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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Incomplete degradation of aromatic–aliphatic copolymer leads to proliferation of microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes
ClearDifferent effects of bio/non-degradable microplastics on sewage sludge compost performance: Focusing on antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors and key metabolic functions
Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics affect antibiotic resistance genes and microbial communities during sewage sludge composting. They found that both types of microplastics increased the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes, but non-biodegradable polypropylene had a stronger effect on promoting harmful virulence factors. The study raises concerns that microplastic contamination in composted sludge could spread antibiotic resistance when applied to agricultural land.
Fragmentation and Mineralization of a Compostable Aromatic–Aliphatic Polyester during Industrial Composting
Researchers tracked the fragmentation and biodegradation of a compostable aromatic-aliphatic polyester spiked into compost under industrial composting conditions, finding that while disintegration occurred as expected, microplastic-sized fragments with incomplete mineralization raised concerns about residual polymer persistence.
Potential environmental risks of field bio/non-degradable microplastic from mulching residues in farmland: Evidence from metagenomic analysis of plastisphere
Researchers analyzed the microbes living on biodegradable and conventional plastic mulch fragments in farm soil and found that both types harbored antibiotic resistance genes and disease-causing bacteria, including human pathogens. Surprisingly, the biodegradable plastic (PBAT/PLA) had a higher diversity and abundance of resistance genes than conventional polyethylene. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer and raises concerns about antibiotic resistance spreading from farm microplastics.
The Polymer-Plastisphere-Function Nexus Links to Divergent Biodegradation of Microplastics During Composting.
Researchers found a fundamental dichotomy in microplastic biodegradation during thermophilic composting, where biodegradable polymers (PLA, PBS, PBAT) underwent rapid degradation driven by selective microbial community assembly shaped by polymer chemistry, while conventional plastics resisted breakdown despite similar composting conditions.
Effect of alkaline-thermal pretreatment on biodegradable plastics degradation and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in co-compost system
This study found that pretreating biodegradable plastics with heat and alkaline solutions speeds up their breakdown during composting, but the process releases large numbers of smaller microplastic fragments. These smaller particles can carry microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes into the environment, raising concerns that even "eco-friendly" plastics may pose risks to public health during disposal.
Appraising co-composting efficiency of biodegradable plastic bags and food wastes: Assessment microplastics morphology, greenhouse gas emissions, and changes in microbial community
Researchers tested composting biodegradable plastic bags with food waste and found that while the bags broke down faster than regular plastic, the process still produced microplastic fragments and affected greenhouse gas emissions. The type of additives in the biodegradable bags influenced both the composting process and the microbial communities involved. This study raises important questions about whether "biodegradable" plastics truly solve the microplastic problem or simply create smaller plastic particles during decomposition.
Microplastics exacerbate antibiotic resistance by regulating microbial and functional gene dynamics in sludge and food waste composting
Researchers analyzed the impact of polyethylene, polypropylene, and mixed PE+PP microplastics on antibiotic resistance gene propagation during sewage sludge and food waste composting. Microplastics significantly increased ARG abundance — with PE showing the highest enrichment at 2.06 log-fold — by altering microbial community dynamics and promoting horizontal gene transfer through mobile genetic elements.
Effect of microplastics on antibiotic resistome risk in composting
Researchers examined how polypropylene microplastics affect antibiotic resistance gene levels during composting of laying hen manure. The study found that while microplastics increased compost temperature, they did not significantly change the overall composition or risk score of antibiotic resistance genes, though they did influence which bacterial communities colonized the microplastic surfaces versus the surrounding manure.
Aging of biodegradable blended plastic generates microplastics and attached bacterial communities in air and aqueous environments
Researchers aged biodegradable plastic blends in both air and water, finding that fragmentation into microplastics was inevitable before complete degradation, and that the resulting particles attracted distinct bacterial communities compared to conventional plastics. The study raises concerns that biodegradable plastics may still pose environmental risks during the microplastic phase of their breakdown.
Biodegradable microplastics induced the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in soil: A metagenomic perspective
Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics promoted the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in soil at levels comparable to conventional microplastics, challenging assumptions about their environmental safety.
DeterminingAntimicrobial Resistance in the Plastisphere:Lower Risks of Nonbiodegradable vs Higher Risks of Biodegradable Microplastics
This companion study further characterizes antimicrobial resistance in the plastisphere across different plastic types, confirming that polymer biodegradability influences bacterial community composition and the enrichment of resistance determinants on plastic surfaces in aquatic environments.
DeterminingAntimicrobial Resistance in the Plastisphere:Lower Risks of Nonbiodegradable vs Higher Risks of Biodegradable Microplastics
Researchers determined the prevalence and diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes in the plastisphere (biofilm on microplastics) compared to surrounding water and sediment, finding that non-biodegradable plastics hosted distinct resistance gene profiles with lower overall resistance risk than biodegradable plastic surfaces.
