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Nava V, Leoni B, Arienzo MM, Hogan ZS, Gandolfi I, Tatangelo V, Carlson E, Chea S, Soum S, Kozloski R, Chandra S. Plastic pollution affects ecosystem processes including community structure and functional traits in large rivers. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 259:121849. [PMID: 38851112 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Plastics in aquatic ecosystems rapidly undergo biofouling, giving rise to a new ecosystem on their surface, the 'plastisphere.' Few studies quantify the impact of plastics and their associated community on ecosystem traits from biodiversity and functional traits to metabolic function. It has been suspected that impacts on ecosystems may depend on its state but comparative studies of ecosystem responses are rare in the published literature. We quantified algal biomass, bacterial and algal biodiversity (16S and 18S rRNA), and metabolic traits of the community growing on the surface of different plastic polymers incubated within rivers of the Lower Mekong Basin. The rivers selected have different ecological characteristics but are similar regarding their high degree of plastic pollution. We examined the effects of plastics colonized with biofilms on ecosystem production, community dark respiration, and the epiplastic community's capability to influence nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon, and oxygen in water. Finally, we present conceptual models to guide our understanding of plastic pollution within freshwaters. Our findings showed limited microalgal biomass and bacterial dominance, with potential pathogens present. The location significantly influenced community composition, highlighting the role of environmental conditions in shaping community development. When assessing the effects on ecosystem productivity, our experiments showed that biofouled plastics led to a significant drop in oxygen concentration within river water, leading to hypoxic/anoxic conditions with subsequent profound impacts on system metabolism and the capability of influencing biogeochemical cycles. Scaling our findings revealed that plastic pollution may exert a more substantial and ecosystem-altering impact than initially assumed, particularly in areas with poorly managed plastic waste. These results highlighted that the plastisphere functions as a habitat for biologically active organisms which play a pivotal role in essential ecosystem processes. This warrants dedicated attention and investigation, particularly in sensitive ecosystems like the Mekong River, which supports a rich biodiversity and the livelihoods of 65 million people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Nava
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano MI, Italy
| | - Barbara Leoni
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano MI, Italy.
| | - Monica M Arienzo
- Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Pkwy, Reno, NV 89512, United States
| | - Zeb S Hogan
- Global Water Center and Biology Department, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia, Reno, NV 89557-0314, United States
| | - Isabella Gandolfi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano MI, Italy
| | - Valeria Tatangelo
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, 20126 Milano MI, Italy
| | - Emily Carlson
- Global Water Center and Biology Department, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia, Reno, NV 89557-0314, United States
| | - Seila Chea
- Institute of Technology of Cambodia, PO Box 86, Russian Conf. Blvd. Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Savoeurn Soum
- Royal University of Phnom Penh, Russian Federation Blvd (110), Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Rachel Kozloski
- Desert Research Institute, 2215 Raggio Pkwy, Reno, NV 89512, United States
| | - Sudeep Chandra
- Global Water Center and Biology Department, University of Nevada, 1664 N. Virginia, Reno, NV 89557-0314, United States.
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2
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Mompó-Curell R, Alonso-Molina JL, Amorós-Muñoz I, Mendoza-Roca JA, Bes-Piá MA. Characterization of HDPE microparticles in sludge aerobic digestion and their influence on the process. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 365:121704. [PMID: 38968892 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
The occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in wastewater has been studied in the last years. The high efficiency of their removal from wastewater is linked to their transfer to the sludge. In this work, the effect of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) on aerobic digestion was evaluated and these MPs were monitored, characterizing them by three different techniques. Two parallel batch digesters were monitored. AD-Control (meaning Aerobic Digester) operated as a reference, with no external HDPE particles, whereas these polymeric fragments were introduced to the second aerobic digester (AD-HDPE) using ring pulls as microplastic support. FTIR, Raman spectroscopies and fluorescence analysis of these microparticles showed some relevant results that should be highlighted. Higher fluorescence appeared after 7 days in the digester. It coincided with an increase of active volatile suspended solids (AVSS) in the AD-HDPE, which means that an increase of the microbial activity took place. Despite the presence of HDPE particles in the sludge, the digester performance was not compromised. Besides, the HDPE particles did not affect the microbial diversity (Shannon index) of the bacterial community at the end of the experiment compared to the bacterial community of the aerobic digester control tank. Based on the analysis of the relative abundances of microbial taxa, it was concluded that HDPE had selective effects on sludge microbial community, increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroridota phylum.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Mompó-Curell
- Research Institute for Industrial Radiophysical and Environmental Safety (ISIRYM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera S/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain.
| | - J L Alonso-Molina
- Water and Environmental Engineering University Research Institute (IIAMA), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera S/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - I Amorós-Muñoz
- Water and Environmental Engineering University Research Institute (IIAMA), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera S/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - J A Mendoza-Roca
- Research Institute for Industrial Radiophysical and Environmental Safety (ISIRYM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera S/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain; Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera S/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - M A Bes-Piá
- Research Institute for Industrial Radiophysical and Environmental Safety (ISIRYM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera S/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain; Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera S/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain
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3
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Graca B, Rychter A, Bełdowska M, Wojdasiewicz A. Seasonality of mercury and its fractions in microplastics biofilms -comparison to natural biofilms, suspended particulate matter and bottom sediment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 948:174814. [PMID: 39032739 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Biofilms can enhance the sorption of heavy metals onto microplastic (MP) surfaces. However, most research in this field relies on laboratory experiments and neglects metal fractions and seasonal variations. Further studies of the metal/biofilm interaction in the aquatic environment are essential for assessing the ecological threat that MPs pose. The present study used in situ experiments in an environment conducive to biofouling (Vistula Lagoon, Baltic Sea). The objective was to investigate the sorption of mercury and its fractions (thermodesorption technique) in MP (polypropylene-PP, polystyrene-PS, polylactide-PLA) biofilms and natural matrices across three seasons. After one month of incubation, the Hg concentrations in MP and natural substratum (gravel grains-G) biofilms were similar (MP: 145 ± 45 ng/g d.w.; G: 132 ± 23 ng/g d.w.) and approximately twofold those of suspended particulate matter (SPM) (63 ± 27 ng/g d.w.). Hg concentrations in biofilms and sediments were similar, but labile fractions dominated in biofilms and stable fractions in sediments. Seasonal Hg concentrations in MP biofilms decreased over summer>winter>spring, with significant variation for mineral and loosely bound Hg fractions. Multiple regression analysis revealed that hydrochemical conditions and sediment resuspension played a crucial role in the observed variability. The influence of polymer type and morphology (pellets, fibres, aged MP) on Hg sorption in biofilms was visible only in high summer temperatures. In this season, PP fibres and aged PP pellets encouraged biofilm growth and the accumulation of labile Hg fractions. Additionally, high concentrations of mineral (stable and semi-labile) Hg fractions were found in expanded PS biofilms. These findings suggest that organisms that ingest MPs or feed on the biofilms are exposed to the adverse effects of Hg and the presence of MPs in aquatic ecosystems may facilitate the transfer of mercury within the food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bożena Graca
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Agata Rychter
- University of Applied Sciences in Elbląg, Ul. Wojska Polskiego 1, 82-300 Elbląg, Poland
| | - Magdalena Bełdowska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Adriana Wojdasiewicz
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
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4
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Taveira I, Castro RO, Cypriano J, Santos HF, Abreu F, de Araújo FV. Retrieving the real microbial diversity in aquatic plastisphere. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 206:116719. [PMID: 39029147 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Disposed plastics in oceans provide a substrate to which microbes can adhere and structure the biofilm, namely the plastisphere. In this study, we showed that the mesoplastic density-based separation, routinely used in quantification assays, is detrimental to studying the microbiome diversity and ecology as it underestimates the real microbial diversity within these samples. Based on SEM and microbiome observations, we propose that chemically fixing samples before density separation preserves cellular diversity (2.32-fold change) and richness (1.12-fold change) that would be naturally lost due to the current methodology. OTUs assigned to Gram-negative bacterial species are the most negatively affected by omitting fixation and polymer composition was not decisive in shifting microbiome composition. Considering our findings, the formaldehyde-fixation step should be incorporated into the current methodology described in most studies as this is crucial to promote a deeper understanding of the microbial community in this ecosystem and biofilm-adhered scattering through aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Taveira
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Rebeca O Castro
- Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua São João Batista, s/n, 24220900 Niterói, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jefferson Cypriano
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Henrique F Santos
- Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua São João Batista, s/n, 24220900 Niterói, RJ, Brazil; Instituto Coral Vivo, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Abreu
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fábio V de Araújo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Marinha e Ambientes Costeiros, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Outeiro de São João Batista s/n, Centro, 24020-971 Niterói, RJ, Brazil; Departamento de Ciências, Faculdade de Formação de Professores da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Francisco Portela 1470, Patronato, 24435-005 São Gonçalo, RJ, Brazil
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5
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Huang F, Graham NJD, Su Z, Xu L, Yu W. Capabilities of Microbial Consortia from Disparate Environment Matrices in the Decomposition of Nature Organic Matter by Biofiltration. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 262:122047. [PMID: 39003956 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a pivotal role in drinking water treatment, influencing the performance of unit processes and final water quality (e.g. disinfection byproduct risk). Biofiltration is an effective method of reducing DOM, but currently lacks a comprehensive appreciation of the association between microbial profiles and biofiltration performance. In this study, bench-scale biofiltration units inoculated with microbial consortia from river and soil matrices were operated successively for comparing their efficacy in terms of DOM removal. The results showed that biofiltration units receiving soil microbes were significantly superior (p < 0.05) to those receiving river inoculated microbes in terms of decomposing DOM recalcitrant fractions and reducing DBP formation potential, resulting in DOC and DBP precursor removals of up to 58.4 % and 87.9 %, respectively. Characterization of the taxonomic composition revealed that differences in the microbial assembly of the two biofilter groups were subject to deterministic rather than stochastic factors. Furthermore, more complicated interspecific relationships and niche structures in soil inoculated biofilters were deciphered by co-occurrence network, providing a plausible profile on a taxonomic division of labor in DOM stepwise degradation. Accordingly, the contribution of microbial compositions was found to be of greater importance than the GAC mass and biomass attached to the media. Thus, this study has advanced the understanding of microbial-mediated DOM decomposition in biofiltration, and also provided a promising strategy for enhancing the process for water use via developing appropriate engineered consortia of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, PR China
| | - Nigel J D Graham
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Zhaoyang Su
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, PR China
| | - Lei Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, PR China
| | - Wenzheng Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, PR China.
