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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Aggregation in experimental studies with microparticles: Bacterial communities in the exposure system affect animal responses to the test particles
ClearAggregation in experimental studies with microparticles: Experimental settings change particle size distribution during exposure
Researchers investigated how experimental conditions including exposure duration, particle concentration, organic carbon content, and test organism presence affect microplastic aggregation in ecotoxicological experiments, finding that particle size distribution changed substantially during experiments. Failure to account for aggregation during exposure leads to inconsistent and unreliable toxicity results across studies.
Microbiome Of Ecotoxicity Assays
This review examined how microorganisms in test systems affect the outcomes of ecotoxicology experiments, noting that bacteria can both increase and decrease the apparent toxicity of test substances including microplastics. Accounting for microbial interactions is important for accurately interpreting how microplastics harm aquatic and soil organisms in laboratory tests.
Interaction and transmission of daphnia microbiome to MP-containing aggregates
Researchers created environmentally realistic aquatic aggregates by combining natural particles with micro- and nanoplastics at varying ratios (0-10% MNP by mass) and total suspended solid concentrations (0.1-10 mg/L), then allowed Daphnia magna to interact with the aggregates for 72 hours before analyzing aggregate size and associated bacterial communities via 16S rRNA sequencing. The study investigated whether microplastic-containing aggregates select for distinct microbial communities, including potential pathogens, compared to natural particle aggregates.
Microplastics in freshwaters: Comparing effects of particle properties and an invertebrate consumer on microbial communities and ecosystem functions
Researchers tested how different microplastic properties, including concentration, shape, and polymer type, affect microbial communities and ecosystem functions in freshwater environments. They found that the presence of an invertebrate consumer had a stronger influence on microbial activity than the microplastics themselves, though high concentrations of certain particle shapes did alter community composition. The study suggests that the ecological effects of microplastics in freshwater depend heavily on the broader biological context.
Long-term exposure of a free-living freshwater micro- and meiobenthos community to microplastic mixtures in microcosms
Researchers exposed a natural freshwater micro- and meiobenthos community to microplastic mixtures in long-term microcosm experiments, finding community-level effects that differ from single-species studies and highlighting the importance of realistic multi-polymer exposure scenarios.
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.
Deciphering the pathogenic risks of microplastics as emerging particulate organic matter in aquatic ecosystem
Researchers compared how microplastics and natural organic matter like leaves and algae affect bacterial communities in aquatic environments. The study found that microplastics uniquely promoted pathogenic bacteria as keystone species and amplified their capacity to host antibiotic resistance genes, suggesting that microplastic pollution may pose distinct pathogenic risks beyond those of natural particles.
Ecotoxicological assessment of suspended solids: The importance of biofilm and particle aggregation
Researchers used Daphnia magna toxicity assays to disentangle the effects of microplastics versus natural particles and biofilm, finding that biofilm presence and high total suspended solid concentrations drove mortality more than microplastic proportion alone.
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.
Assessing the Risks of Potential Bacterial Pathogens Attaching to Different Microplastics during the Summer–Autumn Period in a Mariculture Cage
Researchers conducted an in situ incubation experiment in a mariculture cage and found that polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics accumulated distinct bacterial pathogen communities during summer and autumn. The findings indicate that microplastics in aquaculture environments can act as reservoirs for potential pathogens, raising concerns for seafood safety.
Understanding Biofilm Formation in Ecotoxicological Assays With Natural and Anthropogenic Particulates
Ecotoxicity tests with mixtures of polystyrene microplastics and clay particles showed that clay promoted biofilm formation on both plastic and clay surfaces and altered microbial community composition relative to single-material exposures, complicating the interpretation of microplastic-specific effects in natural environments where particles always occur in mixtures.
Can Microplastic Pollution Change Important Aquatic Bacterial Communities?
Microplastics in coastal sediments can change the composition of important bacterial communities that cycle nutrients and maintain ecosystem health. Microplastic-associated bacteria differ significantly from natural sediment bacteria, with potential consequences for the chemical processes these communities perform.
