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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Laboratory tidal microcosm deciphers responses of sediment archaeal and bacterial communities to microplastic exposure
ClearUnveiling 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.
Diversity and functional genes of bacterial communities enriched from an estuarine sediment for degradation of polylactic acid microplastics
Researchers enriched bacterial communities from estuarine sediment to study their ability to break down polylactic acid microplastics, a common biodegradable plastic. After 60 days, the enriched cultures reduced the weight of the microplastics by 40 percent, with specific bacterial groups and degradation-related genes becoming more abundant. The study suggests that naturally occurring microbes in coastal sediments have meaningful potential to biodegrade certain types of plastic pollution.
Distinct microbial community structures formed on the biofilms of PLA and PP, influenced by physicochemical factors of sediment and polymer types in a 60-day indoor study
This 60-day lab study compared the microbial communities that grow on traditional polypropylene microplastics versus biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics in sediment. Each plastic type attracted distinctly different bacterial communities, influenced by the plastic's properties and surrounding sediment chemistry. The findings suggest that even biodegradable plastic alternatives still alter microbial ecosystems in ways that could affect environmental and human health.
Microbial colonization and succession on polylactic acid microplastics (PLA MPs) in mangrove forests - the role of environmental conditions and plastic properties
Researchers incubated two types of biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics in mangrove ecosystems across four environmental settings for 90 days to study microbial colonization patterns. They found that microbial colonization progressed more rapidly in sediment than in water, and the type of plastic influenced which microbial communities developed. The study suggests that environmental conditions and plastic properties together shape how microorganisms interact with biodegradable plastics in natural settings.
Effects of microplastics on cold seep sediment prokaryotic communities
Researchers studied how polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene microplastics affect microbial communities in cold seep sediments over a 120-day incubation period. The study found that microplastics significantly altered bacterial community structure in a type- and concentration-dependent manner, with some bacteria associated with plastic degradation increasing, while archaeal communities were less affected.
Can Microplastic Pollution Change Important Aquatic Bacterial Communities?
Microplastics in coastal sediments can change the composition of important bacterial communities that cycle nutrients and maintain ecosystem health. Microplastic-associated bacteria differ significantly from natural sediment bacteria, with potential consequences for the chemical processes these communities perform.
Discrepant soil microbial community and C cycling function responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics
Scientists compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics affect soil microbial communities and carbon cycling. Researchers found that the two types of microplastics had markedly different effects, with biodegradable plastics causing more changes to microbial community structure and carbon-related gene activity. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics, while designed to be more environmentally friendly, may still significantly alter soil biology.
Differential responses of bacterial and archaeal communities to biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics in river
A 14-day microcosm experiment compared bacterial and archaeal community responses to biodegradable PLA and non-biodegradable PVC microplastics in river water using metagenomics. Both microplastic types selectively enriched distinct microbial assemblages, with archaeal communities more sensitive to colonization time than bacterial communities, and PLA fostering distinct biodegrading taxa.
Rapid bacterial colonization of low-density polyethylene microplastics in coastal sediment microcosms
Researchers studied how quickly bacteria colonize low-density polyethylene microplastics in coastal marine sediments, finding rapid colonization within days and progressive development of complex biofilm communities. The study highlights that plastic particles in coastal sediments quickly become biologically active surfaces that may influence their fate and ecological interactions.
Microbial Community Dynamics and Biogeochemical Cycling in Microplastic-Contaminated Sediment
This review summarizes current research on how microplastics alter microbial communities and nutrient cycling processes in sediments at the bottom of water bodies. Researchers found that the effects depend on the type of plastic, exposure duration, and the specific sediment environment, with biodegradable plastics causing the most significant changes. The study highlights that microplastics in sediments can reshape the microbial ecosystems that drive essential biogeochemical processes like carbon and nitrogen cycling.
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.
Ecological impacts of polylactic acid and polylactic acid-polyethylene microplastics on freshwater ecosystems: Insights from a water–Vallisneria natans–sediment system
Researchers tested the effects of biodegradable PLA and PLA-polyethylene blend microplastics on a freshwater ecosystem containing aquatic plants and sediment. Both types of microplastics altered water chemistry, reduced plant growth, increased oxidative stress, and shifted the microbial communities in both water and sediment. The study demonstrates that even biodegradable plastic alternatives can disrupt freshwater ecosystems in meaningful ways.
Response process and adaptation mechanism of estuarine benthic microbiota to polyvinyl chloride microplastics with and without phthalates
Researchers studied how polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics — both plain and containing phthalate plasticizers — affect the microbial communities in estuarine sediments over 60 days. Both types altered sediment bacterial diversity and community composition, but PVC with phthalates caused more pronounced changes. This is relevant to understanding how microplastics from pipes and flexible PVC products affect coastal ecosystem health.