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6
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Seewoo BJ, Wong EV, Mulders YR, Goodes LM, Eroglu E, Brunner M, Gozt A, Toshniwal P, Symeonides C, Dunlop SA. Impacts associated with the plastic polymers polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and polybutadiene across their life cycle: A review. Heliyon 2024; 10:e32912. [PMID: 39022097 PMCID: PMC11253235 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Polymers are the main building blocks of plastic, with the annual global production volume of fossil carbon-based polymers reaching over 457 million metric tons in 2019 and this figure is anticipated to triple by 2060. There is potential for environmental harm and adverse human health impacts associated with plastic, its constituent polymers and the chemicals therein, at all stages of the plastic life cycle, from extraction of raw materials, production and manufacturing, consumption, through to ultimate disposal and waste management. While there have been considerable research and policy efforts in identifying and mitigating the impacts associated with problematic plastic products such as single-use plastics and hazardous chemicals in plastics, with national and/or international regulations to phase out their use, plastic polymers are often overlooked. In this review, the polymer dimension of the current knowledge on environmental release, human exposure and health impacts of plastic is discussed across the plastic life cycle, including chemicals used in production and additives commonly used to achieve the properties needed for applications for which the polymers are generally used. This review focuses on polycarbonate, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, and polybutadiene, four common plastic polymers made from the hazardous monomers, bisphenol, styrene, vinyl chloride and 1,3-butadiene, respectively. Potential alternative polymers, chemicals, and products are considered. Our findings emphasise the need for a whole system approach to be undertaken for effective regulation of plastics whereby the impacts of plastics are assessed with respect to their constituent polymers, chemicals, and applications and across their entire life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhedita J. Seewoo
- Minderoo Foundation, 171 - 173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Enoch V.S. Wong
- Minderoo Foundation, 171 - 173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Yannick R. Mulders
- Minderoo Foundation, 171 - 173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Louise M. Goodes
- Minderoo Foundation, 171 - 173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Ela Eroglu
- Minderoo Foundation, 171 - 173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
| | - Manuel Brunner
- Minderoo Foundation, 171 - 173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
| | - Aleksandra Gozt
- Minderoo Foundation, 171 - 173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
| | - Priyanka Toshniwal
- Minderoo Foundation, 171 - 173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Christos Symeonides
- Minderoo Foundation, 171 - 173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sarah A. Dunlop
- Minderoo Foundation, 171 - 173 Mounts Bay Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
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7
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Zhou R, Huang X, Xie Z, Ding Z, Wei H, Jin Q. A review focusing on mechanisms and ecological risks of enrichment and propagation of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements by microplastic biofilms. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 251:118737. [PMID: 38493850 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging ubiquitous pollutants in aquatic environment and have received extensive global attention. In addition to the traditional studies related to the toxicity of MPs and their carrier effects, their unique surface-induced biofilm formation also increases the ecotoxicity potential of MPs from multiple perspectives. In this review, the ecological risks of MPs biofilms were summarized and assessed in detail from several aspects, including the formation and factors affecting the development of MPs biofilms, the selective enrichment and propagation mechanisms of current pollution status of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in MPs biofilms, the dominant bacterial communities in MPs biofilms, as well as the potential risks of ARGs and MGEs transferring from MPs biofilms to aquatic organisms. On this basis, this paper also put forward the inadequacy and prospects of the current research and revealed that the MGEs-mediated ARG propagation on MPs under actual environmental conditions and the ecological risk of the transmission of ARGs and MGEs to aquatic organisms and human beings are hot spots for future research. Relevant research from the perspective of MPs biofilm should be carried out as soon as possible to provide support for the ecological pollution prevention and control of MPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranran Zhou
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu Southern Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Xirong Huang
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu Southern Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Zhongtang Xie
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, MOE Laboratory for Earth Surface Process, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Zhuhong Ding
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu Southern Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Hengchen Wei
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu Southern Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Qijie Jin
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, 30 Puzhu Southern Road, Nanjing, 211816, China
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8
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Jaafarzadeh N, Talepour N. Microplastics as carriers of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogens in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill leachate and soil: a review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 2024; 22:1-12. [PMID: 38887766 PMCID: PMC11180052 DOI: 10.1007/s40201-023-00879-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Landfill leachate contains antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and microplastics (MPs), making it an important reservoir. However, little research has been conducted on how ARGs are enriched on MPs and how the presence of MPs affects pathogens and ARGs in leachates and soil. MPs possess the capacity to establish unique bacterial populations and assimilate contaminants from their immediate surroundings, generating a potential environment conducive to the growth of disease-causing microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), thereby exerting selection pressure. Through a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature, we have carried out a practical assessment of this topic. The gathering of pollutants and the formation of dense bacterial communities on microplastics create advantageous circumstances for an increased frequency of ARG transfer and evolution. Additional investigations are necessary to acquire a more profound comprehension of how pathogens and ARGs are enriched, transported, and transferred on microplastics. This research is essential for evaluating the health risks associated with human exposure to these pollutants. Graphical Abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Neamatollah Jaafarzadeh
- Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Nastaran Talepour
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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9
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Ventura E, Marín A, Gámez-Pérez J, Cabedo L. Recent advances in the relationships between biofilms and microplastics in natural environments. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 40:220. [PMID: 38809290 PMCID: PMC11136731 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-024-04021-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Plastic pollution in the form of microplastics (MPs), poses a significant threat to natural ecosystems, with detrimental ecological, social, and economic impacts. This review paper aims to provide an overview of the existing research on the interaction between microbial biofilms and MPs in natural environments. The review begins by outlining the sources and types of MPs, emphasizing their widespread presence in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. It then discusses the formation and characteristics of microbial biofilms on MPs surfaces, highlighting their role in altering the physicochemical properties of MPs and facilitating processes such as vertical transport, biodegradation, dispersion of microorganisms, and gene transfer. Different methods used to assess these interactions are discussed, including microbiological and physicochemical characterization. Current gaps and challenges in understanding the complex relationships between biofilms and MPs are identified, highlighting the need for further research to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these complex interactions and to develop effective mitigation strategies. Innovative solutions, including bioremediation techniques and their combination with other strategies, such as nanotechnology, advanced filtration technologies, and public awareness campaigns, are proposed as promising approaches to address the issue of MPs pollution. Overall, this review underscores the urgent need for a multidisciplinary approach to combating MPs pollution, combining scientific research, technological innovation, and public engagement to safeguard the health and integrity of natural ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Ventura
- Polymers and Advanced Materials Group (PIMA), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Castelló de la Plana, Castellón, Spain
| | - Anna Marín
- Polymers and Advanced Materials Group (PIMA), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Castelló de la Plana, Castellón, Spain
| | - José Gámez-Pérez
- Polymers and Advanced Materials Group (PIMA), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Castelló de la Plana, Castellón, Spain
| | - Luis Cabedo
- Polymers and Advanced Materials Group (PIMA), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Castelló de la Plana, Castellón, Spain.
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10
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Jiao Y, Zhang G, Ai X, Wang X. Comparison of the Effects of LDPE and PBAT Film Residues on Soil Microbial Ecology. Curr Microbiol 2024; 81:185. [PMID: 38771339 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03722-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The plastic film is extensively applied with limited recycling, leading to the long-run residue accumulation in soil, which offers a distinctive habitat for microorganisms, and creates a plastisphere. In this study, traditional low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic film and biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) plastic film materials were selected to test their effects on soil microbial ecology. Based on high-throughput sequencing, compared to the soil environment, the alpha-diversity of bacterial communities in plastisphere was lower, and the abundance of Actinobacteria increased. Plastic film residues, as bacterial habitats, exhibited greater heterogeneity and harbor unique bacterial communities. The communities were distinguished between plastisphere and soil environment by means of a random-forest (RF) machine-learning model. Prominent distinctions emerged among bacterial functions between soil environment and plastisphere, especially regarding organics degradation. The neutral model and null model indicated that the constitution of bacterial communities was dominated by random processes except in LDPE plastisphere. The bacterial co-occurrence network of the plastisphere exhibited higher complexity and modularity. This study contributes to our comprehending of characteristics of plastisphere bacterial communities in soil environment and the associated ecological risks of plastic film residues accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Jiao
- School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
- Institute of Underground Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Guangyi Zhang
- School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
- Institute of Underground Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
| | - Xiaoyang Ai
- School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
- Institute of Underground Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Xiaojing Wang
- School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
- Institute of Underground Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
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11
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Lim JH, Kang JW. Assessing biofilm formation and resistance of vibrio parahaemolyticus on UV-aged microplastics in aquatic environments. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 254:121379. [PMID: 38422694 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
UV degradation of marine microplastics (MPs) could increase their vector potential for pathogenic bacteria and threaten human health. However, little is known about how the degree of UV aging affects interactions between MPs and pathogens and how various types of MPs differ in their impact on seafood safety. This study investigated five types of UV-aged MPs and their impact on Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a seafood pathogen. MPs exposed to UV for 60 days showed similar physicochemical changes such as surface cracking and hydrophobicity reduction. Regardless of the type, longer UV exposure of MPs resulted in more biofilm formation on the surface under the same conditions. V. parahaemolyticus types that formed biofilms on the MP surface showed 1.4- to 5.0-fold upregulation of virulence-related genes compared to those that did not form biofilms, independently of UV exposure. However, longer UV exposure increased resistance of V. parahaemolyticus on MPs to chlorine, heat, and human gastrointestinal environment. This study implies that the more UV degradation occurs on MPs, the more microbial biofilm formation is induced, which can significantly increase virulence and environmental resistance of bacteria regardless of the type of MP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Hwan Lim
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32, Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Won Kang
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Dongguk University-Seoul, 32, Dongguk-ro, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do 10326, Republic of Korea.
