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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Impacts of plastic surface on the periphyton under different nutrient and temperature: A mesocosm experiment
ClearMicroalgae colonization of different microplastic polymers in experimental mesocosms across an environmental gradient
Microalgal colonization of five different microplastic polymer types was monitored in freshwater mesocosms across an environmental gradient, finding that polymer type, surface properties, and environmental conditions all influenced the biomass and community composition of epiplastic microalgal biofilms.
Microbial biofilm formation and community structure on low-density polyethylene microparticles in lake water microcosms
Researchers investigated biofilm formation on low-density polyethylene microparticles in lake water microcosms, finding that microplastic surfaces supported distinct and dynamic microbial communities that differed from those in the surrounding water.
The interaction between plastics and microalgae affects community assembly and nutrient availability
Researchers found that plastic debris coated with biological growth (biofilm) — but not clean plastic — altered the community composition of microalgae and changed nutrient levels in the surrounding water. This suggests that plastic particles act as rafts carrying organisms between environments, potentially disrupting aquatic ecosystems in ways that have been largely overlooked.
A domesticated photoautotrophic microbial community as a biofilm model system for analyzing the influence of plastic surfaces on invertebrate grazers in limnic environments
Researchers developed a domesticated photoautotrophic microbial community as a biofilm model system to analyse how plastic surfaces influence invertebrate grazers in freshwater environments. The study found that biofilms growing on plastic substrates affected grazer behaviour and feeding differently than biofilms on natural surfaces, with implications for understanding how plastic pollution disrupts limnic food web interactions.
The impacts of polystyrene microplastics on development, energy transfer and nutrient cycling of biofilms: A comprehensive chronic toxicity study
A chronic toxicity study found that polystyrene microplastics inhibited freshwater biofilm development, reducing biomass, photosynthetic activity, and nutrient cycling rates, with effects increasing with MP concentration over the 60-day exposure period.
Assessment of Biofilm Growth on Microplastics in Freshwaters Using a Passive Flow-Through System
Researchers developed a laboratory flow-through system to study how biofilms grow on microplastics under controlled freshwater conditions. They found that biofilm formation varied depending on the polymer type, water temperature, and nutrient levels, with warmer and more nutrient-rich conditions promoting faster colonization. The study provides a standardized method for assessing how microplastics in freshwater systems become platforms for microbial communities that could include harmful organisms.
Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Fate and Potential Effects of Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment
Researchers reviewed how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces affects the fate and potential ecological effects of microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that biofilms alter particle buoyancy, surface chemistry, and interactions with organisms.
Plastic habitats: Algal biofilms on photic and aphotic plastics
Researchers tracked algae colonizing plastic surfaces in a freshwater reservoir over six weeks, finding that different plastic types developed distinct algae communities and that plastic surfaces showed early signs of degradation — suggesting that biofouling may accelerate microplastic fragmentation in freshwater systems.
Fate and effects of microplastic particles in a periphyton-grazer system
This study examined how microplastic particles interact with periphyton, the biofilm communities coating underwater surfaces, and whether plastics transfer to grazing snails that feed on them. Researchers found that microplastics accumulated in periphyton and were then consumed by the freshwater snail Physa acuta, demonstrating a pathway for plastics to move through the aquatic food web from biofilms to animals.
Structural Diversity in Early-Stage Biofilm Formation on Microplastics Depends on Environmental Medium and Polymer Properties
This study examined the early stages of bacterial biofilm formation on different types of plastic surfaces in different environmental media, finding that both the growth medium and the polymer type influenced which microbial communities colonized the plastic. These plastic-associated biofilms (the plastisphere) can make microplastics more appealing to filter-feeding organisms that mistake them for food.
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.
Effects of microplastic biofilms on nutrient cycling in simulated freshwater systems
Polypropylene microplastic biofilms in freshwater microcosms accelerated nitrogen cycling processes including ammonia oxidation and denitrification, and temporarily accumulated phosphorus before releasing it as biofilms matured and broke apart. The results demonstrate that microplastic-associated biofilms actively alter nutrient dynamics in freshwater systems, with potential consequences for water quality.
