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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Effects of plastisphere on phosphorus availability in freshwater system: Critical roles of polymer type and colonizing habitat
ClearMicroplastic biofilm in fresh- and wastewater as a function of microparticle type and size class
Researchers compared the biofilm communities that form on microplastics of different types and sizes in both freshwater and wastewater, finding that biofilm composition was influenced by particle type, size, and water source. These findings advance understanding of the plastisphere — the microbial community unique to plastic surfaces — and its potential role in spreading microorganism-associated risks.
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.
Microalgae 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.
Comparative Analysis of Selective Bacterial Colonization by Polyethylene and Polyethylene Terephthalate Microplastics
Biofilm communities were compared on polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics incubated in two freshwater bacterial communities, finding that the original water source bacteria largely determined biofilm composition rather than the plastic type. The study suggests that the plastisphere in freshwater systems reflects local microbial pools more than plastic-specific selection.
Lacustrine plastisphere: Distinct succession and assembly processes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities and role of site, time, and polymer types
Researchers investigated how microbial communities colonize different types of microplastic polymers in freshwater lakes. The study found that bacteria and single-celled organisms follow distinct assembly patterns on microplastic surfaces, with colonization time, location, and polymer type all influencing community composition. These findings suggest microplastics serve as carriers that can promote microbial spread in aquatic environments.
Structural and Functional Characteristics of Microplastic Associated Biofilms in Response to Temporal Dynamics and Polymer Types
Researchers found that biofilm structural and functional characteristics on microplastics differ significantly depending on polymer type (polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene) and change over time, with implications for understanding microbial colonization and the plastisphere.
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.
Microplastic-Associated Biofilms: A Comparison of Freshwater and Marine Environments
This review compared microplastic-associated biofilm communities in freshwater and marine environments, examining how plastic type, ecosystem, and environmental conditions shape the microbial communities that colonize plastic surfaces. Understanding these "plastisphere" communities is important because they may include pathogens and can affect the fate and transport of plastic particles.
Microplastics alter the microbiota-mediated phosphorus profiles at sediment-water interface: Distinct microbial effects between sediment and plastisphere
This study found that microplastics in lake sediments change how bacteria process phosphorus, a key nutrient in freshwater ecosystems. Both petroleum-based and biodegradable microplastics altered bacterial communities and phosphorus cycling, but in different ways depending on whether bacteria were in the sediment or on the plastic surfaces. These changes could contribute to water quality problems like algal blooms that affect both ecosystems and the drinking water supply.
Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific
Researchers used a microcosm approach to test how three common plastic types found in Great Lakes sediments affect freshwater benthic biogeochemistry and microbial communities. They found that each polymer had distinct effects: PET fibers decreased ecosystem metabolism, PVC particles increased nutrient uptake, and tire-derived rubber most substantially altered microbial community function. The study highlights that the environmental impact of microplastics in freshwater sediments depends heavily on the specific polymer type involved.
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.
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.
An emerging sink for phosphorus in lake ecosystems: Microplastic-enabled iron and phosphorus costabilization in the overlying water
This study showed that microplastics floating in lake water can act as surfaces that convert dissolved iron into a form that binds phosphorus, effectively pulling phosphorus out of the water column—but the same microplastics could later release that phosphorus back if conditions change. The mechanism varied by polymer type: some plastics formed chemical bonds with phosphorus while others caused physical crystal growth. Because phosphorus drives algal blooms and eutrophication, this previously unrecognized role of microplastics as phosphorus carriers adds a new dimension to how plastic pollution affects lake water quality.
New insights into changes in phosphorus profile at sediment-water interface by microplastics: Role of benthic bioturbation
The study examined how different types of microplastics affect phosphorus cycling at the sediment-water interface through their impacts on burrowing chironomid larvae. Researchers found that both bio-based and fossil fuel-based microplastics altered the larvae's biochemical responses and disrupted phosphorus profiles, suggesting microplastics can indirectly affect nutrient dynamics in freshwater ecosystems.
Effect of different microplastics on the mobilization of soil inorganic phosphorus by exomycorrhizal fungi
Researchers examined how different microplastic types affect soil inorganic phosphorus mobilization, finding that polymer type and particle size influence phosphorus release from soil minerals, with implications for nutrient cycling in plastic-contaminated soils.
Research on the Effect of Microplastics on Phosphorus in Soil and Water Environment
This review synthesizes research on how microplastics interact with phosphorus in soil and water environments, finding that adsorption capacity varies with particle size and polymer type, that aging increases adsorption, and that microplastic-phosphorus complexes alter phosphorus migration and bioavailability in ecosystems.
Plastisphere on microplastics: In situ assays in an estuarine environment
This study examined how microbial biofilm communities (the plastisphere) form on polystyrene and nylon microplastics placed in a polluted estuary over 129 days. Researchers found that the plastisphere influenced metal accumulation and weathering of the microplastic surfaces, with different plastic types supporting distinct microbial communities.
Aquatic Biofilms—Sink or Source of Microplastics? A Critical Reflection on Current Knowledge
This review critically assessed the relationship between aquatic biofilms and microplastics, examining how biofilms colonize plastic surfaces and may serve as both sinks and sources of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems.
Effects of microplastic properties and dissolved organic matter on phosphorus availability in soil and aqueous mediums
Researchers studied how different types of microplastics from agricultural mulching films affect phosphorus availability in soil and water. They found that both conventional plastics like polyethylene and biodegradable plastics like polylactic acid significantly reduced available phosphorus in soil, with smaller and more concentrated particles causing the greatest reductions. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils may impair nutrient availability for crops.
Characteristics analysis of plastisphere biofilm and effect of aging products on nitrogen metabolizing flora in microcosm wetlands experiment
Researchers placed three types of plastic in miniature constructed wetlands for 180 days and tracked how they aged and affected microbial communities. The plastics degraded at different rates, with PVC developing new chemical groups and all surfaces becoming less water-repellent as bacteria colonized them. The plastic surfaces altered nitrogen-processing bacteria in the wetland water, suggesting microplastics can disrupt nutrient cycling in natural wetland ecosystems.
(micro)Plastic biofilms: Keeping afloat by carving out a new niche
This review examined how microplastics serve as persistent substrates for microbial biofilm formation in natural environments, creating a novel ecological niche called the plastisphere that hosts distinct microbial communities. The authors discussed how these biofilms alter microplastic surface properties and may enhance the persistence and transport of plastic particles and associated microbes.
The structure and assembly mechanisms of plastisphere microbial community in natural marine environment
Researchers investigated how microbial communities colonize different types of microplastic surfaces in natural marine environments over an eight-week period. They found that the composition of these plastic-associated microbial communities, known as the plastisphere, was shaped more by environmental conditions and time than by the specific type of plastic. The study provides new understanding of the ecological processes governing how microorganisms assemble on ocean plastic debris.
The Importance of Biofilms on Microplastic Particles in Their Sinking Behavior and the Transfer of Invasive Organisms between Ecosystems
This review explores how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces, known as the plastisphere, affects the transport and ecological impact of plastic particles in marine environments. Researchers found that biofilm colonization can cause microplastics to sink from the ocean surface, altering their distribution through the water column, while also providing a habitat that protects invasive microbial species. The study suggests that some plastisphere organisms with plastic-degrading abilities could potentially be harnessed for marine pollution cleanup strategies.
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.