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Tigreros-Benavides P, Garzón-Rodríguez L, Herrera-Villarraga G, Ochoa-Mogollón J, Sarmiento-Sánchez C, Rodríguez-Vargas LH, Rozo-Torres G, Guayán-Ruíz P, Sanjuan-Muñoz A, Franco-Herrera A. Microplastics and plastisphere at surface waters in the Southwestern Caribbean sea. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 358:120745. [PMID: 38599094 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Pollution generated by plastic waste has brought an environmental problem characterized by the omnipresence of smaller pieces of this material known as microplastics (MP). This issue was addresses by collecting samples with 250 μm pore size nets in two marine-coastal sectors of Southwestern Caribbean Sea during two contrasting seasons. Higher concentrations were found in rainy season than in dry season, reaching respectively 1.72 MP/m3 and 0.22 MP/m3. Within each sector, there were differences caused firstly by localities of higher concentrations of semi-closed water bodies localities during rainy season (Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta and La Caimanera marsh), and secondly by lower concentrations of localities with less influenced of flow rates during dry season (Salamanca and Isla Fuerte). Moreover, the lowest concentration in dry season corresponding to La Caimanera marsh reflects how the community environmental management might decrease MP pollution. In both sectors and seasons, the particles of 0.3 mm (0.3-1.4 mm) size class dominated over those of 1.4 mm (1.4-5.0 mm) (reaching each respectively 1.33 MP/m3 and 0.39 MP/m3), with a dominance of fibers, except in the rainy season in Magdalena, where they were films. Using the FTIR technique, polypropylene was identified as the most abundant polymer in both sectors. The composition of the assemblage of microorganisms attached to microplastics presented higher richness and differed from that of free-living planktonic microbes. The most abundant members of the plastisphere were proteobacteria whose major representation was the pathogenic genus Vibrio, while the cyanobacteria dominated in seawater samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Tigreros-Benavides
- Área de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Sede Santa Marta, Carrera 2 #11-68, Edificio Mundo Marino. El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombia.
| | - Luis Garzón-Rodríguez
- Área de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Sede Santa Marta, Carrera 2 #11-68, Edificio Mundo Marino. El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Gysseth Herrera-Villarraga
- Área de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Sede Santa Marta, Carrera 2 #11-68, Edificio Mundo Marino. El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Jesús Ochoa-Mogollón
- Área de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Sede Santa Marta, Carrera 2 #11-68, Edificio Mundo Marino. El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Camila Sarmiento-Sánchez
- Área de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Sede Santa Marta, Carrera 2 #11-68, Edificio Mundo Marino. El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Luz Helena Rodríguez-Vargas
- Área de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Sede Santa Marta, Carrera 2 #11-68, Edificio Mundo Marino. El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Gladys Rozo-Torres
- Área de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Sede Santa Marta, Carrera 2 #11-68, Edificio Mundo Marino. El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Paula Guayán-Ruíz
- Área de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Sede Santa Marta, Carrera 2 #11-68, Edificio Mundo Marino. El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Adolfo Sanjuan-Muñoz
- Área de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Sede Santa Marta, Carrera 2 #11-68, Edificio Mundo Marino. El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombia
| | - Andrés Franco-Herrera
- Área de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Ingeniería, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Sede Santa Marta, Carrera 2 #11-68, Edificio Mundo Marino. El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Colombia
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Vass M, Ramasamy KP, Andersson A. Microbial hitchhikers on microplastics: The exchange of aquatic microbes across distinct aquatic habitats. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16618. [PMID: 38561820 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have the potential to modify aquatic microbial communities and distribute microorganisms, including pathogens. This poses a potential risk to aquatic life and human health. Despite this, the fate of 'hitchhiking' microbes on MPs that traverse different aquatic habitats remains largely unknown. To address this, we conducted a 50-day microcosm experiment, manipulating estuarine conditions to study the exchange of bacteria and microeukaryotes between river, sea and plastisphere using a long-read metabarcoding approach. Our findings revealed a significant increase in bacteria on the plastisphere, including Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Hyphomonas, Brevundimonas, Aquabacterium and Thalassolituus, all of which are known for their pollutant degradation capabilities, specifically polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We also observed a strong association of plastic-degrading fungi (i.e., Cladosporium and Plectosphaerella) and early-diverging fungi (Cryptomycota, also known as Rozellomycota) with the plastisphere. Sea MPs were primarily colonised by fungi (70%), with a small proportion of river-transported microbes (1%-4%). The mere presence of MPs in seawater increased the relative abundance of planktonic fungi from 2% to 25%, suggesting significant exchanges between planktonic and plastisphere communities. Using microbial source tracking, we discovered that MPs only dispersed 3.5% and 5.5% of river bacterial and microeukaryotic communities into the sea, respectively. Hence, although MPs select and facilitate the dispersal of ecologically significant microorganisms, drastic compositional changes across distinct aquatic habitats are unlikely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Máté Vass
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Division of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Science for Life Laboratory, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kesava Priyan Ramasamy
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Agneta Andersson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Ye J, Zhu Y, Chen H, Tang J, Zhao X, Sun X, Zhang J, Chen Y, Guo Y, Fang N, Tan Y, Zhang T. Land use, stratified wastewater and sediment, and microplastic attribute factors jointly influence the microplastic prevalence and bacterial colonization patterns in sewer habitats. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 918:170653. [PMID: 38331294 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
The capacity of microplastics to harbor and propagate bacteria has been the focus of attention over the last decade. Such microplastic-supported bacterial colonization behavior in the municipal sewer system could be a critical ecological link influencing the biogeochemical activities and risks in receiving waters in urban areas, given the alarming microplastic loads discharged there. This study conducted a large-scale survey covering a wide range of residential and industrial catchments in Shanghai, China. We aimed to assess the microplastic prevalence and bacterial colonization patterns in different sewer habitats and to explore the role of land use, stratified wastewater and sediment, and microplastic attributes in shaping the patterns. We found that the sewer system formed a temporal but pronounced microplastic pool, with land use playing a significant role in the variability of microplastic prevalence. Industrial sewers contained a high abundance of microplastics with large particle sizes, diverse polymer compositions, and shapes. However, while there was a spatial discrepancy between urban and suburban areas in the abundance of microplastics in residential sewers, their predominant polymer and shape types were simple, i.e., polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and fibers. Sewer habitat characteristics, particularly the stratified wastewater and sediment determined microbial colonization patterns. The latter acted as a long-term sink for microplastics and supported the high growth of colonizers. In contrast, the wastewater plastisphere presented novel niches, hosting communities with a marked proportion of unique bacterial genera after colonization. Besides, statistics showed a highly positive and dense co-occurrence network of the plastisphere communities, especially those from the industrial sewer sediment, with enhanced metabolic activity, cellular processes and systems, and increased human pathogenic potential. Findings indicated a coarse and uncertain effect of the selective pressure of microplastic attributes on plastisphere community structure differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Ye
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yi Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Science and Technology Innovation Center for Eco-environmental Protection, Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200050, China; YANGTZE Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing 100038, China.
| | - Jianfei Tang
- College of Engineering, Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai 201209, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Shanghai Water Engineering Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200333, China
| | - Xiaonan Sun
- College of Environment, Hohai University, 210098, China
| | - Jinxu Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yu Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yali Guo
- Science and Technology Innovation Center for Eco-environmental Protection, Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200050, China; YANGTZE Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Ning Fang
- Science and Technology Innovation Center for Eco-environmental Protection, Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200050, China; YANGTZE Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Yaqin Tan
- Science and Technology Innovation Center for Eco-environmental Protection, Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200050, China; YANGTZE Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Science and Technology Innovation Center for Eco-environmental Protection, Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200050, China; YANGTZE Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing 100038, China
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15
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Kim H, Yoo K. Marine plastisphere selectively enriches microbial assemblages and antibiotic resistance genes during long-term cultivation periods. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 344:123450. [PMID: 38280464 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Several studies have focused on identifying and quantifying suspended plastics in surface and subsurface seawater. Microplastics (MPs) have attracted attention as carriers of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the marine environment. Plastispheres, specific biofilms on MP, can provide an ideal niche to spread more widely through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), thereby increasing risks to ecosystems and human health. However, the microbial communities formed on different plastic types and ARG abundances during exposure time in natural marine environments remain unclear. Four types of commonly used MPs (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) were periodically cultured (46, 63, and 102 d) in a field-based marine environment to study the co-selection of ARGs and microbial communities in marine plastispheres. After the first 63 d of incubation (p < 0.05), the initial 16S rRNA gene abundance of microorganisms in the plastisphere increased significantly, and the biomass subsequently decreased. These results suggest that MPs can serve as vehicles for various microorganisms to travel to different environments and eventually provide a niche for a variety of microorganisms. Additionally, the qPCR results showed that MPs selectively enriched ARGs. In particular, tetA, tetQ, sul1, and qnrS were selectively enriched in the PVC-MPs. The abundances of intl1, a mobile genetic element, was measured in all MP types for 46 d (5.22 × 10-5 ± 8.21 × 10-6 copies/16s rRNA gene copies), 63 d (5.90 × 10-5 ± 2.49 × 10-6 copies/16s rRNA gene copies), and 102 d (4.00 × 10-5 ± 5.11 × 10-6 copies/16s rRNA gene copies). Network analysis indicated that ARG profiles co-occurred with key biofilm-forming bacteria. This study suggests that the selection of ARGs and their co-occurring bacteria in MPs could potentially accelerate their transmission through HGT in natural marine plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunsu Kim
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan, 49112, South Korea; Interdisciplinary Major of Ocean Renewable Energy Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan, 49112, South Korea
| | - Keunje Yoo
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan, 49112, South Korea; Interdisciplinary Major of Ocean Renewable Energy Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan, 49112, South Korea.
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16
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Parida D, Katare K, Ganguly A, Chakraborty D, Konar O, Nogueira R, Bala K. Molecular docking and metagenomics assisted mitigation of microplastic pollution. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 351:141271. [PMID: 38262490 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics, tiny, flimsy, and direct progenitors of principal and subsidiary plastics, cause environmental degradation in aquatic and terrestrial entities. Contamination concerns include irrevocable impacts, potential cytotoxicity, and negative health effects on mortals. The detection, recovery, and degradation strategies of these pollutants in various biota and ecosystems, as well as their impact on plants, animals, and humans, have been a topic of significant interest. But the natural environment is infested with several types of plastics, all having different chemical makeup, structure, shape, and origin. Plastic trash acts as a substrate for microbial growth, creating biofilms on the plastisphere surface. This colonizing microbial diversity can be glimpsed with meta-genomics, a culture-independent approach. Owing to its comprehensive description of microbial communities, genealogical evidence on unconventional biocatalysts or enzymes, genomic correlations, evolutionary profile, and function, it is being touted as one of the promising tools in identifying novel enzymes for the degradation of polymers. Additionally, computational tools such as molecular docking can predict the binding of these novel enzymes to the polymer substrate, which can be validated through in vitro conditions for its environmentally feasible applications. This review mainly deals with the exploration of metagenomics along with computational tools to provide a clearer perspective into the microbial potential in the biodegradation of microplastics. The computational tools due to their polymathic nature will be quintessential in identifying the enzyme structure, binding affinities of the prospective enzymes to the substrates, and foretelling of degradation pathways involved which can be quite instrumental in the furtherance of the plastic degradation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh Parida
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, 453552, India.
| | - Konica Katare
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, 453552, India.
| | - Atmaadeep Ganguly
- Department of Microbiology, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, West Bengal State University, Kolkata, 700118, India.
| | - Disha Chakraborty
- Department of Botany, Shri Shikshayatan College, University of Calcutta, Lord Sinha Road, Kolkata, 700071, India.
| | - Oisi Konar
- Department of Botany, Shri Shikshayatan College, University of Calcutta, Lord Sinha Road, Kolkata, 700071, India.
| | - Regina Nogueira
- Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Waste Management, Leibniz Universität, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Kiran Bala
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, 453552, India.
