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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Community Composition and Function of Bacteria in Activated Sludge of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants
ClearMicrobial Community in a Wastewater System
Researchers characterized microbial community composition in a wastewater treatment system, examining how treatment stage and operational conditions shape bacterial diversity and functional potential relevant to pollutant degradation.
Occurrence, characteristics, and microbial community of microplastics in anaerobic sludge of wastewater treatment plants
Researchers studied microplastic contamination in anaerobic sludge from wastewater treatment plants in three different Chinese cities. They found microplastics in all samples at concentrations of 16.5 to 38.5 particles per gram, predominantly as fibers and polyethylene fragments, with distinct microbial communities colonizing the plastic surfaces. The study highlights that wastewater treatment plants act as point sources distributing microplastics into the environment through their sludge output.
Microplastic-associated bacterial assemblages in the intertidal zone of the Yangtze Estuary
Researchers used high-throughput DNA sequencing to profile bacterial communities colonizing microplastics in the intertidal zone of China's Yangtze Estuary, finding that plastisphere community composition reflected the particles' sedimentary versus aquatic origins and included keystone taxa adapted to surface-colonization as well as potential pathogens hitchhiking on plastic surfaces.
Multi-omics-based approach reveals the effects of microplastics on microbial abundance and function of sediments in Shenzhen coastal waters
Researchers used a multi-omics approach combining metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to investigate how microplastic contamination affects microbial community abundance and functional gene expression in coastal sediments from eastern and western Shenzhen, China. They found microplastic concentrations of 119 items per kilogram in eastern sediments and 664 items per kilogram in western sediments, with higher contamination sites showing significant shifts in microbial community composition and altered expression of genes involved in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling.
Fungal Diversity in Two Wastewater Treatment Plants in North Italy
Researchers characterized fungal diversity in two wastewater treatment plants in northern Italy, finding diverse communities including molds and yeasts whose composition varied with treatment stage and influent quality, suggesting fungi may play underappreciated roles in contaminant removal including potential interactions with microplastics.
Toward an intensive understanding of sewer sediment prokaryotic community assembly and function
Researchers characterized prokaryotic communities in sewer sediments across multifunctional, commercial, and residential urban areas using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, finding significant compositional differences linked to land use and nutrient levels. Network analysis revealed the residential area harbored the most complex and stable microbial network, while stochastic processes dominated community assembly across all zones.
Plastisphere showing unique microbiome and resistome different from activated sludge
Researchers used metagenomics to compare the microbiome and resistome of PVC plastisphere biofilms with activated sludge, finding that microplastic surfaces enriched distinct pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes that differ from the surrounding sludge community.
A combined metagenomics and metatranscriptomics approach to assess the occurrence and reduction of pathogenic bacteria in municipal wastewater treatment plants
This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it uses metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to assess pathogenic bacteria, antibiotic-resistant genes, and mobile genetic elements in wastewater treatment plants in South Africa.
Land use, stratified wastewater and sediment, and microplastic attribute factors jointly influence the microplastic prevalence and bacterial colonization patterns in sewer habitats
Researchers conducted a large-scale survey of microplastics in Shanghai's sewer system, examining how land use and sewer conditions affect which bacteria colonize plastic particles. They found that industrial areas produced different microplastic-associated bacterial communities than residential areas, and that conditions within the sewer further shaped these communities. The study raises concerns that microplastics in sewers may serve as vehicles for transporting potentially harmful bacteria into receiving waters.
Assessment of the Active Sludge Microorganisms Population During Wastewater Treatment in a Micro-Pilot Plant
Pilot-scale micro-tests assessed the composition and health of active sludge microorganism communities during wastewater treatment, providing biological and chemical characterization data applicable to industrial-scale treatment plant optimization. The study identified key parameters for monitoring microbial efficiency in treating chemically complex wastewater.
Microplastic biofilms as potential hotspots for plastic biodegradation and nitrogen cycling: a metagenomic perspective
Researchers used genetic analysis to study the microbial communities that form biofilms on different types of microplastics in an estuarine environment. They found that these plastic-associated communities contained genes for both plastic degradation and nitrogen cycling, suggesting the biofilms may play dual roles in the ecosystem. The study indicates that microplastic surfaces in waterways create unique microbial habitats that could influence both pollution breakdown and nutrient processing.
Effects of Microplastics on Microbial Community in Zhanjiang Mangrove Sediments
Researchers found that microplastics in mangrove sediments from Zhanjiang, China, altered the diversity and composition of microbial communities and may affect nitrogen cycling processes such as nitrification.
Wastewater treatment alters microbial colonization of microplastics
Analysis of microplastics and their biofilms across raw sewage, effluent, and sludge at two wastewater treatment plants found that >99% of influent MPs were retained in sludge, and that wastewater treatment substantially altered biofilm microbial composition, enriching bioflocculation-associated taxa.
Metagenomic insight into the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge upon exposure to nanoplastics
Researchers used metagenomic analysis to show that polystyrene nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations increased antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge by up to 59%, primarily by promoting horizontal gene transfer and enriching Proteobacteria host populations — raising concerns about nanoplastic-driven spread of antibiotic resistance in wastewater treatment.
Integration of metagenomic analysis and metabolic modeling reveals microbial interactions in activated sludge systems in response to nanoplastics and plasticizers
Researchers combined amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and metabolic modeling to show that PVC nanoplastics and the plasticizer DEHP alter microbial community interactions in activated sludge wastewater systems — with DEHP exposure promoting cooperative metabolic relationships and both pollutants shifting interspecies iron and antioxidant exchange pathways.
Diversity of antibiotic resistance gene variants at subsequent stages of the wastewater treatment process revealed by a metagenomic analysis of PCR amplicons
Not relevant to microplastics — this study uses next-generation sequencing to catalog antibiotic resistance gene variants at different stages of a wastewater treatment plant, finding that some variants change in abundance through the process while novel variants are present throughout.
Investigation of microplastics in sludge from five wastewater treatment plants in Nanjing, China
Microplastics were characterized in sludge from five wastewater treatment plants in Nanjing, China, with concentrations ranging widely across facilities and fibers as the dominant shape, highlighting sludge as a major reservoir and potential environmental release point for microplastic pollution.
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.
Mechanistic insights into the impact of multi-dimensional microplastic stress on nitrogen removal by heterotrophic nitrifying-aerobic denitrifying bacteria: A meta-transcriptomic analysis
Researchers studied how different types of microplastics affect bacteria that are used to remove nitrogen from wastewater. They found that PVC microplastics were particularly disruptive, interfering with enzyme function and gene expression needed for denitrification. The study provides molecular-level insights into how microplastic pollution could undermine biological wastewater treatment systems.
Metagenomic analysis reveals the responses of microbial communities and nitrogen metabolic pathways to polystyrene micro(nano)plastics in activated sludge systems
Scientists used genetic analysis to study how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics disrupt the bacteria that process nitrogen in wastewater treatment systems. At high concentrations, the plastics reduced nitrogen removal efficiency by up to 30% by generating harmful reactive oxygen species that damaged key microbial processes. This is concerning because less effective wastewater treatment means more pollutants, including microplastics themselves, could end up in waterways.