Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination and microbial colonization in coastal area of Busan City, Korea

Researchers investigated microplastic concentrations, characteristics, and associated microbial communities across six coastal sites in Busan, South Korea, finding average concentrations of 94 particles/m3 dominated by PE, PP, and PS polymers, and using 16S rRNA sequencing to demonstrate that MP-associated bacterial communities were distinct from surrounding seawater, enriched in Psychrobacter, Pseudomonas, and Flavobacterium.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 17 citations
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

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

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.

2021 Frontiers for Young Minds
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

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.

2022 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 31 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

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

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

Landscape and Marine Environmental Factors Jointly Regulate the Intertidal Species Richness and Community Structure in the Islands of South Korea

Researchers found that both landscape features and marine environmental factors shape the species richness and community structure of intertidal organisms on Korean islands. Baseline biodiversity data from these ecosystems is relevant to understanding how microplastic accumulation in intertidal sediments affects coastal wildlife.

2023 Diversity 2 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

Gut microbiota composition of the isopod Ligia in South Korea exposed to expanded polystyrene pollution

Coastal isopods (Ligia) collected from a plastic-polluted site in South Korea showed measurably different gut microbiome compositions compared to those from a clean site, with lower species richness in polluted areas. This suggests that microplastic contamination can reshape the internal microbial communities of small invertebrates, potentially affecting their health and their role in coastal food webs.

2024 PLoS ONE 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the impact of microplastics with distinct polymer types and concentrations on tidal sediment microbiome and nitrogen cycling

Researchers tested how five different types of microplastics at varying concentrations affect microbial communities and nitrogen cycling in tidal sediments over 30 days. They found that microplastics generally reduced microbial diversity and enhanced nitrogen fixation, with biodegradable PLA plastic showing concentration-dependent effects. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in coastal sediments can disrupt important nutrient cycling processes driven by microorganisms.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 30 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

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.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 356 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Frontiers in Marine Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Intertidal Concentrations of Microplastics and Their Influence on Ammonium Cycling as Related to the Shellfish Industry

Researchers determined the concentration and spatial distribution of microplastics in intertidal sediments at shellfish aquaculture sites and investigated their influence on ammonium cycling, finding that elevated microplastic concentrations altered nitrogen processing by benthic microbial communities. The results suggest microplastics at aquaculture densities may disrupt sediment nutrient dynamics with potential implications for shellfish productivity.

2015 Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 112 citations
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

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

Polyamide microplastic pollution modifies the sediment fungal structures associated with different submerged plant species: an insight from aquatic mesocosm experiment

Researchers compiled DNA sequence datasets for sediment bacteria and fungi associated with four submerged aquatic plant species under varying levels of polyamide microplastic pollution in an aquatic mesocosm experiment, providing raw data to support analysis of how microplastic contamination modifies microbial community structures in aquatic sediments.

2025 Mendeley Data
Article Tier 2

Polyamide microplastic pollution modifies the sediment fungal structures associated with different submerged plant species: an insight from aquatic mesocosm experiment

Researchers compiled DNA sequence datasets for sediment bacteria and fungi associated with four submerged aquatic plant species under varying levels of polyamide microplastic pollution in an aquatic mesocosm experiment, providing raw data to support analysis of how microplastic contamination modifies microbial community structures in aquatic sediments.

2025 Mendeley Data
Article Tier 2

[Distribution Characteristics of Microplastic Surface Bacterial Communities Under Flooded and Non-flooded Conditions in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake].

A 16S sequencing study of bacterial communities in the Poyang Lake wetland found that microbial diversity on microplastic surfaces was lower than in surrounding sediment and water, with the microplastic biofilm community shifting between sediment-like (non-flooded) and water-like (flooded) profiles depending on water level. The plastisphere communities were dominated by distinct bacterial genera including elevated Proteobacteria, suggesting that microplastics select for specific microbial assemblages in natural wetland ecosystems.

2023 PubMed
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

Bacterial community structure of water, sediment and microplastics in Poyang Lake wetland.

This study compared the bacterial communities living on four types of microplastics (film, foam, fiber, and fragment) in Poyang Lake wetland in China against the bacterial communities in the surrounding water and sediment. The microplastic surfaces hosted distinct microbial communities that differed from both the water and sediment, with foam microplastics supporting the least diverse communities. This "plastisphere" research is important because the unique bacteria colonizing plastic surfaces could spread pathogens or alter nutrient cycles in freshwater wetland ecosystems.

2023 PubMed