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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Selective bacterial colonization processes on polyethylene waste samples in an abandoned landfill site
ClearMicrobial Diversity of the Surface of Polypropylene and Low Density Polyethylene‐Based Materials (Plastisphere) From an Area Subjected to Intensive Agriculture
Researchers analyzed the microbial communities colonizing polypropylene and polyethylene plastic debris from an agricultural landfill site. They found that while overall bacterial diversity was similar between plastic surfaces and surrounding soil, the plastic-associated communities had distinct compositions with higher proportions of certain bacterial groups. The study suggests that these plastisphere communities may be actively degrading plastic additives and could harbor potential plastic-degrading organisms.
Distinct Bacterial and Fungal Communities Colonizing Waste Plastic Films Buried for More Than 20 Years in Four Landfill Sites in Korea
Researchers analyzed bacterial and fungal microbial communities colonizing waste plastic films buried for over 20 years at four landfill sites in Korea, finding distinct community compositions across sites and identifying microorganisms with potential for long-term plastic biodegradation.
Synergistic functional activity of a landfill microbial consortium in a microplastic-enriched environment
Scientists studied soil bacteria from a decades-old landfill to understand how microbes adapt to high concentrations of polyethylene and PET microplastics. They found that multiple bacterial species work together to break down these plastics, with different roles for bacteria floating freely versus those attached to plastic surfaces. While biodegradation of microplastics is possible, it is slow, and understanding these natural processes could eventually help with cleanup efforts.
Microplastic polymer properties as deterministic factors driving terrestrial plastisphere microbiome assembly and succession in the field
Researchers incubated five common microplastic polymer types in landfill soil for 14 months and used 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize the plastisphere communities that assembled on each polymer. Polymer type was a significant deterministic factor in plastisphere microbiome composition, which differed from surrounding soil communities and varied over time.
Taxonomic variation, plastic degradation, and antibiotic resistance traits of plastisphere communities in the maturation pond of a wastewater treatment plant
Researchers placed different types of weathered plastics in a wastewater treatment pond for up to a year and studied the microbial communities that grew on them. The study suggests that the bacteria colonizing plastics in wastewater were shaped more by time and water depth than by the type of plastic, and that these communities may carry genes related to plastic degradation and antibiotic resistance.
The composition of bacterial communities associated with plastic biofilms differs between different polymers and stages of biofilm succession
Researchers tracked bacterial community development on five different plastic types submerged in coastal waters over two months. They found that bacterial community composition varied by both plastic type and stage of colonization, with distinct early and late succession patterns. The study provides evidence that different plastics may host different microbial communities, which has implications for understanding how plastic pollution influences marine microbial ecology.
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.
New insights on municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill plastisphere structure and function
Characterization of a large municipal solid waste landfill plastisphere found that plastic surfaces harbored more diverse bacterial communities than surrounding refuse, with abundant plastic-degrading genera including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Paenibacillus detected in both environments.
The Terrestrial Plastisphere: Diversity and Polymer-Colonizing Potential of Plastic-Associated Microbial Communities in Soil
Soil-buried plastic debris harbored microbial communities clearly distinct from surrounding bulk soil and from aquatic plastisphere communities, with a core set of plastic-colonizing taxa including Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria detected across both polymer types tested, suggesting that terrestrial plastisphere colonization follows predictable ecological rules.
The Spatiotemporal Successions of Bacterial and Fungal Plastisphere Communities and Their Effects on Microplastic Degradation in Soil Ecosystems
Researchers tracked how bacterial and fungal communities colonize microplastic surfaces in soil over time, finding that the surrounding soil type had the strongest influence on which microbes grew on the plastics. The microbial communities on microplastics were less diverse and less stable than those in the surrounding soil, but they attracted microbes with a higher capacity to break down organic carbon. The study suggests that microplastic surfaces become hotspots for carbon metabolism in soil ecosystems.
Microbial degradation of virgin polyethylene by bacteria isolated from a landfill site
Researchers isolated bacteria from landfill sites that had been exposed to plastic waste for up to 17 years and tested their ability to break down high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a common plastic used in packaging. The bacterium Bacillus cereus achieved the highest degradation at only 1.78% weight loss, confirming that plastic biodegradation in landfills is an extremely slow process.
