Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Dynamics and functions of microbial communities in the plastisphere in temperate coastal environments

Researchers explored microbial communities colonizing microplastics in coastal environments of Japan, comparing bacterial and fungal communities across different plastic types, water, sediment, and sand. The study found that while microbial communities varied by sample type and location rather than plastic shape, microplastics harbored hydrocarbon-degrading organisms as well as potential pathogens, highlighting the ecological significance of plastic-associated biofilms.

2024 Water Research 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Communities on Plastic Polymers in the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers collected floating microplastics from a bay in the Mediterranean and analyzed their bacterial biofilm communities using 16S rRNA sequencing, finding that microbial communities on plastics were distinct from surrounding seawater and differed between polymer types.

2021 Frontiers in Microbiology 125 citations
Article Tier 2

A close relationship between microplastic contamination and coastal area use pattern

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination across three coastal areas in Korea characterized by different human activities: urban, aquafarm, and rural. They found that microplastic abundance and polymer composition varied by area, with diverse polymers at urban sites, polystyrene dominant near aquaculture operations, and polypropylene prevalent at rural fishing sites. The study demonstrates a close relationship between coastal land use patterns and the characteristics of microplastic pollution in both abiotic and biotic samples.

2019 Water Research 242 citations
Article Tier 2

Associations between bacterial communities and microplastics from surface seawater of the Northern Patagonian area of Chile

Researchers characterized bacterial communities on microplastics collected from three coastal sites with varying aquaculture activity in Chilean Patagonia, identifying 3,102 OTUs dominated by Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria, with communities differing from surrounding seawater at all sites. Despite site-specific variation, 222 bacterial OTUs were shared across all three locations, suggesting a core plastisphere community that persists across different anthropogenic conditions.

2022 Environmental Pollution 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparative microbial communities in tidal flats sediment on Incheon, South Korea

The microbial communities in tidal flat sediments in South Korea were characterized and found to be highly diverse, playing important roles in coastal nutrient cycling. Understanding natural microbial communities in coastal sediments provides context for assessing how microplastic-associated microorganisms alter these ecosystems.

2018 The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution and its relationship with the bacterial community in coastal sediments near Guangdong Province, South China

This study systematically characterized microplastic pollution in coastal sediments near Guangdong Province, China, and found that microplastic abundance was linked to changes in the local bacterial community. Higher microplastic levels were associated with shifts in microbial diversity, suggesting plastic pollution can alter the microbial ecology of marine sediments.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Colonization Characteristics of Bacterial Communities on Plastic Debris Influenced by Environmental Factors and Polymer Types in the Haihe Estuary of Bohai Bay, China

Bacterial communities colonizing plastic debris in the Haihe Estuary of Bohai Bay, China, were shaped by both environmental factors (season, salinity, temperature) and the type of plastic polymer, with distinct microbial assemblages forming on different plastic surfaces. The results demonstrate that the "plastisphere" in estuarine environments is a dynamically structured microbial habitat.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 257 citations
Article Tier 2

A Study on the Distribution of Microplastics in the South Coast of Korea and Gwangyang Bay

This study characterized the distribution and abundance of microplastics in surface water along the south coast of South Korea, finding widespread contamination with fibers and fragments across multiple sampling sites. Polymer analysis identified polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene as the dominant types.

2024 Microplastics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and Distribution Characteristics of Microplastics in Surface Seawaters of the Incheon/Kyeonggi Coastal Region

Researchers investigated microplastics in both the surface microlayer and subsurface waters of the Incheon/Kyeonggi coastal region of Korea, finding that microplastic concentrations were significantly higher in the surface microlayer than in bulk seawater. Fragment and fiber morphologies dominated, with the distribution patterns reflecting urban runoff and shipping activity as likely sources.

2015 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 173 citations
Article Tier 2

Are bacterial communities associated with microplastics influenced by marine habitats?

A three-month field exposure experiment on a Chinese island compared bacterial communities on polyethylene and PET microplastics in three marine habitats (intertidal, supralittoral, seawater), finding that habitat significantly shaped community structure but polymer type had a weaker influence.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 85 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastisphere assemblages differ from the surrounding bacterial communities in transitional coastal environments

Researchers found that bacterial communities colonizing plastic particles (the plastisphere) in Portuguese estuarine and beach environments were significantly different from those in surrounding water and sediments, with plastic type and environmental conditions influencing microbial community composition.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Profiles of bacterial assemblages from microplastics of tropical coastal environments

