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20 resultsShowing papers similar to In situ effects of microplastics on the decomposition of aquatic macrophyte litter in eutrophic shallow lake sediments, China
ClearCombined Exposure of Microplastics and Climate Warming Affects the Bacteria-Driven Macrophyte Litter Decomposition in an Urban Lake
Researchers conducted a 30-day microcosm experiment to study how climate warming and polystyrene microplastics interact to affect plant litter decomposition in lake ecosystems. The study found that combined warming and high microplastic concentrations promoted litter decomposition by increasing bacterial biomass and diversity, but also raised concerns by boosting potentially harmful bacteria on microplastic surfaces.
Microplastics alter the leaf litter breakdown rates and the decomposer community in subtropical lentic microhabitats
Researchers exposed leaf litter decomposition systems to microplastics and measured breakdown rates and decomposer community composition, finding that microplastics slowed litter breakdown and shifted the abundance of invertebrate shredders and microbial decomposers. The study suggests microplastics could disrupt nutrient cycling in freshwater ecosystems by impairing a foundational ecological process.
Microplastics and leaf litter decomposition dynamics: New insights from a lotic ecosystem (Northeastern Italy)
Researchers studied how microplastics affect the natural decomposition of plant litter in a freshwater stream over four seasons, finding that microplastics had a small but measurable negative effect on decomposition rates and accumulated inside the invertebrates responsible for breaking down organic matter. These findings suggest microplastic pollution subtly disrupts the nutrient cycling processes that keep freshwater ecosystems healthy.
Effects of microplastics on litter decomposition in wetland soil
A 100-day lab experiment found that both polyethylene and PVC microplastics slowed the breakdown of plant litter in wetland soil, with effects worsening at higher concentrations. Microplastics disrupted soil enzyme activity and altered the microbial communities responsible for decomposing organic matter, which could impair the nutrient cycling that wetlands provide to broader ecosystems. Since wetlands are globally important carbon stores, microplastic-driven disruptions to decomposition processes could have climate-relevant consequences.
Evidence of micro and macroplastic toxicity along a stream detrital food-chain.
Both micro- and macroplastic polyethylene pieces inhibited the decomposition of leaf litter in freshwater streams, with microplastics reducing the feeding activity of stream invertebrates. Since leaf litter decomposition is a critical process that nutrients and energy flow into freshwater food webs, plastic pollution could disrupt these fundamental ecosystem functions.
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.
Microplastics pollution amplifies nitrogen enrichment risk in lakes across submerged macrophytes' survival status
A mesocosm experiment found that microplastic pollution worsens nitrogen build-up in lake sediments, particularly when aquatic plants have died and decomposed — their decaying matter both releases nitrogen and paradoxically boosts the microbial processes that remove it. Microplastics at higher concentrations further elevated dissolved nitrogen, compounding eutrophication risk. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in lakes with dying vegetation could significantly worsen water quality problems driven by excess nutrients.
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.
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.
Underestimated environmental risks: Sediment stability weakening from accumulation of biomass in a eutrophic lake induced by microplastics
Researchers found that microplastics in eutrophic (nutrient-rich) lake sediments reduce the structural stability of the sediment by up to 61%, making it more fluid and prone to being stirred up by wind and waves — a process that releases both plastics and nutrients back into the water column. This destabilization effect, driven by microplastics altering microbial communities and extracellular substances, represents an underappreciated environmental risk in polluted lakes.
Shifting enzyme activity and microbial composition in sediment coregulate the structure of an aquatic plant community under polyethylene microplastic exposure
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect underwater plant communities and found that the impact varies significantly by species. Canopy-forming plants actually grew more under microplastic exposure, while rosette-forming species declined sharply, shifting the overall community structure. The study suggests that microplastics in freshwater sediments can reshape aquatic ecosystems by altering enzyme activity and microbial composition in ways that favor some plant species over others.
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.
In Situ Effects of a Microplastic Mixture on the Community Structure of Benthic Macroinvertebrates in a Freshwater Pond
Researchers conducted an in situ mesocosm experiment adding a realistic microplastic mixture to freshwater pond sediments and monitored benthic macroinvertebrate communities over time, finding that MP exposure shifted community composition and reduced taxonomic richness at environmentally relevant concentrations.
Microplastic distribution in large shallow lake sediments: Variations with offshore distance and implications for microbial communities
Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution in sediments of Taihu Lake at varying distances from shore and examined the effects on microbial communities. They found that microplastic abundance decreased with increasing distance from the shoreline, ranging from 240 to 1,120 items per kilogram. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in lake sediments can significantly alter the composition and diversity of local microbial communities.
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.
Optimizing a controlled environment for microplastics uptake by aquatic plants
Researchers optimised experimental conditions for assessing microplastics uptake by aquatic plants, using polypropylene as a model polymer due to its lower-than-water density that causes particles to float at the water-air interface where many aquatic plants reside. Particle size distribution and composition were characterised using SEM, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, optical microscopy, and laser diffraction across four water matrices.
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.
Microplastics enhance the invasion of exotic submerged macrophytes by mediating plant functional traits, sediment properties, and microbial communities
This study found that polystyrene microplastics in water helped invasive aquatic plants grow stronger and spread more effectively, while native plants were not similarly boosted. The microplastics changed soil chemistry and disrupted bacterial communities in ways that specifically favored the invasive species. This research shows that microplastic pollution could accelerate the spread of invasive plants in lakes and rivers, further threatening aquatic ecosystem health.
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.
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.