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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Greenhouse gas cycling by the plastisphere: The sleeper issue of plastic pollution
ClearEstuarine plastisphere as an overlooked source of N2O production
Researchers found that the "plastisphere" — the community of microbes that colonizes floating plastic debris in estuaries — produces more nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) than surrounding water, revealing that plastic pollution may be quietly contributing to climate change through altered microbial chemistry.
Microbial carrying capacity and carbon biomass of plastic marine debris
Researchers estimated the microbial carrying capacity and carbon biomass of floating marine plastic debris, finding that the collective surface area of ocean plastic supports a substantial microbial community whose carbon biomass, while modest relative to total ocean microbial carbon, represents a novel and persistent ecological niche with potential biogeochemical significance.
Diversity and Activity of Communities Inhabiting Plastic Debris in the North Pacific Gyre
Researchers collected and characterized the microbial communities living on plastic debris from the North Pacific garbage patch in 2008, finding distinct communities of bacteria and metabolic functions on plastic compared to surrounding seawater. The study was among the first to comprehensively document the biological colonization of ocean plastic debris and the concept of a "plastisphere."
Reshaping the plastisphere upon deposition: Promote N2O production through affecting sediment microbial communities in aquaculture pond
This study examined how microplastics deposited in aquaculture pond sediments shape microbial biofilm communities (the plastisphere) and affect the broader sediment microbial community, including nitrogen-cycling bacteria involved in nitrous oxide production. Results showed that microplastics promoted N2O emissions by altering the sediment microbial structure.
Microbe-mineral interactions in the Plastisphere: Coastal biogeochemistry and consequences for degradation of plastics
This study investigated how microbe-mineral interactions in the plastisphere influence coastal biogeochemistry, finding that plastic surfaces support distinct microbial communities that participate in mineral formation and elemental cycling in ways that may accelerate or alter plastic degradation.
Ocean acidification has a strong effect on communities living on plastic in mesocosms
A mesocosm experiment found that simulated ocean acidification significantly changed the microbial communities colonizing plastic debris (the "plastisphere"), increasing the relative abundance of pathogenic and parasite bacteria and altering nutrient cycling. This is concerning because ocean acidification driven by climate change could make plastic pollution even more dangerous by turning floating plastics into enhanced vectors for harmful microbes.
Pelagic microplastics in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre: A prevalent anthropogenic component of the particulate organic carbon pool
This study measured microplastic concentrations in the water column of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and found that fossil-based microplastics make up a significant fraction of the particulate organic carbon pool, with implications for ocean biogeochemical carbon cycling and export.
A Study of the Effects of Microplastics on Microbial Communities in Marine Sediments
This study investigated how the presence of microplastics in marine sediments affects microbial communities and, specifically, the methane cycle, finding that microplastics significantly altered microbial community structure and function. Since marine sediment microbes play a critical role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions, microplastic contamination could have broader climate-relevant effects beyond direct toxicity.
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.
Microbial colonization and degradation of marine microplastics in the plastisphere: A review
This review explores the "plastisphere" — the community of microorganisms that colonize microplastics floating in the ocean. Researchers found that bacteria, fungi, algae, and other microbes form unique biofilm communities on plastic surfaces, some of which can partially degrade the plastic while others include potentially harmful pathogens. Understanding these microbial communities is important for assessing both the ecological risks and possible bioremediation potential of marine microplastic pollution.
The biogeography of the Plastisphere: implications for policy
This review examined the biogeography of the "plastisphere" — the communities of microorganisms living on floating plastic debris — and discussed its implications for marine policy. Because plastic surfaces carry unique, potentially invasive microbial communities across ocean basins, the authors argue that plastic pollution represents a vector for biological invasions with policy significance.
From pollution to ocean warming: The climate impacts of marine microplastics
This review examined the largely overlooked role of marine microplastics in driving climate change, covering how they disrupt oceanic carbon pumps, alter biogeochemical cycling, and directly emit greenhouse gases during UV degradation. The authors found that microplastics reduce the efficiency of the biological carbon pump by impairing marine organisms that sequester carbon, creating a feedback loop between plastic pollution and ocean warming.