Microplastic pieces collected from tropical coastal environments in Malaysia were found to host distinct bacterial communities that differed from surrounding seawater, including potential pathogens and plastic-degrading bacteria. The study contributes to understanding the plastisphere in tropical regions, where warm temperatures may accelerate both microbial colonization and plastic degradation.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 188 citations
Article Tier 2

Marine microplastic-associated bacterial community succession in response to geography, exposure time, and plastic type in China's coastal seawaters

Researchers used high-throughput gene sequencing to track how microbial communities on polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics changed over a full year in Chinese coastal waters. They found that the composition of plastic-associated bacterial communities varied significantly across geographic locations and over time, with Alphaproteobacteria being consistently dominant. The study reveals that the plastisphere is a dynamic ecosystem shaped by both environmental conditions and the duration of exposure.

2019 Marine Pollution Bulletin 155 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characterization of microplastics in marine sediments from coastal and offshore in South Korea

Researchers conducted an intensive survey of microplastic levels and distribution in marine sediments from coastal areas, recognizing the seafloor as the ultimate repository for plastic particles. Microplastic concentrations in sediments were highest near urban and industrial coastlines, with fibers and fragments as the most common types.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Baseline Study on Microplastic Distribution in the Open Surface Waters of the Korean Southwest Sea

Researchers collected surface seawater south of Jeju Island in South Korea and found an average microplastic abundance of 0.46 particles per liter, with polyethylene as the dominant polymer and fragments as the most common shape, establishing a baseline for this understudied ocean region.

2023 Water 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Substrate-driven microbial diversity and functional potential of plastisphere biofilms in a dynamic coastal ecosystem of northeastern Taiwan

Researchers used full-length 16S rRNA sequencing to compare microbial communities on floating microplastics, natural wood debris, and surface seawater from ten coastal sites in Taiwan, finding that microplastics harbor unique and highly diverse microbial assemblages distinct from those on natural surfaces.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Distribution and characterization of microplastics in marine sediments from coastal and offshore in South Korea

Researchers conducted an intensive survey of microplastic distribution and characterization in marine sediments from coastal areas, confirming the seafloor as a long-term sink for plastic pollution. Contamination was highest near urban coastlines, with fibers and fragments accumulating preferentially in low-energy depositional environments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Distribution, compositional characteristics, and historical pollution records of microplastics in tidal flats of South Korea

Researchers investigated spatial and vertical distributions of microplastics in tidal flat sediments along the west coast of South Korea, finding distinct patterns in abundance and polymer composition linked to proximity to urban centers and tidal hydrodynamics.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 15 citations
Article Tier 2

The geographical and seasonal effects on the composition of marine microplastic and its microbial communities: The case study of Israel and Portugal

Researchers compared microplastic-associated microbial communities in marine environments of Israel and Portugal, finding that both geography and season significantly influence the composition of the plastisphere and its associated bacterial species.

2023 Frontiers in Microbiology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

MicrobialDynamics on Different Microplastics in CoastalUrban Aquatic Ecosystems: The Critical Roles of Extracellular PolymericSubstances

Researchers investigated microbial community composition and extracellular polymeric substance secretion across plastispheres formed on different microplastic types at two coastal urban water sites, using permutational multivariate analysis to show that microplastic type significantly shaped microbial community structure. The findings reveal that EPS production and microbial colonization patterns vary systematically with polymer chemistry, influencing plastisphere ecology.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of the microbial community on microplastic samples from the North Atlantic and Great Pacific Garbage Patches

Researchers compared microbial communities living on microplastics collected from the North Atlantic and Great Pacific Garbage Patches, finding distinct plastisphere communities shaped by ocean region and plastic type. Understanding which microbes thrive on ocean plastic helps assess the risk of harmful or antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreading on plastic debris.

2023 African Journal of Microbiology Research
Article Tier 2

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.

2023
Article Tier 2

Colonization characteristics of bacterial communities on microplastics compared with ambient environments (water and sediment) in Haihe Estuary

Bacterial communities colonizing microplastics in Haihe Estuary sediments and water were found to differ substantially from ambient environmental communities, with microplastics selecting for distinct bacterial assemblages including potential pathogens. This confirms that microplastics create ecological niches that alter microbial ecology in estuarine environments.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 144 citations
Article Tier 2

Unique Bacterial Community of the Biofilm on Microplastics in Coastal Water

Researchers compared bacterial communities forming biofilms on steel, silica, and PVC microplastic surfaces in coastal seawater and found that biofilm composition differed by material type. This shows that the type of plastic surface influences which microbial communities colonize it, with implications for how microplastics may spread specific bacteria.

2020 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 17 citations