We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Size-dependent influences of nanoplastics on microbial consortium differentially inhibiting 2, 4-dichlorophenol biodegradation
ClearPolystyrene nanoplastics shape microbiome and functional metabolism in anaerobic digestion
Researchers studied how polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics affect the microbial communities and biochemical processes in anaerobic digestion systems used for waste treatment. They found that nanoplastics had a more disruptive effect than microplastics, significantly altering the composition and metabolic functions of the microbial community. The study suggests that plastic contamination in waste streams could reduce the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, a widely used waste processing technology.
Microplastics shaped performance, microbial ecology and community assembly in simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal process
This study found that polystyrene and PVC microplastics disrupted the performance of wastewater treatment systems designed to remove nitrogen and phosphorus, reducing nitrogen removal by up to 10%. The microplastics altered microbial communities, decreased cooperation between beneficial bacteria, and blocked important biological pathways. Since wastewater treatment is a key barrier against pollution reaching drinking water, microplastic interference with these systems could indirectly increase human exposure to harmful contaminants.
Responses of syntrophic microbial communities and their interactions with polystyrene nanoplastics in a microbial electrolysis cell
Researchers investigated how polystyrene nanoplastics affect microbial communities in a microbial electrolysis cell, a technology used for energy recovery during wastewater treatment. They found that nanoplastics disrupted the biofilm structure and altered the composition of the microbial communities responsible for breaking down waste. The study suggests that nanoplastic contamination in wastewater could reduce the efficiency of these promising electrochemical treatment systems.
Nanoplastics impacts on Thiobacillus denitrificans: Effects of size and dissolved organic matter
Researchers found that 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics inhibited growth and denitrification ability of Thiobacillus denitrificans more than 350 nm particles, and that dissolved organic matter modulated nanoplastic bioavailability and toxicity in sewage systems.
Impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on the biodegradation of a polyhydroxyalkanoate and its associated biofilm
Lab experiments in natural seawater found that polystyrene nanoplastics do not significantly slow the biodegradation of a compostable bioplastic (PHA), but they do become physically trapped inside the microbial biofilm that forms on the plastic surface, suggesting marine biofilms act as temporary holding zones for nanoplastics. At lower nanoplastic concentrations, microbial diversity within biofilms was higher, indicating even modest nanoplastic levels can subtly reshape the communities of microbes responsible for breaking down plastic in the ocean.
Different sizes of polystyrene microplastics induced distinct microbial responses of anaerobic granular sludge
Researchers exposed anaerobic granular sludge used in wastewater treatment to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes, ranging from 0.5 to 150 micrometers. They found that larger particles caused progressively greater inhibition of methane production, with distinct microbial community shifts depending on particle size. The study reveals that microplastic size is an important factor in determining the severity of disruption to anaerobic wastewater treatment processes.
Size-specific mediation of the physiological responses and degradation ability of microalgae to sulfamerazine by microplastics
Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics of different sizes affect the ability of marine microalgae to tolerate and break down the antibiotic sulfamerazine. They found that nano-sized plastics were more harmful than larger particles, reducing algal growth and impairing the organisms' ability to degrade the antibiotic. The study reveals that microplastic pollution could interfere with the natural biological breakdown of pharmaceutical contaminants in waterways.
Effects of different sizes of polystyrene micro(nano)plastics on soil microbial communities.
This study tested how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastic particles of three sizes affect soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling, finding that smaller particles caused greater disruption to nitrogen cycling and microbial activity. The results suggest that as plastics in soil fragment into smaller pieces over time, their impact on soil biology and fertility may worsen.
Mechanistic and microbial ecological insights into the impacts of micro- and nano- plastics on microbial reductive dehalogenation of organohalide pollutants
Researchers found that microplastics generally enhanced microbial reductive dehalogenation of organohalide pollutants by 10-217%, while nanoplastics consistently inhibited it by increasing reactive oxygen species, revealing size-dependent effects on pollutant biotransformation in contaminated environments.
Nanoplastic pollution inhibits stream leaf decomposition through modulating microbial metabolic activity and fungal community structure
Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics significantly inhibited leaf litter decomposition in freshwater streams, even at low concentrations. The study suggests this occurs through suppression of key microbial enzymes and shifts in fungal community structure, indicating that nanoplastic pollution could disrupt important nutrient cycling processes in freshwater ecosystems.