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Zhou Z, Tang J, Tang K, An M, Liu Z, Wu Z, Cao X, He C. Selective enrichment of bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes in microplastic biofilms and their potential hazards in coral reef ecosystems. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 352:141309. [PMID: 38281603 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics become hotspots for bacteria to trigger a series of ecological effects, but few studies have focused on the potential impacts of microplastic biofilms in coral reef ecosystems. Here, we measured the bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the seawater and microplastic biofilms. Results showed that microbial biofilms were formed on the surface of microplastics. The alpha diversity of the bacterial community in the microplastic biofilms was lower than that in the seawater, and the bacterial communities were distinct between the two. Further analysis revealed that several bacteria in the microplastic biofilms carried ARGs, and the proportion of which was correlated to the concentration of antibiotics in the seawater. Specifically, Vibrio was positively correlated to sul1 in the microplastic biofilms under higher concentrations of sulfonamides. Pathway analysis reflected significant overrepresentation of human disease related pathways in the bacterial community of microplastic biofilms. These results suggest that the microplastic biofilms could selectively enrich bacteria from the reef environments, causing the development of ARGs under antibiotic driving. This may pose a serious threat to coral reef ecosystems and human health. Our study provides new insights into the ecological impacts of microplastic biofilms in coral reef ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Jia Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Kai Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Mingxun An
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Zhaoqun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Zhongjie Wu
- Hainan Academy of Ocean and Fisheries Sciences, Haikou 571126, China.
| | - Xiaocong Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; Hainan Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Haikou 571126, China
| | - Chunlong He
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
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Lazcano RF, Kelly JJ, Hoellein TJ. Biofilms on plastic litter in an urban river: Community composition and activity vary by substrate type. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2024; 96:e11008. [PMID: 38443318 DOI: 10.1002/wer.11008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
In aquatic ecosystems, plastic litter is a substrate for biofilms. Biofilms on plastic and natural surfaces share similar composition and activity, with some differences due to factors such as porosity. In freshwaters, most studies have examined biofilms on benthic substrates, while little research has compared the activity and composition of biofilms on buoyant plastic and natural surfaces. Additionally, the influence of substrate size and successional stage on biofilm composition has not been commonly assessed. We incubated three plastics of distinct textures that are buoyant in rivers, low-density polyethylene (rigid; 1.7 mm thick), low-density polyethylene film (flexible; 0.0254 mm thick), and foamed polystyrene (brittle; 6.5 mm thick), as well as wood substrates (untreated oak veneer; 0.6 mm thick) in the Chicago River. Each material was incubated at three sizes (1, 7.5, and 15 cm2 ). Substrates were incubated at 2-10 cm depths and removed weekly for 6 weeks. On each substrate we measured chlorophyll concentration, biofilm biomass, respiration, and flux of nitrogen gas. We sequenced 16S and 23S rRNA genes at Weeks 1, 3, and 6 to capture biofilm community composition across successional stages. Chlorophyll, biomass, and N2 flux were similar across substrates, but respiration was greater on wood than plastics. Bacterial and algal richness and diversity were highest on foam and wood compared to polyethylene substrates. Bacterial biofilm community composition was distinct between wood and plastic substrates, while the algal community was distinct on wood and foam, which were different from each other and polyethylene substrates. These results indicate that polymer properties influence biofilm alpha and beta diversity, which may affect transport and distribution of plastic pollution and associated microbes, as well as biogeochemical processes in urban rivers. This study provides valuable insights into the effects of substrate on biofilm characteristics, and the ecological impacts of plastic pollution on urban rivers. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Plastic physical and chemical properties act as forces of selection for biofilm. Biofilm activity was similar among three different types of plastic. Community composition between plastic and wood was different.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl F Lazcano
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - John J Kelly
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Timothy J Hoellein
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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19
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Wang X, Wang X, Zhu W, Ding L, Liang X, Wu R, Jia H, Huang X, Guo X. Insight into interactions between microplastics and fulvic acid: Mechanisms affected by microplastics type. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169427. [PMID: 38135066 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) can interact with dissolved organic matter (DOM), a common component found in the environment. However, the effect of MPs type on its interaction with DOM has not been systematically studied. Therefore, the binding properties of different MPs with fulvic acid (FA) were explored in this study. The results showed that polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) had higher adsorption affinity for FA than polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The interaction between MPs and FA conformed to the pseudo-first-order model and Freundlich model (except PS). The interaction mechanisms between various MPs tested in this paper and FA are considered to be different. PP, PE and PS interacted with the aromatic structure of FA and were entrapped in the FA polymers by the carboxyl groups and CO bonds, resulting in a highly conjugated co-polymer, suggesting that oxygen-containing functional groups played a key role. However, it was assumed that the interaction between PVC and FA was more likely to be caused by hydrophobic interaction. This research will help to enhance our comprehension of the environmental behavior of MPs and their interaction with the DOM specifically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinglei Wang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Wang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Weimin Zhu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Ling Ding
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xujun Liang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Renren Wu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Water Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE, Guangzhou 510655, China.
| | - Hongtao Jia
- College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
| | - Xianfei Huang
- Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Environment, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550001, China
| | - Xuetao Guo
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agro-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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20
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Song H, Xiao S, Zhou X, Li Y, Tao M, Wu F, Xu X. Temporal dynamics of bacterial colonization on five types of microplastics in a freshwater lake. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169697. [PMID: 38163614 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs), as a new substrate, provide a unique niche for microbial colonization in the freshwater ecosystems; however, the impacts of long-term MP exposure on colonized bacteria are still unclear. In this study, five MP types were exposed in a freshwater lake for approximately one year, and the MP particles, together with the surrounding water, were collected on days 60, 150, 250 and 330 during the in situ field experiment. Bacteria on the MP surface, as well as free-living bacteria in the surrounding water, were analyzed to evaluate the temporal dynamics of these bacterial communities. Results show that all five MP types exhibited signs of degradation during the exposure process. Additionally, the alpha diversity, community structure and composition of MP-attached bacteria significantly differed from that of the free-living bacteria in the surrounding water, indicating that the five MP types could provide a preferable niche for bacterial colonization in a freshwater environment. Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Verrucomicrobiota, Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes were the top five dominant phyla. Some plastic-degrading bacteria included in these phyla were detected, verifying that MP-attached biofilms had a certain degree of MP degradation potential. Some potentially pathogenic bacteria were also detected, suggesting an ecological threat for spreading disease in the aquatic ecosystem. Furthermore, the bacterial community and some metabolic pathways were significantly affected by the MP type (P < 0.01) and exposure time (P < 0.01), indicating that the presence of MPs not only alters the bacterial community structure and composition, but also influences their potential functional properties in freshwater ecosystems. Multiple factors, including the physicochemical properties related to MPs and the environmental parameters of the surrounding water, affect the community composition and the function of MP-attached bacteria to different degrees. Our findings indicate that the presence of MPs has a potential ecological impact on freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiya Song
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Sisi Xiao
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Xiaohong Zhou
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
| | - Yanan Li
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Miaomiao Tao
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Fan Wu
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
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21
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Kaing V, Guo Z, Sok T, Kodikara D, Breider F, Yoshimura C. Photodegradation of biodegradable plastics in aquatic environments: Current understanding and challenges. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 911:168539. [PMID: 37981156 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Direct and indirect photolysis are important abiotic processes in aquatic environments through which plastics can be transformed physically and chemically. Transport of biodegradable plastics in water is influenced by vertical mixing and turbulent flow, which make biodegradable plastics remain susceptible to sunlight and photolysis despite their high density. In general, biodegradable plastics are composed of ester containing polymers (e.g., poly(butylene succinate), polyhydroxyalkanoate, and polylactic acid), whereas non-biodegradable plastics are composed of long chains of saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons in their backbones (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene). Based on the reviewed knowledge and discussion, we may hypothesize that 1) direct photolysis is more pronounced for non-biodegradation than for biodegradable plastics, 2) smaller plastics such as micro/nano-plastics are more prone to photodegradation and photo-transformation by direct and indirect photolysis, 3) the production rate of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the surface of biodegradable plastics is higher than that of non-biodegradable plastics, 4) the photodegradation of biodegradable plastics may be promoted by ROS produced from biodegradable plastics themselves, and 5) the subsequent reactions of ROS are more active on biodegradable plastics than non-biodegradable plastics. Moreover, micro/nanoplastics derived from biodegradable plastics serve as more effective carriers of organic pollutants than those from non-biodegradable plastics and thus biodegradable plastics may not necessarily be more ecofriendly than non-biodegradable plastics. However, biodegradable plastics have been largely unexplored from the viewpoint of direct or indirect photolysis. Roles of reactive oxygen species originating from biodegradable plastics should be further explored for comprehensively understanding the photodegradation of biodegradable plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinhteang Kaing
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-M1-4 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan; Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., P.O. Box 86, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Zhongyu Guo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-M1-4 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Ty Sok
- Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., P.O. Box 86, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Research and Innovation Center, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | - Dilini Kodikara
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-M1-4 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Florian Breider
- EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Central Environmental Laboratory, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ENAC, station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chihiro Yoshimura
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-M1-4 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan.
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22
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Yang M, Zhao L, Yu X, Shu W, Cao F, Liu Q, Liu M, Wang J, Jiang Y. Microbial community structure and co-occurrence network stability in seawater and microplastic biofilms under prometryn pollution in marine ecosystems. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 199:115960. [PMID: 38159383 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Prometryn has been extensively detected in marine environment because of its widespread usage in agriculture and aquaculture and has been concerns since its serious effects on aquatic organisms. However, its impact on the microbial community in the marine ecosystem including seawater and biofilm is still unclear. Therefore, a short-term indoor microcosm experiment of prometryn exposure was conducted. This study found that prometryn had a more significant impact on the structure and stability of the microbial community in seawater compared to microplastic biofilms. Additionally, we observed that the assembly of the microbial community in biofilms was more affected by stochastic processes than in seawater under the exposure of prometryn. Our study provided evidence for the increasing impact of the microbial communities under the stress of prometryn and microplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyao Yang
- College of Marine Life Sciences & Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Lingchao Zhao
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Xiaowen Yu
- College of Marine Life Sciences & Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Wangxinze Shu
- Fisheries College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Furong Cao
- College of Marine Life Sciences & Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Institute of Marine Science and Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Mingjian Liu
- College of Marine Life Sciences & Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; MoE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences & Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- College of Marine Life Sciences & Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; MoE Key Laboratory of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.