Impacts of microplastics and the associated plastisphere on physiological, biochemical, genetic expression and gut microbiota of the filter-feeder amphioxus
Researchers exposed filter-feeding amphioxus to weathered microplastics colonized by natural marine biofilms and found significant impacts on physiology, biochemistry, and gut microbiota under starvation conditions. The weathered plastics with their attached microbial communities caused more disruption than pristine particles typically used in lab studies. The findings suggest that real-world microplastic pollution, complete with its biofilm coating, may pose greater risks to marine filter feeders than laboratory experiments usually indicate.
Microbiological perspectives on the effects of microplastics on the aquatic environment
This review examines how microplastics interact with microorganisms in aquatic environments, highlighting risks to microbial communities and the potential for microplastics to disrupt ecosystem functions. Microplastics may alter microbial diversity and promote the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Unraveling Microplastic-Biofilm Nexus in Aquaculture: Diversity and Functionality of Microbial Communities and Their Effect on Plastic Traits
Researchers incubated five common types of microplastics in an aquaculture pond for 128 days and found that biofilm formation varied significantly depending on the plastic type, with polypropylene and polyethylene supporting the richest microbial communities. PET microplastics attracted more plastic-degrading bacteria like Pseudomonas, while all plastic types enriched potentially pathogenic microorganisms. The findings highlight how different microplastics selectively shape microbial colonization in aquaculture environments, with implications for both environmental health and food safety.
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.
Biogenic Aggregation of Small Microplastics Alters Their Ingestion by a Common Freshwater Micro-Invertebrate
This study found that when small microplastics become incorporated into biogenic aggregates formed by aquatic organisms, they are more readily ingested by freshwater filter-feeding invertebrates than individual plastic particles alone. This mechanism suggests that microplastic uptake by freshwater zooplankton may be underestimated when biological aggregation is not accounted for.
Effects of microplastics on Daphnia-associated microbiomes in situ and in vitro
This study investigated how microplastic exposure alters the microbiome associated with Daphnia in freshwater, finding shifts in bacterial community composition that may affect host health and ecological function. The results suggest that microplastics can indirectly harm zooplankton by disrupting their microbial symbionts.
Discrepancy strategies of sediment abundant and rare microbial communities in response to floating microplastic disturbances: Study using a microcosmic experiment
Using microcosm experiments with fluvial sediment exposed to four plastic types, researchers found that floating microplastics altered sediment microbial diversity and reduced bacteria involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling. Abundant microbial taxa were more sensitive to microplastic disturbance than rare taxa, and microplastics decreased network complexity and increased negative species interactions in microbial communities.
The plastic Trojan horse: Biofilms increase microplastic uptake in marine filter feeders impacting microbial transfer and organism health
Researchers found that microplastics colonized by microbial biofilms, which better represent environmental conditions, are ingested at higher rates by marine filter feeders than clean, virgin microbeads typically used in laboratory studies. The biofilm coating also introduced potentially harmful bacteria into the organisms that consumed them. The study suggests that previous research using pristine microplastics may have underestimated both the uptake rate and biological risks of microplastic ingestion in marine ecosystems.
The effect of planktivorous fish (juvenile Perca fluviatilis) on the taxonomic diversity of microplastic particles-colonized bacterial community
Researchers tested whether the presence of perch (a common freshwater fish) affects the bacterial communities colonizing microplastic particles in water. Fish exudates — waste products released into the water — significantly increased the abundance and diversity of bacteria growing on both polyethylene and polystyrene surfaces, which could eventually accelerate microbial degradation of the plastics. This has implications for understanding the long-term fate of microplastics in natural lake and river environments where fish and plastic debris coexist.
How microplastics influence the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates: A review
This review examines how microplastics affect the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates, an area that has received less attention than fish studies. Researchers summarize evidence showing that microplastics cause toxicity at biological and molecular levels, alter microbial communities associated with invertebrate hosts, and interact with climate change and other pollutants to produce combined effects. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps and proposes future research directions for understanding microplastic impacts on aquatic ecosystems.
Microplastic Exposure Across Trophic Levels: Effects on the Host Microbiota of Freshwater Organisms
Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects the gut bacteria communities of freshwater organisms including fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. Microplastics—particularly when combined with pesticides—altered gut microbiota composition, which could impair digestion, immunity, and overall health of freshwater species.
Microplastic 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.