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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Ecological Rolesand Shared Microbes Differentiatethe Plastisphere from Natural Particle-Associated Microbiomes in UrbanRivers
ClearEcological Rolesand Shared Microbes Differentiatethe Plastisphere from Natural Particle-Associated Microbiomes in UrbanRivers
Researchers compared the microbiomes on microplastics (the 'plastisphere') versus natural particles in ten urban rivers using metagenomics, finding similar overall taxonomic and functional compositions between the two. However, the plastisphere harbored distinct specialist taxa with enhanced capacity for complex carbohydrate metabolism and unique ecological strategies.
Ecological Roles and Shared Microbes Differentiate the Plastisphere from Natural Particle-Associated Microbiomes in Urban Rivers
Researchers compared the microbial communities living on microplastics versus natural particles in ten urban river systems. While the two communities shared many similarities, the microplastic-associated community, known as the plastisphere, harbored distinct bacteria with specialized abilities to break down complex carbon compounds. The study suggests that microplastics in rivers create unique microbial habitats that may influence nutrient cycling and pollutant degradation differently than natural particles.
Plastisphere as a unique metabolic hotspot in river water: Impact of plastic substrate biodegradability
A study of river water found that microplastic surfaces — even from tiny 100-micrometer particles — host distinct microbial communities called plastispheres that function as metabolic hotspots, with richer carbon and nitrogen cycling activity than the surrounding water. The biodegradability of the plastic substrate influenced which microbes colonized it and how they interacted, with biodegradable plastics supporting different communities than conventional plastics. This matters because plastisphere microbes can include potential pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and they alter the ecological function of freshwater environments.
Microplastic is an Abundant and Distinct Microbial Habitat in an Urban River
Researchers demonstrated that microplastic surfaces in an urban river host a microbial community that is distinct from surrounding water and sediment communities, establishing microplastic as an abundant and ecologically distinct habitat for river microorganisms.
Plastisphere in freshwaters: An emerging concern
This review introduced the concept of the freshwater plastisphere - the microbial community colonizing plastic debris in rivers and lakes - and found that freshwater plastisphere communities are compositionally distinct from marine ones and from ambient water microbiomes, with implications for pathogen dispersal and plastic degradation in inland waters.
From rivers to marine environments: A constantly evolving microbial community within the plastisphere
Researchers sampled 107 plastic pieces across four aquatic ecosystems in southern France and found that the sampling location and polymer chemistry were the strongest drivers of plastisphere microbial community composition, while only 11% of samples showed elevated Vibrio pathogen levels compared to surrounding water.
Microbial hitchhikers harbouring antimicrobial-resistance genes in the riverine plastisphere
This study found that plastic surfaces in rivers host a microbial community — the "plastisphere" — that is taxonomically distinct from communities on natural surfaces like wood, and harbours a higher abundance of potential pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). The finding is concerning because it suggests that floating microplastics could act as mobile reservoirs spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria through freshwater systems.
Deciphering the distinct successional patterns and potential roles of abundant and rare microbial taxa of urban riverine plastisphere
Researchers examined how microbial communities colonize microplastics in urban river environments, distinguishing between abundant and rare bacterial species. The study found that rare taxa played critical roles in maintaining community stability on plastic surfaces, while abundant taxa drove community succession, and both groups contributed to nutrient cycling functions.
Plastic substrate and residual time of microplastics in the urban river shape the composition and structure of bacterial communities in plastisphere
Researchers conducted an in-site incubation experiment in an urban river using microplastics from three plastic product types (garbage bags, shopping bags, and plastic bottles), finding that both plastic substrate type and incubation time shaped the bacterial communities colonizing the plastisphere. Different plastic products harbored distinct microbial communities, with potential implications for the spread of plastic-associated microorganisms in urban freshwater.
Watershed urbanization enhances the enrichment of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics in the water environment
Researchers compared microplastic biofilm communities (the plastisphere) across watersheds with different levels of urbanization, finding that higher urbanization enriched pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes on plastic surfaces in waterways. The study suggests that urban runoff substantially elevates the health risk posed by microplastics as vectors of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance.
