall diversity compared to plastic-free controls. Functional analysis showed impaired denitrification and organic matter decomposition in microplastic-contaminated sediments, indicating ecosystem-level consequences for nutrient cycling.

2024 Chemosphere 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling Microplastic-Biofilm Nexus in Aquaculture: Diversity and Functionality of Microbial Communities and Their Effect on Plastic Traits

Researchers incubated five common types of microplastics in an aquaculture pond for 128 days and found that biofilm formation varied significantly depending on the plastic type, with polypropylene and polyethylene supporting the richest microbial communities. PET microplastics attracted more plastic-degrading bacteria like Pseudomonas, while all plastic types enriched potentially pathogenic microorganisms. The findings highlight how different microplastics selectively shape microbial colonization in aquaculture environments, with implications for both environmental health and food safety.

2024 ACS ES&T Water 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Dynamics on Different Microplastics in Coastal Urban Aquatic Ecosystems: The Critical Roles of Extracellular Polymeric Substances

Researchers investigated how microbial communities colonize different types of microplastics in urban coastal waters, forming distinct ecosystems known as plastispheres. They found that the type of plastic significantly shaped which bacteria grew on it and how much sticky extracellular material they produced. Understanding these microbial communities on microplastics matters because they can harbor harmful bacteria and influence how pollutants move through aquatic environments.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics analysis of plastisphere biofilm and effect of aging products on nitrogen metabolizing flora in microcosm wetlands experiment

Researchers placed three types of plastic in miniature constructed wetlands for 180 days and tracked how they aged and affected microbial communities. The plastics degraded at different rates, with PVC developing new chemical groups and all surfaces becoming less water-repellent as bacteria colonized them. The plastic surfaces altered nitrogen-processing bacteria in the wetland water, suggesting microplastics can disrupt nutrient cycling in natural wetland ecosystems.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Temperature-dependent effects of microplastics on sediment bacteriome and metabolome

Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics, including polyethylene, polylactic acid, and tire particles, affect sediment microbial communities and metabolic processes at different temperatures. The study found that temperature strongly influences certain enzyme activities while microplastic type affects others, with tire particles in particular significantly altering microbial community composition and metabolic pathways in wetland sediments.

2024 Chemosphere 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinct microbial metabolic activities of biofilms colonizing microplastics in three freshwater ecosystems

Biofilms growing on microplastics in three freshwater ecosystems showed distinct patterns of carbon metabolism compared to biofilms on glass, with PET-colonizing biofilms showing lower metabolic diversity. Environmental factors like nutrient levels and turbidity also shaped biofilm function, suggesting microplastics alter microbial-mediated carbon cycling in rivers and lakes.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 160 citations
Article Tier 2

PET particles raise microbiological concerns for human health while tyre wear microplastic particles potentially affect ecosystem services in waters

Researchers tested how PET particles and tire wear microplastics affect microbial communities in freshwater systems. They found that PET particles promoted the growth of potential human pathogens, while tire wear particles altered the broader microbial community composition relevant to ecosystem functions. The study suggests these two common types of microplastics pose distinct but significant risks to water quality and public health.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Lacustrine plastisphere: Distinct succession and assembly processes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities and role of site, time, and polymer types

Researchers investigated how microbial communities colonize different types of microplastic polymers in freshwater lakes. The study found that bacteria and single-celled organisms follow distinct assembly patterns on microplastic surfaces, with colonization time, location, and polymer type all influencing community composition. These findings suggest microplastics serve as carriers that can promote microbial spread in aquatic environments.

2023 Water Research 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental Factors Support the Formation of Specific Bacterial Assemblages on Microplastics

Researchers incubated polystyrene, polyethylene, and wooden pellets across marine and freshwater environments and found that environmental conditions — more than plastic type — drove the formation of specific bacterial communities on microplastics, with plastic-specific assemblages only emerging under certain conditions.

2018 Frontiers in Microbiology 518 citations
Article Tier 2

MicrobialDynamics on Different Microplastics in CoastalUrban Aquatic Ecosystems: The Critical Roles of Extracellular PolymericSubstances

Researchers investigated microbial community composition and extracellular polymeric substance secretion across plastispheres formed on different microplastic types at two coastal urban water sites, using permutational multivariate analysis to show that microplastic type significantly shaped microbial community structure. The findings reveal that EPS production and microbial colonization patterns vary systematically with polymer chemistry, influencing plastisphere ecology.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the impact of microplastics with distinct polymer types and concentrations on tidal sediment microbiome and nitrogen cycling

Researchers tested how five different types of microplastics at varying concentrations affect microbial communities and nitrogen cycling in tidal sediments over 30 days. They found that microplastics generally reduced microbial diversity and enhanced nitrogen fixation, with biodegradable PLA plastic showing concentration-dependent effects. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in coastal sediments can disrupt important nutrient cycling processes driven by microorganisms.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on soil microbiome: The impacts of polymer type, shape, and concentration

Researchers examined how different microplastic polymer types, shapes, and concentrations affected soil bacterial communities, finding that these physical characteristics induced distinct shifts in soil microbiome composition and diversity.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 215 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of a microplastic mixture differ across trophic levels and taxa in a freshwater food web: In situ mesocosm experiment

Researchers conducted the first in situ mesocosm experiment testing the effects of a microplastic mixture on a freshwater lake food web, spanning multiple trophic levels. The study found that microplastic effects varied across different organisms and trophic levels, providing important community-level evidence that laboratory findings may not fully predict how microplastics impact real aquatic ecosystems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Additive release and prediction of biofilm-colonized microplastics in three typical freshwater ecosystems

Researchers investigated how biofilm colonization on microplastics affects the release of plastic additives in three different freshwater ecosystems. They found that biofilm growth influenced the rate and extent of additive leaching, with the specific microbial communities varying by ecosystem type. The study raises concerns that biofilm-covered microplastics in natural waters may release hazardous chemical additives at different rates than expected from laboratory studies.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on bacterial communities in lake wetland sediments: a comparison between drought and flooded conditions

Researchers established a sediment microcosm system for Poyang Lake wetland and examined the effects of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on bacterial community structure, functional genes, and ecological processes over 180 days under both simulated drought and flooded conditions.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management
Article Tier 2

Microplastic residues in wetland ecosystems: Do they truly threaten the plant-microbe-soil system?

Researchers used a controlled pot experiment to assess microplastic effects on wetland plant growth, soil microbial communities, and nutrient cycling, finding that MPs altered soil enzyme activity and shifted bacterial community composition but had variable effects on plant growth depending on plastic type.

2021 Environment International 238 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term exposure of a free-living freshwater micro- and meiobenthos community to microplastic mixtures in microcosms

Researchers exposed a natural freshwater micro- and meiobenthos community to microplastic mixtures in long-term microcosm experiments, finding community-level effects that differ from single-species studies and highlighting the importance of realistic multi-polymer exposure scenarios.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of microplastics on lake communities: A mesocosm study

Researchers conducted a mesocosm experiment to assess how microplastic contamination affects lake communities, including zooplankton, macroinvertebrates, and fish. They found that microplastic exposure caused varying effects across organism groups, with some community-level changes observed over the study period. The study highlights that microplastic pollution can alter freshwater ecosystem dynamics beyond what has been documented in single-species laboratory studies.

2024 Chemosphere 2 citations