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23
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Ye J, Zhu Y, Chen H, Zhao X, Tang J, Zhang J, Chen Y, Guo Y, Tan Y, Zhang T. 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. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 342:123136. [PMID: 38092341 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Municipal sewer systems have received increasing attention due to the magnitude of the microplastic stock and its potential ecological impacts. However, as a critical aspect of the adverse impacts, little is known about the plastisphere that forms in these engineered environments. Using high-throughput absolute quantification sequencing, we conducted a systemic study combining field survey and laboratory batch test to explain the general plastisphere pattern and the role of environmental and polymeric factors in driving plastisphere succession and assembly there. We demonstrated the capacity of microplastics to support high levels of microbial colonization, increasing by 8.7-56.0 and 1.26-5.62 times at field and laboratory scales, respectively, despite the less diverse communities hosted in the resulting plastisphere. Sediment communities exhibited higher diversity but greater loss of specific operational taxonomic units in their plastisphere than in the wastewater. The former plastisphere had primarily an enhanced methanogenesis-oriented metabolic network linked to hydrolysis fermentation, hydrogen-producing acetogenesis, and denitrification, while the latter had a pronounced niche partitioning and competitive interaction network. Exogenous substrate flux and composition were key in stimulating plastisphere community growth and succession. Furthermore, the high nitrogen baseline facilitated alternative niche formation for plastisphere nitrifiers and denitrifiers, and the plastisphere pathogens associated with denitrification and plastic biodegradation functions increased significantly. The aerobic state also promoted a 1.71 times higher colonizer load and a denser interaction pattern than the anaerobic state. Selective filtering by polymers was evident: polyethylene supported higher plastisphere diversity than polypropylene. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms driving colonizer loads and the adaptive succession and assembly of the plastisphere in such a typically hydrodynamic and highly contaminated environment. The results help to fill the knowledge gap in understanding the potential role of microplastics in shaping the microecology of sewers and increasing health risks and substrate loss during sewer transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Ye
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yi Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Science and Technology Innovation Center for Eco-environmental Protection, Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 200050, China; YANGTZE Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing, 100038, China.
| | - Xin Zhao
- Shanghai Water Engineering Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 200333, China
| | - Jianfei Tang
- School of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai, 201209, China
| | - Jinxu Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yu Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China; State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yali Guo
- Science and Technology Innovation Center for Eco-environmental Protection, Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 200050, China; YANGTZE Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Yaqin Tan
- Science and Technology Innovation Center for Eco-environmental Protection, Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 200050, China; YANGTZE Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Science and Technology Innovation Center for Eco-environmental Protection, Shanghai Investigation, Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., Shanghai, 200050, China; YANGTZE Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing, 100038, China
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24
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Yao C, Liu C, Hong S, Zhou J, Gao Z, Li Y, Lv W, Zhou W. Potential nervous threat of nanoplastics to Monopterus albus: Implications from a metabolomics study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 910:168482. [PMID: 37981139 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics, as a new class of environmental pollutants, have been frequently detected in environmental media and organisms. Monopterus albus (M. albus) is an important economic aquatic product with a high dietary consumption. However, the potential biological effects of nanoplastics on M. albus remain unknown. In this study, the effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) at different concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mg/L) on M. albus were investigated using an untargeted metabolomics approach. The results showed that 59, 44, 24, and 31 individual differential metabolites and 16, 9, 6, and 2 significant differential metabolic pathways were significantly changed in 0.5, 1, 5, and 10 mg/L respectively, indicating the greater effect of PS-NPs at the relatively low concentrations. After further analysis, there are four same significant differential metabolic pathways for the 0.5 and 1 mg/L groups, i.e., ABC transporters, cAMP signaling pathway, Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, and Synaptic vesicle cycle. In addition, there was one mutual differential metabolic pathway (Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction) among the four groups, indicative of the probably universal nervous influence of nanoplastics on M. albus. In a word, the current work suggests that PS-NPs might affect the nervous systems of M. albus through disturbing their liver metabolism, and nanoplastics at relatively low concentrations may possess a greater effect, which provides significant information for assessing the toxic effect and exposure risk of nanoplastics to organisms in aquatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxia Yao
- Institute for Agri-food Standards and Testing Technology, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China; Key Laboratory of Food Quality Safety and Nutrition (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai 201403, China
| | - Chengbin Liu
- Institute for Agri-food Standards and Testing Technology, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China; Key Laboratory of Food Quality Safety and Nutrition (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai 201403, China
| | - Shuang Hong
- Institute for Agri-food Standards and Testing Technology, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China; College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean university, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Jiaxin Zhou
- Institute for Agri-food Standards and Testing Technology, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China; Key Laboratory of Food Quality Safety and Nutrition (Co-construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai 201403, China
| | - Zhaoliang Gao
- Institute of Fruit and Forest, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China
| | - Yiming Li
- Fishery Machinery and Instrument Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Weiwei Lv
- Eco-environmental Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China.
| | - Wenzong Zhou
- Eco-environmental Protection Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China.
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25
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Stevenson EM, Buckling A, Cole M, Lindeque PK, Murray AK. Selection for antimicrobial resistance in the plastisphere. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168234. [PMID: 37924893 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics and antimicrobials are widespread contaminants that threaten global systems and frequently co-exist in the presence of human or animal pathogens. Whilst the impact of each of these contaminants has been studied in isolation, the influence of this co-occurrence in driving antimicrobial resistance (AMR)1 in microplastic-adhered microbial communities, known as 'the Plastisphere', is not well understood. This review proposes the mechanisms by which interactions between antimicrobials and microplastics may drive selection for AMR in the Plastisphere. These include: 1) increased rates of horizontal gene transfer in the Plastisphere compared with free-living counterparts and natural substrate controls due to the proximity of cells, co-occurrence of environmental microplastics with AMR selective compounds and the sequestering of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in the biofilm matrix. 2) An elevated AMR selection pressure in the Plastisphere due to the adsorbing of AMR selective or co-selective compounds to microplastics at concentrations greater than those found in surrounding mediums and potentially those adsorbed to comparator particles. 3) AMR selection pressure may be further elevated in the Plastisphere due to the incorporation of antimicrobial or AMR co-selective chemicals in the plastic matrix during manufacture. Implications for both ecological functioning and environmental risk assessments are discussed, alongside recommendations for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Stevenson
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter Medical School, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, UK; Marine Ecology & Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK; Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Angus Buckling
- Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Matthew Cole
- Marine Ecology & Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
| | - Penelope K Lindeque
- Marine Ecology & Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, West Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK; Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Aimee K Murray
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter Medical School, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, UK.
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26
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Garrison CE, Pachiadaki MG, Soliman S, Helfrich A, Taylor GT. Microbes and microplastics: Community shifts along an urban coastal contaminant gradient. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16563. [PMID: 38151777 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Plastic substrates introduced to the environment during the Anthropocene have introduced new pathways for microbial selection and dispersal. Some plastic-colonising microorganisms have adapted phenotypes for plastic degradation (selection), while the spatial transport (dispersal) potential of plastic colonisers remains controlled by polymer-specific density, hydrography and currents. Plastic-degrading enzyme abundances have recently been correlated with concentrations of plastic debris in open ocean environments, making it critical to better understand colonisation of hydrocarbon degraders with plastic degradation potential in urbanised watersheds where plastic pollution often originates. We found that microbial colonisation by reputed hydrocarbon degraders on microplastics (MPs) correlated with a spatial contaminant gradient (New York City/Long Island waterways), polymer types, temporal scales, microbial domains and putative cell activity (DNA vs. RNA). Hydrocarbon-degrading taxa enriched on polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride substrates relative to other polymers and were more commonly recovered in samples proximal to New York City. These differences in MP colonisation could indicate phenotypic adaptation processes resulting from increased exposure to urban plastic runoff as well as differences in carbon bioavailability across polymer types. Shifts in MP community potential across urban coastal contaminant gradients and polymer types improve our understanding of environmental plastic discharge impacts toward biogeochemical cycling across the global ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody E Garrison
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Anthony Helfrich
- School of Professional Development, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Gordon T Taylor
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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27
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Liu X, Fang L, Yan X, Gardea-Torresdey JL, Gao Y, Zhou X, Yan B. Surface functional groups and biofilm formation on microplastics: Environmental implications. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166585. [PMID: 37643702 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) contamination is becoming a significant environmental issue, as the widespread omnipresence of MPs can cause many adverse consequences for both ecological systems and humans. Contrary to what is commonly thought, the toxicity-inducing MPs are not the original pristine plastics; rather, they are completely transformed through various surface functional groups and aggressive biofilm formation on MPs via aging or weathering processes. Therefore, understanding the impacts of MPs' surface functional groups and biofilm formation on biogeochemical processes, such as environmental fate, transport, and toxicity, is crucial. In this review, we present a comprehensive summary of the distinctive impact that surface functional groups and biofilm formation of MPs have on their significant biogeochemical behavior in various environmental media, as well as their toxicity and biological effects. We place emphasis on the role of surface functional groups and biofilm formation as a means of influencing the biogeochemical processes of MPs. This includes their effects on pollutant fate and element cycling, which in turn impacts the aggregation, transport, and toxicity of MPs. Ultimately, future research studies and tactics are needed to improve our understanding of the biogeochemical processes that are influenced by the surface functional groups and biofilm formation of MPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xigui Liu
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liping Fang
- National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-Environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Xiliang Yan
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jorge L Gardea-Torresdey
- University of Texas at El Paso, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, El Paso, TX 79968, United States
| | - Yan Gao
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaoxia Zhou
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Bing Yan
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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28
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Elgendy MY, Ali SE, Abbas WT, Algammal AM, Abdelsalam M. The role of marine pollution on the emergence of fish bacterial diseases. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 344:140366. [PMID: 37806325 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Marine pollution and bacterial disease outbreaks are two closely related dilemmas that impact marine fish production from fisheries and mariculture. Oil, heavy metals, agrochemicals, sewage, medical wastes, plastics, algal blooms, atmospheric pollutants, mariculture-related pollutants, as well as thermal and noise pollution are the most threatening marine pollutants. The release of these pollutants into the marine aquatic environment leads to significant ecological degradation and a range of non-infectious disorders in fish. Marine pollutants trigger numerous fish bacterial diseases by increasing microbial multiplication in the aquatic environment and suppressing fish immune defense mechanisms. The greater part of these microorganisms is naturally occurring in the aquatic environment. Most disease outbreaks are caused by opportunistic bacterial agents that attack stressed fish. Some infections are more serious and occur in the absence of environmental stressors. Gram-negative bacteria are the most frequent causes of these epizootics, while gram-positive bacterial agents rank second on the critical pathogens list. Vibrio spp., Photobacterium damselae subsp. Piscicida, Tenacibaculum maritimum, Edwardsiella spp., Streptococcus spp., Renibacterium salmoninarum, Pseudomonas spp., Aeromonas spp., and Mycobacterium spp. Are the most dangerous pathogens that attack fish in polluted marine aquatic environments. Effective management strategies and stringent regulations are required to prevent or mitigate the impacts of marine pollutants on aquatic animal health. This review will increase stakeholder awareness about marine pollutants and their impacts on aquatic animal health. It will support competent authorities in developing effective management strategies to mitigate marine pollution, promote the sustainability of commercial marine fisheries, and protect aquatic animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamdouh Y Elgendy
- Department of Hydrobiology, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt.