Size dependent impacts of a model microplastic on nitrification induced by interaction with nitrifying bacteria
Researchers found that smaller 50 nm polystyrene particles had a greater inhibitory impact on nitrification than larger 500 nm particles, reducing nitrite utilization rates and disrupting nitrogen cycling more severely. The size-dependent effect suggests nanoplastics pose greater risks to aquatic nitrogen processing than microplastics.
Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics reduces bacterial and fungal biomass in microfabricated soil models
Researchers used micro-engineered soil models to study how polystyrene nanoplastics affect soil bacteria and fungi. They found that nanoplastic exposure reduced both bacterial and fungal biomass, with bacteria showing a linear dose-dependent decline and fungi being affected even at the lowest concentrations. The study suggests that nanoplastic pollution in soil may suppress the microbial communities essential for healthy soil function.
Size dependent effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on the nitrogen cycle of microbial flocs
Researchers found that nano- and microplastics reduce the nitrogen cycling capacity of microbial flocs used in aquaculture, with smaller nanoplastics causing greater disruption than larger microplastics in a size-dependent toxicity pattern.
Impact of aging of primary and secondary polystyrene nanoplastics on the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes in anaerobic digestion
Researchers studied how aged and non-aged nanoplastics from both manufactured and environmentally degraded polystyrene affect the spread of antibiotic resistance genes during sewage sludge treatment. They found that higher concentrations of nanoplastics inhibited the treatment process and increased the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes, with environmentally degraded particles having a stronger effect due to their altered surface properties. The study raises concerns that nanoplastic pollution in sewage systems may be contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Effect of different size microplastic particles on the construction of algal-bacterial biofilms and microbial communities
Researchers tested how microplastic particles of different sizes affect algal-bacterial biofilms used for sewage treatment. Smaller nanoplastics caused more damage to the biofilm community, reducing algal growth and shifting microbial diversity, while larger microplastics had milder effects. This matters because algal-bacterial systems are a green technology for water treatment, and microplastic contamination could undermine their effectiveness.
Size-dependent effect of microplastics on toxicity and fate of diclofenac in two algae
This study investigated how different sizes of polystyrene microplastics affect two species of algae and interact with the common pharmaceutical pollutant diclofenac. Researchers found that the smallest microplastics caused the most significant growth inhibition in algae, and the combined presence of microplastics and diclofenac could alter how each pollutant behaves. The findings underscore how microplastics can change the toxicity and environmental fate of other water contaminants.
[Effect of Differentially Charged Polystyrene Nanoplastics on the Performance of Biological Denitrification in Wastewater Treatment].
This Chinese-language study investigated how positively and negatively charged polystyrene nanoplastics differentially affect the performance of activated sludge in wastewater treatment, finding that surface charge was a key determinant of biological treatment disruption. Positively charged nanoplastics were more toxic to the microbial community.
Uncovering the toxic effects and adaptive mechanisms of aminated polystyrene nanoplastics on microbes in sludge anaerobic digestion system: Insight from extracellular to intracellular
Researchers investigated how nanoplastics with amino functional groups affect the anaerobic digestion process used to treat sewage sludge. They found that these surface-modified nanoplastics reduced methane production and disrupted the microbial communities responsible for breaking down waste. The study reveals that chemically modified nanoplastics may be more disruptive to wastewater treatment processes than unmodified particles.
Effect of surface functional groups of polystyrene micro/nano plastics on the release of NOM from flocs during the aging process
Researchers studied how polystyrene micro- and nanoparticles with different surface functional groups affect the release of natural organic matter from coagulation flocs during aging. They found that smaller nanoparticles had a greater impact on natural organic matter release than larger microplastics. The study highlights a hidden risk in water treatment, where microplastics in the coagulation process could compromise the effectiveness of removing organic contaminants from drinking water.
Effects of unmodified and amine-functionalized polystyrene nanoplastics on nitrogen removal by Pseudomonas stutzeri: strain characteristics, extracellular polymers, and transcriptomics
Researchers investigated how two types of polystyrene nanoplastics — plain and amine-modified — affect the ability of bacteria to remove nitrogen from water, a process important for wastewater treatment. The amine-coated nanoplastics were found to be more disruptive than unmodified ones, altering the bacteria's cell surface, extracellular proteins, and gene expression. This matters because nanoplastics entering wastewater systems could undermine the biological processes that keep treated water safe to release into the environment.