Homogenization of bacterial plastisphere community in soil: a continental-scale microcosm study
Researchers conducted a large-scale study across 99 sites in China to examine how bacteria colonize microplastics in soil compared to surrounding soil communities. The study found that bacterial communities on polyethylene microplastics were much more uniform than those in the soil itself, suggesting that the consistent properties of plastic surfaces drive a standardized microbial community. Evidence indicates that soil pH, carbon content, and temperature all influence how different the plastic-associated bacteria are from nearby soil microbes.
The Succession of Bacterial Community Attached on Biodegradable Plastic Mulches During the Degradation in Soil
Researchers studied how bacterial communities colonize and change over time on biodegradable plastic mulches buried in soil for five months. The study found that plastic composition and incubation time significantly shaped microbial communities, and notably, potential pathogens were detected at higher levels on biodegradable plastics compared to conventional polyethylene mulch.
Formation of specific bacterial assemblages on sterile polyethylene microplastic particles added to a marine aquaria system
Researchers characterized bacterial assemblages that formed on sterile polyethylene microplastic particles after 12 weeks of incubation in marine aquaria, comparing the plastisphere communities to those on sterile sandy sediment and in water fractions to determine whether microplastics select for distinct or potentially pathogenic bacterial communities. The study found that microplastics hosted specific bacterial assemblages distinct from surrounding environmental fractions, confirming their role as selective surfaces for microbial colonization.
Dynamics of the plastisphere microbiome in agricultural soils under changing climatic conditions
Researchers monitored the microbial communities colonizing biodegradable (PBS, PBAT) and conventional polyethylene plastics buried in agricultural soils over one year under organic vs. conventional farming and current vs. projected climate conditions, finding that farming practice shaped the plastisphere microbiome more than climate, with early colonization dominated by genera known to degrade plastics.
Degradation of microplastics and the plastisphere bacteria in the acidogenic phase of simulated municipal solid waste landfilling
Researchers simulated conditions inside a municipal solid waste landfill and found that different microplastic types (PE, PS, and PLA) aged and degraded at very different rates during the acidogenic leachate phase, with distinct microbial communities forming on each plastic type. This matters because landfills are both sources and sinks for microplastics, and understanding how plastics degrade there helps predict what eventually leaches into groundwater and surrounding soil.
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.
The SpatiotemporalSuccessions of Bacterial and FungalPlastisphere Communities and Their Effects on Microplastic Degradationin Soil Ecosystems
Researchers explored spatiotemporal succession of bacterial and fungal plastisphere communities on three microplastic types across three soil types over multiple time periods, finding that colonization environment was the dominant driver of plastisphere microbiome assembly, followed by polymer type and incubation time.
Environmental Factors Support the Formation of Specific Bacterial Assemblages on Microplastics
Researchers incubated polystyrene, polyethylene, and wooden pellets across marine and freshwater environments and found that environmental conditions — more than plastic type — drove the formation of specific bacterial communities on microplastics, with plastic-specific assemblages only emerging under certain conditions.
The plastisphere of biodegradable and conventional microplastics from residues exhibit distinct microbial structure, network and function in plastic-mulching farmland
Researchers compared the bacterial communities that colonize biodegradable and conventional plastic microplastics in farmland soil. They found that biodegradable plastics (PBAT/PLA) and conventional polyethylene each attracted distinct microbial communities with different functions, including bacteria that could degrade plastics or cycle nutrients. The results suggest that even biodegradable plastics create unique microbial environments in soil that may affect soil health and function in unexpected ways.
Microbial Isolates in Microplastic-Polluted Soil
Researchers isolated and characterized microbial communities from microplastic-polluted soil, identifying bacteria capable of colonizing plastic surfaces and assessing their potential roles in plastic degradation and soil nutrient cycling.
Niche vs. habitat: Insights of aging microplastics and wetland types on bacterial community assembly
Researchers studied how bacterial communities assemble on microplastic surfaces (plastispheres) versus surrounding soil in three types of wetlands using low-density polyethylene. They found that wetland habitat type had a stronger influence on bacterial diversity patterns than whether the plastic was virgin or aged, with plastisphere communities showing lower diversity and more stochastic assembly compared to soil communities.
Short‐term plastisphere colonization dynamics across six plastic types
Researchers studied the short-term colonization dynamics of microbial communities (plastisphere) forming on six plastic polymer types submerged in marine waters in South Australia, finding polymer-type-specific differences in prokaryotic community composition over four weeks.
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.