| | - Shimaa E Ali
- Department of Hydrobiology, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt; WorldFish, Abbassa, Sharkia, Egypt
| | - Wafaa T Abbas
- Department of Hydrobiology, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt
| | - Abdelazeem M Algammal
- Department of Bacteriology, Immunology, and Mycology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Abdelsalam
- Department of Aquatic Animal Medicine and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211, Egypt
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29
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Witsø IL, Basson A, Vinje H, Llarena AK, Bringas CS, Aspholm M, Wasteson Y, Myrmel M. Freshwater plastispheres as a vector for foodborne bacteria and viruses. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2864-2881. [PMID: 37964725 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that plastic particles can accumulate microorganisms that are pathogenic to humans or animals. In the current study, the composition of the plastispheres that accumulated on polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pieces submerged in a river in the southeast Norway was characterized by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Seasonal and geographical effects on the bacterial composition of the plastisphere were identified, in addition to the detection of potential foodborne pathogenic bacteria and viruses as part of the plastisphere. The diversity and taxonomic composition of the plastispheres were influenced by the number of weeks in the river, the season, and the location. The bacterial diversity differed significantly in the plastisphere from June and September, with a generally higher diversity in June. Also, the community composition of the plastisphere was significantly influenced by the geographical location, while the type of plastic had less impact. Plastics submerged in river water assembled a variety of microorganisms including potentially pathogenic bacteria and viruses (noro- and adenovirus) detected by qPCR. Cultivation methods detected viable bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. The results highlight the need for additional research on the risk of contaminating food with plastic particles colonized with human pathogens through irrigation water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingun Lund Witsø
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Adelle Basson
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hilde Vinje
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Ann-Katrin Llarena
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Carlos Salas Bringas
- Institute for Marine Operations and Civil Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Ålesund, Norway
| | - Marina Aspholm
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Yngvild Wasteson
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Food Safety Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Mette Myrmel
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Virology Unit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
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Silva V, Pérez V, Gillanders BM. Short-term plastisphere colonization dynamics across six plastic types. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2732-2745. [PMID: 37341062 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Marine plastic pollution is a major concern worldwide, but the understanding of plastisphere dynamics remains limited in the southern hemisphere. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a study in South Australia to investigate the prokaryotic community of the plastisphere and its temporal changes over 4 weeks. We submerged six plastic types (i.e., High-Density Polyethylene [HDPE], Polyvinyl chloride [PVC], Low-Density Polyethylene [LDPE], Polypropylene [PP], Polystyrene [PS] and the understudied textile, polyester [PET]) and wood in seawater and sampled them weekly to characterize the prokaryotic community using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. Our results showed that the plastisphere composition shifted significantly over short time scales (i.e., 4 weeks), and each plastic type had distinct groups of unique genera. In particular, the PVC plastisphere was dominated by Cellvibrionaceae taxa, distinguishing it from other plastics. Additionally, the textile polyester, which is rarely studied in plastisphere research, supported the growth of a unique group of 25 prokaryotic genera (which included the potential pathogenic Legionella genus). Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the colonization dynamics of the plastisphere over short time scales and contributes to narrowing the research gap on the southern hemisphere plastisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinuri Silva
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Vilma Pérez
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Bronwyn M Gillanders
- Southern Seas Ecology Laboratories, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Yin W, Zhuang J, Li J, Xia L, Hu K, Yin J, Mu Y. Digital Recombinase Polymerase Amplification, Digital Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification, and Digital CRISPR-Cas Assisted Assay: Current Status, Challenges, and Perspectives. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2303398. [PMID: 37612816 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202303398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Digital nucleic acid detection based on microfluidics technology can quantify the initial amount of nucleic acid in the sample with low equipment requirements and simple operations, which can be widely used in clinical and in vitro diagnosis. Recently, isothermal amplification technologies such as recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) assisted technologies have become a hot spot of attention and state-of-the-art digital nucleic acid chips have provided a powerful tool for these technologies. Herein, isothermal amplification technologies including RPA, LAMP, and CRISPR-Cas assisted methods, based on digital nucleic acid microfluidics chips recently, have been reviewed. Moreover, the challenges of digital isothermal amplification and possible strategies to address them are discussed. Finally, future directions of digital isothermal amplification technology, such as microfluidic chip and device manufacturing, multiplex detection, and one-pot detection, are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihong Yin
- Research Centre for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Jianjian Zhuang
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Clinical Cancer Pharmacology and Toxicology Research of Zhejiang Province, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Cancer Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, P. R. China
| | - Jiale Li
- Research Centre for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Liping Xia
- Research Centre for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Kai Hu
- Research Centre for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
| | - Juxin Yin
- Research Centre for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
- School of information and Electrical Engineering, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, 310015, P. R. China
| | - Ying Mu
- Research Centre for Analytical Instrumentation, Institute of Cyber-Systems and Control, State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, P. R. China
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Karkanorachaki K, Syranidou E, Kalogerakis N. Extreme weather events as an important factor for the evolution of plastisphere but not for the degradation process. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 246:120687. [PMID: 37801984 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Marine plastics, with their negative effects on marine life and the human health, have been recently recognized as a new niche for the colonization and development of marine biofilms. Members of the colonizing communities could possess the potential for plastic biodegradation. Thus, there is an urgent need to characterize these complex and geographically variable communities and elucidate the functionalities. In this work, we characterize the fungal and bacterial colonizers of 5 types of plastic films (High Density Polyethylene, Low Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene and Polyethylene Terepthalate) over the course of a 242-day incubation in the south-eastern Mediterranean and relate them to the chemical changes observed on the surface of the samples via ATR-FTIR. The 16s rRNA and ITS2 ribosomal regions of the plastisphere communities were sequenced on four time points (35, 152, 202 and 242 days). The selection of the time points was dictated by the occurrence of a severe storm which removed biological fouling from the surface of the samples and initiated a second colonization period. The bacterial communities, dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, were the most variable and diverse. Fungal communities, characterized mainly by the presence of Ascomycota, were not significantly affected by the storm. Neither bacterial nor fungal community structure were related to the polymer type acting as substrate, while the surface of the plastic samples underwent weathering of oscillating degrees with time. This work examines the long-term development of Mediterranean epiplastic biofilms and is the first to examine how primary colonization influences the microbial community re-attachment and succession as a response to extreme weather events. Finally, it is one of the few studies to examine fungal communities, despite them containing putative plastic degraders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Karkanorachaki
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, GR-73100, Chania, Greece
| | - Evdokia Syranidou
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, GR-73100, Chania, Greece
| | - Nicolas Kalogerakis
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, GR-73100, Chania, Greece; Institute of GeoEnergy, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, GR-73100, Chania, Greece.
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Xu L, Li K, Zhang M, Guo J, Jia W, Bai X, Tian X, Huang Y. Plastic substrate and residual time of microplastics in the urban river shape the composition and structure of bacterial communities in plastisphere. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 345:118710. [PMID: 37536136 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
The widespread secondary microplastics (MPs) in urban freshwater, originating from plastic wastes, have created a new habitat called plastisphere for microorganisms. The factors influencing the structure and ecological risks of the microbial community within the plastisphere are not yet fully understood. We conducted an in-site incubation experiment in an urban river, using MPs from garbage bags (GB), shopping bags (SB), and plastic bottles (PB). Bacterial communities in water and plastisphere incubated for 2 and 4 weeks were analyzed by 16S high-throughput sequencing. The results showed the bacterial composition of the plastisphere, especially the PB, exhibited enrichment of plastic-degrading and photoautotrophic taxa. Diversity declined in GB and PB but increased in SB plastisphere. Abundance analysis revealed distinct bacterial species that were enriched or depleted in each type of plastisphere. As the succession progressed, the differences in community structure was more pronounced, and the decline in the complexity of bacterial community within each plastisphere suggested increasing specialization. All the plastisphere exhibited elevated pathogenicity at the second or forth week, compared to bacterial communities related to natural particles. These findings highlighted the continually evolving plastisphere in urban rivers was influenced by the plastic substrates, and attention should be paid to fragile plastic wastes due to the rapidly increasing pathogenicity of the bacterial community attached to them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libo Xu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Kang Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Mengjun Zhang
- Peking University Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518057, China; PKU-HKUST Shenzhen-Hongkong Institution, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518057, China
| | - Jiabao Guo
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Weiqian Jia
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xinyi Bai
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xudong Tian
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Monitoring, Forewarning and Quality Control of Zhejiang, Zhejiang Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Hangzhou, 310012, China.
| | - Yi Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Wang H, Xu K, Wang J, Feng C, Chen Y, Shi J, Ding Y, Deng C, Liu X. Microplastic biofilm: An important microniche that may accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance genes via natural transformation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 459:132085. [PMID: 37494793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) biofilms provide a specific microniche for microbial life and are a potential hotspot for the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Nevertheless, the acquisition of ARGs in MP biofilms via natural transformation mediated by extracellular DNA (eDNA) has been rarely explored. This study demonstrated that MP biofilms promoted the natural transformation of extracellular ARGs at the single-cell and multi-species levels, compared to natural substrate (NS) biofilms and bacterioplankton. The transformation frequency on MP biofilms was up to 1000-fold compare to that on NS. The small MPs and aged MPs enhanced the ARG transformation frequencies up to 77.16-fold and 32.05-fold, respectively, compared with the large MPs and pristine MPs. The transformation frequencies on MP biofilms were significantly positively correlated with the bacterial density and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) content (P < 0.05). Furthermore, MPs significantly increased the expression of the biofilm formation related genes (motA and pgaA) and DNA uptake related genes (pilX and comA) compared to NS and bacterioplankton. The more transformants colonized on MPs contributed to the enhanced transformation frequencies at the community-wide level. Overall, eDNA-mediated transformation in MP biofilms may be an important path of ARG spread, which was promoted by heterogeneous biofilm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huixiang Wang
- School of Biology, Food, and Environment, Hefei University, Hefei 230601, China; School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Kaiwen Xu
- School of Biology, Food, and Environment, Hefei University, Hefei 230601, China; International (Sino-German) Joint Research Center for Biomass of Anhui Province, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jing Wang
- School of Biology, Food, and Environment, Hefei University, Hefei 230601, China; School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Chong Feng
- School of Biology, Food, and Environment, Hefei University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Yihan Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Jianghong Shi
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yan Ding
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
| | - Chengxun Deng
- School of Biology, Food, and Environment, Hefei University, Hefei 230601, China; International (Sino-German) Joint Research Center for Biomass of Anhui Province, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- School of Biology, Food, and Environment, Hefei University, Hefei 230601, China; International (Sino-German) Joint Research Center for Biomass of Anhui Province, Hefei 230601, China.