Surfing and dining on the “plastisphere”: Microbial life on plastic marine debris
This review examines the microbial communities — the "plastisphere" — that colonize floating plastic debris in the ocean, discussing how these biofilms form, who lives in them, and what risks they may pose to marine ecosystems and human health. The unique chemistry and buoyancy of plastic creates a novel habitat that can transport potentially harmful microbes across ocean basins.
Biofilms on Plastic Debris and the Microbiome
This review synthesizes knowledge on biofilms that colonize plastic debris in the ocean, known as the plastisphere, covering how microbial communities are structured and how they interact with the surrounding environment. The authors discuss implications for nutrient cycling, pathogen transport, and polymer degradation.
Ecology of the plastisphere
This review explores the plastisphere, the diverse microbial community that colonizes plastic debris in the ocean, which now spans multiple biomes on Earth. Researchers examine how microplastics serve as novel substrates for microbial colonization and may facilitate the dispersal of microorganisms, including potentially harmful species, across aquatic ecosystems. The study highlights key questions about whether plastics harbor a unique core microbial community distinct from natural surfaces.
Microplastics and their mechanisms in influencing methane oxidation: A physiological and ecological perspective
This review examines the physiological and ecological mechanisms by which microplastics influence methane oxidation processes in the environment, synthesising current understanding of how ubiquitous plastic contamination may disrupt microbial communities responsible for mitigating methane — a greenhouse gas 20-30 times more potent than CO2.
Investigating the roles of microbes in biodegrading or colonizing microplastic surfaces
Researchers investigated the roles of microbes in biodegrading or colonizing microplastic surfaces, examining how microbial communities interact with plastic polymers in environmental settings. The study characterized the 'plastisphere' — the community of microorganisms that colonize microplastic surfaces — and assessed the extent to which microbial activity contributes to plastic degradation in natural environments.
Microbial communities on plastic particles in surface waters differ from subsurface waters of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
Researchers sampled plastic particles from the ocean surface down to 2,000 meters in the North Pacific and found that microbial communities on deep, sinking plastics are rapidly replaced by microbes from surrounding water, suggesting that plastic particles are not an efficient vehicle for transporting surface microorganisms into the deep sea.
Weathered microplastics alter deep sea benthic biogeochemistry and organic matter cycling: insights from a microcosm experiment
Weathered (aged) microplastics deposited in deep-sea sediments were found to alter benthic biogeochemical cycles, affecting nitrogen and carbon processing by seafloor microorganisms. The findings show that plastic pollution can disrupt the chemical ecology of even the most remote deep-ocean environments.
Microplastics drive nitrification by enriching functional microorganisms in aquaculture pond waters
Researchers found that biofilms forming on microplastics in aquaculture pond water — known as the 'plastisphere' — enrich ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms, driving increased nitrification rates and altering the nitrogen cycle in ways not seen in surrounding water without microplastics.
Exploring the Microbiome of the Marine Microplastisphere
This review examines the microbiome associated with microplastic particles in marine environments, known as the microplastisphere, describing it as a dynamic and complex ecosystem with significant ecological implications. Researchers found that the microplastisphere harbors distinct microbial communities distinct from surrounding seawater, with potential consequences for marine biodiversity and pollutant transport.
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.
Plastisphere microbiome: Methodology, diversity, and functionality
This review explores the plastisphere, the community of microorganisms that colonize plastic debris in the environment. The authors cover methods for studying these microbial communities, the diversity of organisms found living on plastics, and their functional roles including potential plastic degradation and pathogen harboring. Understanding the plastisphere is important because these microbial communities can influence how plastics break down and what health risks plastic pollution may pose.
Microplastic accelerate the phosphorus-related metabolism of bacteria to promote the decomposition of methylphosphonate to methane
Researchers found that microplastics accelerate phosphorus-related metabolism in marine bacteria, promoting the decomposition of methylphosphonate to methane in oxygenated water and revealing a previously unknown mechanism linking plastic pollution to greenhouse gas production.