No trophy for the trophy? - How lake trophy impacts bacterial assemblages of biofilm on microplastic
A field experiment incubating microplastics in five lakes with different nutrient levels (trophy) found that bacterial biofilm composition on MPs was dominated by Proteobacteria and differed significantly from free-water communities, but lake trophy had limited influence on overall biofilm diversity. This suggests that plastic surfaces create a distinct microbial niche independent of the surrounding water quality, with implications for how plastic-associated bacteria spread through freshwater ecosystems.
The Effect of Microplastics on Microbial Succession at Impaired and Unimpaired Sites in a Riverine System
Researchers compared microbial biofilm diversity on microplastic polymers and natural substrates at impaired and unimpaired riverine sites, examining how environmental nutrient loads, seasonality, and geography influence microbiome succession on plastic surfaces in freshwater ecosystems.
Biofilm Structural and Functional Features on Microplastic Surfaces in Greenhouse Agricultural Soil
Researchers studied biofilm formation on five types of microplastics in greenhouse agricultural soil over 30 days at two concentrations. The study found evidence of microbial enrichment on all plastic types, with biofilm community composition varying by polymer type and concentration. The findings suggest that microplastics in agricultural soils serve as distinct microbial habitats that may influence soil microbial ecology.
Community Composition and Seasonal Dynamics of Microplastic Biota in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea
Researchers described the seasonal dynamics and community composition of microplastic-associated microbial communities across different environments, finding that temperature and nutrient availability influenced plastisphere diversity. The study contributes to understanding how environmental conditions shape biofilm formation on plastic debris.
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.
A critical review of interactions between microplastics, microalgae and aquatic ecosystem function
This review of microplastic-microalgae interactions found that microplastics form distinct epiplastic algal communities that differ from surrounding water communities, and that the interactions are bidirectional — MP properties affect algal physiology while algal surface coatings alter MP behavior and fate.
Mesocosm experiments of temperate marine coastal waters: timing of changes in phytoplankton communities and attachment to plastic plates after nutrient addition
A mesocosm experiment examined how nutrient enrichment and plastic plates affect phytoplankton communities in temperate coastal seawater. The study found that nutrients altered phytoplankton composition within days, while plastic surfaces became colonized over weeks, revealing the separate timescales at which these pollutants affect marine life.
Distinct community structure and microbial functions of biofilms colonizing microplastics
Biofilm communities were established on polyethylene, polypropylene, cobblestone, and wood substrates over 21 days under controlled conditions and compared by 16S rRNA sequencing, finding that plastic substrates harbored distinct microbial communities and functional profiles compared to natural materials. The study demonstrates that microplastics in freshwater environments provide a selective niche that enriches for distinct microbial taxa and metabolic functions.
Microbial Colonization in Marine Environments: Overview of Current Knowledge and Emerging Research Topics
This review examines how microorganisms colonize submerged surfaces in aquatic environments, with a focus on the factors shaping biofilm communities on microplastics. The authors discuss how the chemical and physical properties of plastic surfaces influence microbial attachment and community development compared to natural substrates.
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.
Spatial Environmental Heterogeneity Determines Young Biofilm Assemblages on Microplastics in Baltic Sea Mesocosms
Mesocosm experiments in the Baltic Sea found that spatial environmental heterogeneity - differences in light, nutrients, and water chemistry across microhabitats - was a key driver of the microbial biofilm communities that formed on microplastic surfaces during early colonization. This suggests that local environmental conditions shape the "plastisphere" microbiome as much as the plastic substrate itself.
Periphytic biofilm: An innovative approach for biodegradation of microplastics
Researchers investigated periphytic biofilm as a method for biodegrading microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that biofilm-forming microorganisms were capable of colonizing and partially degrading plastic surfaces. The approach offers a low-cost, nature-based strategy for reducing microplastic pollution in waterways.