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Pan I, Umapathy S, Issac PK, Rahman MM, Guru A, Arockiaraj J. The bioaccessibility of adsorped heavy metals on biofilm-coated microplastics and their implication for the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1264. [PMID: 37782357 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11890-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) tiny fragments (< 5 mm) of conventional and specialized industrial polymers are persistent and ubiquitous in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem. Breathing, ingestion, consumption of food stuffs, potable water, and skin are possible routes of MP exposure that pose potential human health risk. Various microorganisms including bacteria, cyanobacteria, and microalgae rapidly colonized on MP surfaces which initiate biofilm formation. It gradually changed the MP surface chemistry and polymer properties that attract environmental metals. Physicochemical and environmental parameters like polymer type, dissolved organic matter (DOM), pH, salinity, ion concentrations, and microbial community compositions regulate metal adsorption on MP biofilm surface. A set of highly conserved proteins tightly regulates metal uptake, subcellular distribution, storage, and transport to maintain cellular homeostasis. Exposure of metal-MP biofilm can disrupt that cellular homeostasis to induce toxicities. Imbalances in metal concentrations therefore led to neuronal network dysfunction, ROS, mitochondrial damage in diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Prion disorder. This review focuses on the biofilm development on MP surfaces, factors controlling the growth of MP biofilm which triggered metal accumulation to induce neurotoxicological consequences in human body and stategies to reestablish the homeostasis. Thus, the present study gives a new approach on the health risks of heavy metals associated with MP biofilm in which biofilms trigger metal accumulation and MPs serve as a vector for those accumulated metals causing metal dysbiosis in human body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ieshita Pan
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 602105, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Suganiya Umapathy
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 602105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Praveen Kumar Issac
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 602105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Md Mostafizur Rahman
- Laboratory of Environmental Health and Ecotoxicology, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342, Bangladesh
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342, Bangladesh
| | - Ajay Guru
- Department of Cariology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Jesu Arockiaraj
- Toxicology and Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur 603203, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu, India.
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Xu X, Wang S, Li C, Li J, Gao F, Zheng L. Quorum sensing bacteria in microplastics epiphytic biofilms and their biological characteristics which potentially impact marine ecosystem. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 264:115444. [PMID: 37690175 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) have been shown to be a new type of pollutant in the oceans, with complex biofilms attached to their surfaces. Bacteria with quorum sensing (QS) systems are important participants in biofilms. Such bacteria can secrete and detect signal molecules. When a signal molecule reaches its threshold level, bacteria with QS systems can perform several biological functions, such as biofilm formation and antibiotic metabolite production. However, the ecological effects of QS bacteria in biofilm as MPs distribute globally with ocean currents are not to be elucidate yet. In this study, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride were selected for on-site enrichment to acquire microplastics with biofilms. Eight culturable QS bacteria in the resulting biofilm were isolated by using biosensor assays, and their biodiversity was analyzed. The profiles of the N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) produced by these bacteria were analyzed by using thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-bioautography and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Biofilm-forming properties and several biological characteristics, such as bacteriostasis, algal inhibition, and dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) degradation, were explored along with QS quenching. Results showed that QS bacteria were mainly affiliated with class Alphaproteobacteria, particularly Rhodobacteraceae, followed by class Gammaproteobacteria. TLC-bioautography and GC-MS analyses revealed that seven AHLs, namely, C6-HSL, C8-HSL, 3-oxo-C6-HSL, 3-oxo-C8-HSL, 3-oxo-C10-HSL, and two unidentified AHLs were produced. The QS system equipped bacteria with strong biofilm-forming capacity and may contribute to the keystone roles of Rhodobacteraceae. In addition, QS bacteria may exacerbate the adverse environmental effects of MPs, such as inducing the misfeeding of planktons on MPs. This study elucidated the diversity of QS bacteria in MP-associated biofilms and provided a new perspective of the effect of key membrane-forming bacteria on the marine ecological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyuan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
| | - Shuai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
| | - Chengxuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
| | - Jingxi Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
| | - Fenglei Gao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Li Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China; Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao 266237, China.
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Koh J, Bairoliya S, Salta M, Cho ZT, Fong J, Neo ML, Cragg S, Cao B. Sediment-driven plastisphere community assembly on plastic debris in tropical coastal and marine environments. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 179:108153. [PMID: 37607427 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Coastal habitats have been suggested to serve as a sink for unaccounted plastic debris, i.e., "missing plastic" in the sea, and hence, a hotspot of plastic pollution in the marine and coastal environments. Although the accumulation of plastic debris may pose significant threats to coastal ecosystems, we know little about the fate of these plastic debris and their ecological impacts due to the lack of studies on plastic-microbe interactions in coastal habitats, especially for the tropical marine and coastal environments. In this study, we collected plastic debris from 14 sites consisting of various coastal ecosystems (seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and beaches), and marine ecosystem (coral reef) around Singapore and characterized the prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities colonized on them. Our results showed that the composition of plastisphere communities in these intertidal ecosystems was predominantly influenced by the sediment than by the plastic materials. Compared with surrounding sediment and seawater, the plastic debris enriched potential plastic degraders, such as Muricauda, Halomonas, and Brevundimonas. The plastic debris was also found to host taxa that play significant roles in biogeochemical cycles (e.g., cyanobacteria, Erythrobacter), hygienically relevant bacteria (e.g., Chryseobacterium, Brevundimonas), and potential pathogens that may negatively impact the health of coastal ecosystems (e.g., Thraustochytriaceae, Labyrinthulaceae, Flavobacterium). Taken together, our study provides valuable insights into the plastic-microbe interactions in tropical coastal and marine ecosystems, highlighting the urgent need for plastisphere studies to understand the fate and ecological impacts of plastic debris accumulated in coastal habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Koh
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Sakcham Bairoliya
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Maria Salta
- Biofilm and MIC Research, Endures BV, the Netherlands
| | - Zin Thida Cho
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Jenny Fong
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mei Lin Neo
- Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Simon Cragg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom; Centre for Enzyme Innovation, School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Bin Cao
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
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Khanjani MH, Sharifinia M, Mohammadi AR. The impact of microplastics on bivalve mollusks: A bibliometric and scientific review. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 194:115271. [PMID: 37429180 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Bivalves are important members of the ecosystem and their populations are declining globally, making them a concern for their role in ecosystem services and the fishing industry. Bivalves are excellent bioindicators of MPs pollution due to their widespread distribution, filtering capabilities, and close association with human health. Microplastics (MPs) have direct and indirect impacts on bivalves, affecting their physiology, habitat structure, food sources, and persistence of organic pollutants. This review provides an extensive overview of the impact of MPs on bivalves, covering various aspects such as their economic significance, ecological roles, and importance in biomonitoring environmental quality. The article presents the current state of knowledge on the sources and pathways of MPs in aquatic environments and their effects on bivalves. The mechanisms underlying the effects of MPs on bivalves, including ingestion, filtration activity, feeding inhibition, accumulation, bioaccumulation, and reproduction, are also discussed. Additionally, a bibliometric analysis of research on MPs in bivalves is presented, highlighting the number of papers, geographical distribution, and keyword clusters relating to MPs. Finally, the review emphasizes the importance of ongoing research and the development of mitigation strategies to reduce the negative effects of MPs pollution on bivalves and their habitats in oceans and coastal waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hossein Khanjani
- Department of Fisheries Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Kerman, Iran
| | - Moslem Sharifinia
- Shrimp Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Bushehr 75169-89177, Iran.
| | - Ali Reza Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran.
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Zhong H, Wu M, Sonne C, Lam SS, Kwong RW, Jiang Y, Zhao X, Sun X, Zhang X, Li C, Li Y, Qu G, Jiang F, Shi H, Ji R, Ren H. The hidden risk of microplastic-associated pathogens in aquatic environments. ECO-ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH 2023; 2:142-151. [PMID: 38074987 PMCID: PMC10702891 DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2023.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Increasing studies of plastisphere have raised public concern about microplastics (MPs) as vectors for pathogens, especially in aquatic environments. However, the extent to which pathogens affect human health through MPs remains unclear, as controversies persist regarding the distinct pathogen colonization on MPs as well as the transmission routes and infection probability of MP-associated pathogens from water to humans. In this review, we critically discuss whether and how pathogens approach humans via MPs, shedding light on the potential health risks involved. Drawing on cutting-edge multidisciplinary research, we show that some MPs may facilitate the growth and long-range transmission of specific pathogens in aquatic environments, ultimately increasing the risk of infection in humans. We identify MP- and pathogen-rich settings, such as wastewater treatment plants, aquaculture farms, and swimming pools, as possible sites for human exposure to MP-associated pathogens. This review emphasizes the need for further research and targeted interventions to better understand and mitigate the potential health risks associated with MP-mediated pathogen transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zhong
- School of Environment, Nanjing University, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Mengjie Wu
- School of Environment, Nanjing University, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Su Shiung Lam
- Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
- University Centre for Research and Development, Department of Chemistry, Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Raymond W.M. Kwong
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Yuelu Jiang
- Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaoli Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Xuemei Sun
- Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xuxiang Zhang
- School of Environment, Nanjing University, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chengjun Li
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Environment and Health (HUST), Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubation), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Guangbo Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Feng Jiang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Huahong Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Rong Ji
- School of Environment, Nanjing University, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- School of Environment, Nanjing University, State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing 210023, China
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Xiao S, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Li J, Dai W, Pang K, Liu Y, Wu R. Bacterial community succession and the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics in an oyster farm. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 194:115402. [PMID: 37611336 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics can be colonized by microorganisms and form plastisphere. However, knowledge of bacterial community succession and the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and pathogens on microplastics in aquaculture environments is limited. Here, we conducted a 30-day continuous exposure experiment at an oyster farm. Results showed that the alpha-diversity of communities on most microplastics continuously increased and was higher than in planktonic communities after 14 days. Microplastics could selectively enrich certain bacteria from water which can live a sessile lifestyle and promote colonization by other bacteria. The composition and function of plastisphere communities were distinct from those in the surrounding water and influenced by polymer type and exposure time. Microplastics can enrich ARGs (sul1, qnrS and blaTEM) and harbor potential pathogens (e.g., Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Therefore, microplastic pollution may pose a critical threat to aquaculture ecosystems and human health. Our study provides further insight into the ecological risks of microplastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Xiao
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Environment and Resources, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, PR China
| | - Yang Zhang
- The key Laboratory of Water and Air Pollution Control of Guangdong Province, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou 510530, PR China
| | - Yongjie Wu
- The key Laboratory of Water and Air Pollution Control of Guangdong Province, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou 510530, PR China
| | - Jincai Li
- The key Laboratory of Water and Air Pollution Control of Guangdong Province, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou 510530, PR China
| | - Weijie Dai
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Kuo Pang
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yun Liu
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Environment and Resources, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, PR China,.
| | - Renren Wu
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Environment and Resources, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, 411105, PR China,; The key Laboratory of Water and Air Pollution Control of Guangdong Province, South China Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou 510530, PR China,.