Site-specific response of sediment microbial community to supplementation of polyhydroxyalkanoates as biostimulants for PCB reductive dechlorination
This study tested whether biodegradable plastics (polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs) could be deliberately added to contaminated marine sediments to stimulate bacteria that break down toxic PCBs. PHA additions did enhance PCB-degrading microbial activity, but they also significantly altered the broader microbial community in ways that varied by location. The findings matter for microplastic science because they show that even "eco-friendly" biodegradable plastics can reshape environmental microbial communities when they enter sediments.
Ecological implications of biodegradable and conventional microplastics: Dissolved organic matter bioavailability and microbial response in marine systems
Researchers compared the dissolved organic matter released by biodegradable and conventional microplastics and assessed its bioavailability to marine microbial communities. They found that biodegradable plastics like PLA released organic matter that was more readily used by microorganisms, which altered microbial community composition. The study suggests that while biodegradable plastics break down faster, their leached compounds may have distinct and potentially significant ecological effects in marine environments.
Dynamic succession and biodegradation potential of microplastic prokaryotic microbial communities in the Pearl River estuary
Researchers conducted a 35-day field experiment in the Pearl River Estuary to study how microbial communities colonize and change over time on different types of microplastic surfaces. They found that the bacterial communities on microplastics underwent distinct succession phases and differed significantly from those in surrounding water and sediment. The study identified several microorganisms with potential plastic-degrading capabilities, suggesting that microplastic surfaces in estuarine environments may harbor unique biodegradation-relevant microbial communities.
Insights into soil microbial assemblages and nitrogen cycling function responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics
Researchers compared how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional PVC microplastics affect soil bacteria and nitrogen cycling processes. They found that both types of microplastics altered microbial communities, but biodegradable plastics had distinct effects on nitrogen-processing bacteria and did not simply behave as a harmless alternative. The study suggests that switching to biodegradable plastics may change rather than eliminate the impact of microplastic contamination on soil health.
Weak effects of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on marine microbial communities
Researchers conducted a mesocosm experiment to compare the effects of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on marine microbial communities in the Baltic Sea. Using epifluorescence microscopy and other techniques, they found that both types of microplastics had relatively weak effects on planktonic bacterial activity and abundance. The study suggests that the direct impact of microplastics on marine microbial communities may be less pronounced than previously assumed.
Insight into the bacterial community composition of the plastisphere in diverse environments of a coastal salt marsh
Researchers conducted a year-long field experiment examining microbial communities that colonize different types of microplastics in a Chinese coastal salt marsh across three distinct habitat zones. They found that the type of plastic polymer and the surrounding environment both significantly influenced the composition of the bacterial communities growing on the plastic surfaces. The study reveals that bio-based plastics like polylactic acid harbored distinctly different microbial communities compared to petroleum-based plastics like polyethylene.
Biodegradable plastics in Mediterranean coastal environments feature contrasting microbial succession
Researchers incubated biodegradable and conventional plastics in three Mediterranean coastal environments for 22 months and found that the surrounding habitat — not the plastic type — primarily shaped which microbes colonized the surface. Despite some putative plastic-degrading bacteria being present, there was no consistent community of microbes clearly linked to biodegradable plastic breakdown in natural marine settings.
Succession of soil bacterial communities and network patterns in response to conventional and biodegradable microplastics: A microcosmic study in Mollisol
Using a soil microcosm experiment, researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics affected soil bacterial communities over 90 days across four dosages. Biodegradable microplastics induced greater community dissimilarity from controls and tended to enrich environmentally beneficial taxa, while conventional polyethylene promoted potentially hazardous bacteria.
Deciphering the Mechanisms Shaping the Plastisphere Microbiota in Soil
Researchers characterized bacterial communities colonizing biodegradable and conventional microplastics in soil, finding that polymer type and biodegradability shaped distinct plastisphere communities, with deterministic processes playing a stronger role in community assembly than in surrounding soil.
Spatio-temporal variation of bacterial community structure in two intertidal sediment types of Jiaozhou Bay
This is a microbial ecology study characterizing bacterial communities in intertidal sediments of Jiaozhou Bay, China, using 16S rRNA gene sequencing; it is not a microplastics research paper.
Microplastics alter soil structure and microbial community composition
Researchers found that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics break down soil structure in similar ways, increasing the proportion of smaller soil clumps while reducing larger, more stable ones. The microplastics also significantly altered soil bacterial communities, with effects varying by particle size. This matters because changes to soil health can affect the food we grow and the broader ecosystem services that soil provides.