Anthropogenic Litter in Urban Freshwater Ecosystems: Distribution and Microbial Interactions
Researchers quantified anthropogenic litter in urban rivers and streams and found that microplastics dominated by mass and particle count compared to macroplastic items. The study highlights urban freshwater systems as major conduits for plastic pollution moving toward marine environments and documents distinct microbial communities on plastic surfaces.
Plastisphere Community Assemblage in Freshwater
This review synthesizes research on plastisphere communities in freshwater environments, where micro-, nano-, and macroplastic particles serve as artificial microhabitats for microbial colonization. The authors found that freshwater plastisphere communities differ markedly from those on natural substrates and pose elevated risks by harboring pathogens, antibiotic-resistant genes, and toxic pollutants that can enter organisms through plastic ingestion.
Viral diversity and potential environmental risk in microplastic at watershed scale: Evidence from metagenomic analysis of plastisphere
Metagenomic analysis of plastisphere communities on microplastics collected from five freshwater sites revealed diverse viral communities including phages and potential animal pathogens, with plastic-associated viromes differing from those in surrounding water. The study identifies microplastics as previously overlooked carriers of viral diversity and potential environmental health risks in aquatic ecosystems.
Microbial community niches on microplastics and prioritized environmental factors under various urban riverine conditions
Researchers manipulated organic content, salinity, and dissolved oxygen in bioreactors to assess which environmental factors most strongly shaped microbial communities colonizing microplastics in urban rivers. Dissolved oxygen and organic carbon content were identified as priority drivers of plastisphere community composition, with implications for predicting pathogen enrichment on MPs across river conditions.
The plastisphere ecology: Assessing the impact of different pollution sources on microbial community composition, function and assembly in aquatic ecosystems
Researchers studied the microbial communities living on microplastic surfaces (called the plastisphere) across four different aquatic sites and found that plastics host a distinctly different mix of microbes than the surrounding water, shaped by local pollution sources. These plastic-surface microbes also carry more antibiotic resistance genes and show greater potential for breaking down plastics, making the plastisphere both a health concern and a potential bioremediation resource.
High-throughput absolute quantification sequencing reveals the adaptive succession and assembly pattern of plastisphere communities in municipal sewer systems: Influence of environmental factors and microplastic polymer types
Microplastics in municipal sewer systems develop their own distinct microbial communities (the 'plastisphere') that are shaped both by the type of plastic polymer and by environmental conditions like temperature and nutrient levels. The study found that different plastic types selectively enriched different microbes, including potential pathogens, meaning sewers could be hotspots for microplastic-mediated spread of harmful bacteria into waterways. This research highlights an understudied but practically important dimension of urban microplastic contamination.
The ecology of the plastisphere: Microbial composition, function, assembly, and network in the freshwater and seawater ecosystems
Researchers studied the communities of bacteria and fungi that colonize microplastic surfaces in freshwater and seawater, forming what scientists call the plastisphere. These microplastic-associated communities were distinctly different from those in surrounding water, and included a higher proportion of disease-causing organisms and species involved in pollutant degradation. The findings suggest that microplastics create new habitats that can harbor pathogens and alter natural microbial ecosystems in ways that may affect water quality and human health.
Plastisphere - a new habitat of microbial community: Composition, structure and ecological consequences
This review examines the plastisphere — microbial communities colonizing microplastics — covering the composition and structure of plastisphere microbiomes across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments and discussing ecological consequences including pathogen dispersal.
Plastisphere in a low-pollution mountain river: Influence of microplastics on survival of pathogenic bacteria
Microplastics submerged in a low-pollution mountain river developed distinct bacterial communities compared to water and sand, but the plastisphere did not enhance pathogen survival, suggesting that in clean river environments microplastics may not substantially increase pathogen persistence.
Impact de la pollution plastique sur les communautés microbiennes de rivière
This study investigates how plastic pollution affects microbial communities in rivers, focusing on the 'plastisphere' — the distinct biofilm communities that form on plastic surfaces in aquatic environments. Plastics not only carry unique microbial assemblages but may also harbor potentially harmful microorganisms, raising concerns for aquatic ecosystem health.