The bifunctional impact of polylactic acid microplastics on composting processes and soil-plant systems: Dynamics of microbial communities and ecological niche competition
Researchers investigated how polylactic acid microplastics affect microbial communities during composting and the subsequent impact on soil and plants. They found that the microplastics played a dual role, suppressing some bacterial groups while promoting others depending on the composting phase, and shifted the core microbial network from bacterial to fungal dominance during stabilization. The study indicates that composting as a disposal method for biodegradable plastics can transfer microplastic-driven microbial changes to soil, causing oxidative stress in plants.
Effects of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics on bacterial community and PAHs natural attenuation in agricultural soils
Researchers found that biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics differently affect soil bacterial communities and the natural attenuation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in agricultural soils, with biodegradable plastics sometimes enhancing microbial activity while conventional plastics inhibited PAH degradation.
Microplastics identification and quantification in the composted Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste
Researchers quantified microplastics in composted organic municipal solid waste from five facilities, finding contamination levels that raise concerns about compost quality and the potential transfer of microplastics to agricultural soils through organic waste recycling.
Polymer type and aging drive the selective enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogens in microplastics biofilms
Researchers compared how microorganisms colonize conventional polypropylene versus biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics in a wetland environment. They found that while biodegradable PLA attracted fewer total microbes, it actually enriched a higher proportion of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and resistance genes, especially after environmental aging. The findings raise important questions about whether biodegradable plastics may pose unexpected risks as carriers of antibiotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems.
The Microbiome and Antibiotic Resistome in Soil under Biodegradable Composite Carbon Source Amendment
Adding biodegradable plastic-based carbon sources to soil for denitrification altered microbial communities and, concerningly, reduced the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in some conditions while changing nitrogen metabolism pathways. The findings suggest that biodegradable microplastics released during this process interact with the soil microbiome in complex ways, with implications for both water treatment effectiveness and antibiotic resistance spread.
Microplastic Abundance in the Locally Produced Commercial Compost and the Characteristics
Researchers measured microplastic abundance in locally produced commercial compost, characterizing particle morphology, size, and polymer type. The compost contained measurable microplastic concentrations dominated by polyester fibres and polyethylene fragments, confirming that commercial composting does not eliminate microplastic contamination and may serve as a route for soil plastic input.
The degradation performance of different microplastics and their effect on microbial community during composting process
Researchers tested whether composting could break down three types of microplastics (polyethylene, PVC, and a biodegradable alternative called PHA) over 60 days. All microplastics showed surface erosion, cracking, and reduced carbon content after composting, though PVC was most resistant to size reduction. The study also found that microplastic contamination reduced the diversity of beneficial bacteria during the composting process, particularly PVC.
Unravelling the ecological ramifications of biodegradable microplastics in soil environment: A systematic review
Researchers reviewed 85 studies on biodegradable microplastics in soil, finding that when biodegradable plastics fail to fully break down they can disrupt soil structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial life in ways that depend heavily on concentration and plastic type. The review highlights that "biodegradable" plastics are not a simple fix for microplastic pollution in agricultural soils.
Degradation Behavior of Aliphatic–Aromatic Polyesters: from Microplastic-free Composting to Enzyme-Driven Recycling Possibility
Researchers synthesized custom aliphatic-aromatic polyesters from renewable feedstocks and tested their degradation behavior under industrial composting, alkaline digestion, sludge water, and enzymatic conditions. The materials degraded completely without producing persistent microplastic residues under composting conditions and showed enzyme-driven recyclability, offering a pathway to circular plastics.
Fate and dynamics of microplastics in the municipal waste composting process
Researchers tracked microplastic abundance and polymer composition across five consecutive composting stages of municipal waste at the Galuga landfill in Indonesia, finding stage-specific changes including process-based reduction and fragmentation dynamics that highlight both the capacity and limitations of composting for mitigating microplastic contamination.
Municipal biowaste treatment plants contribute to the contamination of the environment with residues of biodegradable plastics with putative higher persistence potential
Researchers found significant amounts of biodegradable plastic fragments — including particles smaller than 500 micrometers — surviving the composting and anaerobic digestion process at municipal biowaste facilities, ending up in finished compost and liquid fertilizer. The recovered fragments showed altered material properties that may make them even harder to break down further, raising questions about whether current biodegradable plastics are truly safe for agricultural use.
Microplastic aging mediates bacterial and antibiotic resistance gene composition in plastisphere and the associated soil solution
Researchers ran a microcosm experiment comparing how pristine versus aged microplastics influenced bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) composition in the plastisphere and surrounding soil solution. Aged MPs enriched distinct ARGs and microbial taxa compared to pristine MPs, suggesting MP weathering intensifies the spread of antibiotic resistance in soils.