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Naudet J, d'Orbcastel ER, Bouvier T, Godreuil S, Dyall S, Bouvy S, Rieuvilleneuve F, Restrepo-Ortiz CX, Bettarel Y, Auguet JC. Identifying macroplastic pathobiomes and antibiotic resistance in a subtropical fish farm. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 194:115267. [PMID: 37487429 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Macroplastics are ubiquitous in aquaculture ecosystems. However, to date the potential role of plastics as a support for bacterial biofilm that can include potential human pathogenic bacteria (PHPB) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) has been largely overlooked. In this study, we used a combination of metabarcoding and standard antibiotic susceptibility testing to study the pathobiome and resistome of macroplastics, fish guts and the environment in a marine aquaculture farm in Mauritius. Aquaculture macroplastics were found to be higher in PHPB, dominated by the Vibrionaceae family (0.34 % of the total community), compared with environmental samples. Moreover, isolates from aquaculture plastics showed higher significant multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) compared to non-plastic samples of seawater, sediment and fish guts. These results suggest that plastics act as a reservoir and fomite of PHPB and ARB in aquaculture, potentially threatening the health of farmed fish and human consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne Naudet
- UMR MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - Emmanuelle Roque d'Orbcastel
- UMR MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Sète, France; IOC, Indian Ocean Commission, Blue Tower, Rue de l'Institut, Ebène, Mauritius
| | - Thierry Bouvier
- UMR MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Godreuil
- UMR MIVEGEC IRD-CNRS-Université de Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Sabrina Dyall
- Molecular Life Sciences Pole of Research Excellence, Department of Biosciences and Ocean Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit 80837, Mauritius
| | - Simon Bouvy
- Ferme Marine de Mahébourg Ltd. Royal Road, Pointe aux Feuilles, Mauritius
| | | | | | - Yvan Bettarel
- UMR MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Montpellier, France
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Su Y, Gao L, Peng L, Diao X, Lin S, Bao R, Mehmood T. Heterogeneous aggregation between microplastics and microalgae: May provide new insights for microplastics removal. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 261:106638. [PMID: 37517318 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Existing studies have shown that microplastics (MPs) as artificial surfaces can be colonized by plankton microorganisms. However, systematic research on exploring the aggregation formation process of MPs and microalgae is still lacking and particularly the influencing factors of aggregation remain to be elucidated. Therefore, this study investigated the heterogeneous aggregation process between various microalgal species (i.e., Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus obliquus, Tetraselmis subcordiformis, Chaetoceros müelleri and Streptococcus westermani) and MPs (i.e., mPS and mPLA) with different sizes (i.e., 74 μm and 613 μm), concentrations (i.e., 0.1 g/L, 1 g/L and 2 g/L) and shapes (i.e., the particle and sheet). The results showed that microalgae can first attach to the holes or protrusions of MPs and highly accumulate in the local region, and then multi-layer aggregation can be formed subsequently. The aggregation degree between MPs and microalgae was closely related to the MPs shape and size, and was less related to the MPs concentration. The aggregation speed of small-sized MPs (e.g., 74 μm) was faster than the large-sized ones (e.g., 613 μm). The MPs in a shape of sheet were more obvious than those in particle on their aggregation with microalgae. The density of aggregates was increased compared with pristine MPs, which is related to the cell density and cell number of attached microalgae. For the same type of MPs, the aggregation degree for the tested microalgae was as follows: Scenedesmus obliquus > C. vulgaris > T. subcordiformis > C. müelleri > S. westermani. Meanwhile, MPs inhibited cell growth of microalgae, particularly under the circumstance of their aggregation, by limiting the gas and mass transfer between microalgal cells and the extracellular environment. The heterogeneous aggregation of MPs and microalgae may provide new ideas for treatment and controlling of MPs in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Su
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Center for Eco-Environment Restoration Engineering of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Liu Gao
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Center for Eco-Environment Restoration Engineering of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Licheng Peng
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Center for Eco-Environment Restoration Engineering of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Xiaoping Diao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Shengyou Lin
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Center for Eco-Environment Restoration Engineering of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Ruiqi Bao
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Center for Eco-Environment Restoration Engineering of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Tariq Mehmood
- Key Laboratory of Agro-Forestry Environmental Processes and Ecological Regulation of Hainan Province, Center for Eco-Environment Restoration Engineering of Hainan Province, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
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Nithin A, Sundaramanickam A, Saha M, Hassanshahian M, Thangaraj M, Rathore C. Risk assessments of microplastics accumulated in estuarine sediments at Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, southeast coast of India. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:890. [PMID: 37365443 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11434-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the abundance of microplastics (MPs) in the Uppanar and Gadilam estuaries in Cuddalore, on the southeast coast of India, is reported. In the estuarine sediments, MP abundance ranged from 36.3 ± 3.39 to 51.6 ± 2.05 particles/Kg dw. Different types of MP shapes, such as fibers (41.7-47.9%), films (21.2-27.2%), and fragments (18.3-25.5%) were observed in the size range of 100-1000 µm. Diverse colours of MPs were observed, among which red (30.1-34.5%) was predominantly noticed in the estuarine sediments. Six polymers were identified by µ-FTIR, among which LDPE (39%) and PP (35%) were dominant. MPs pollution in these estuaries is composed of domestic, industrial, and fishing wastes. Risk assessments show that the area falls under hazard categories I to III, indicating low to high risk. This study improves knowledge on MPs contamination in Uppanar and Gadilam estuaries and provides impetus for further research to identify the actual sources and impacts of MPs on aquatic systems along the east coast of India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajith Nithin
- Centre of Advance Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, 608 502, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Arumugam Sundaramanickam
- Centre of Advance Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, 608 502, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Mahua Saha
- CSIR- National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, 403004, India
| | - Mehdi Hassanshahian
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Muthusamy Thangaraj
- Centre of Advance Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University, Parangipettai, 608 502, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Chayanika Rathore
- CSIR- National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, 403004, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Feng Y, Sun JW, Shi WW, Duan JL, Sun XD, Feng LJ, Wang Q, Gan YD, Yuan XZ. Microplastics exhibit accumulation and horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 336:117632. [PMID: 36921474 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Although the fates of microplastics (0.1-5 mm) in marine environments and freshwater are increasingly studied, little is known about their vector effect in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Previous studies have evaluated the accumulation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) on microplastics, but there is no direct evidence for the selection and horizontal transfer of ARGs on different microplastics in WWTPs. Here, we show biofilm formation as well as bacterial community and ARGs in these biofilms grown on four kinds of microplastics via incubation in the aerobic and anaerobic tanks of a WWTP. Microplastics showed differential capacities for bacteria and ARGs enrichment, differing from those of the culture environment. Furthermore, ARGs in microplastic biofilms were horizontally transferred at frequencies higher than those in water samples in both tanks. Therefore, microplastics in WWTPs can act as substrates for horizontal transfer of ARGs, potentially causing a great harm to the ecological environment and adversely affecting human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Feng
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China; College of Mining and Safety Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266590, PR China
| | - Jia-Wen Sun
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Wei-Wei Shi
- Center for Soil Pollution Control of Shandong, Jinan, Shandong 250012, PR China
| | - Jian-Lu Duan
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Xiao-Dong Sun
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Li-Juan Feng
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Qian Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China
| | - Yu-Dong Gan
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250063, PR China.
| | - Xian-Zheng Yuan
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, PR China.
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45
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Marín A, Feijoo P, de Llanos R, Carbonetto B, González-Torres P, Tena-Medialdea J, García-March JR, Gámez-Pérez J, Cabedo L. Microbiological Characterization of the Biofilms Colonizing Bioplastics in Natural Marine Conditions: A Comparison between PHBV and PLA. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1461. [PMID: 37374962 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Biodegradable polymers offer a potential solution to marine pollution caused by plastic waste. The marine biofilms that formed on the surfaces of poly(lactide acid) (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were studied. Bioplastics were exposed for 6 months to marine conditions in the Mediterranean Sea, and the biofilms that formed on their surfaces were assessed. The presence of specific PLA and PHBV degraders was also studied. PHBV showed extensive areas with microbial accumulations and this led to higher microbial surface densities than PLA (4.75 vs. 5.16 log CFU/cm2). Both polymers' surfaces showed a wide variety of microbial structures, including bacteria, fungi, unicellular algae and choanoflagellates. A high bacterial diversity was observed, with differences between the two polymers, particularly at the phylum level, with over 70% of bacteria affiliated to three phyla. Differences in metagenome functions were also detected, revealing a higher presence of proteins involved in PHBV biodegradation in PHBV biofilms. Four bacterial isolates belonging to the Proteobacteria class were identified as PHBV degraders, demonstrating the presence of species involved in the biodegradation of this polymer in seawater. No PLA degraders were detected, confirming its low biodegradability in marine environments. This was a pilot study to establish a baseline for further studies aimed at comprehending the marine biodegradation of biopolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Marín
- Polymers and Advanced Materials Group (PIMA), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Av. de Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, Castelló de la Plana, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Patricia Feijoo
- Polymers and Advanced Materials Group (PIMA), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Av. de Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, Castelló de la Plana, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Rosa de Llanos
- MicroBIO, Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Av. de Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, Castelló de la Plana, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Belén Carbonetto
- Microomics Systems S.L., IIB Sant Pau, C/Sant Quintí, 77-79, 08041 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - José Tena-Medialdea
- IMEDMAR-UCV Institute of Environment and Marine Science Research, Universidad Católica de Valencia, Av. del Port, 15, 03710 Calpe, Spain
| | - José R García-March
- IMEDMAR-UCV Institute of Environment and Marine Science Research, Universidad Católica de Valencia, Av. del Port, 15, 03710 Calpe, Spain
| | - José Gámez-Pérez
- Polymers and Advanced Materials Group (PIMA), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Av. de Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, Castelló de la Plana, 12071 Castelló, Spain
| | - Luis Cabedo
- Polymers and Advanced Materials Group (PIMA), Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Av. de Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, Castelló de la Plana, 12071 Castelló, Spain
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46
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Karkanorachaki K, Syranidou E, Maravelaki PN, Kalogerakis N. Intertwined synergistic abiotic and biotic degradation of polypropylene pellets in marine mesocosms. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 457:131710. [PMID: 37276696 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of plastic waste in the oceans has caused growing concern for its effects on marine life. The interactions of plastics with environmental factors have been linked to fragmentation to micro- and nanoparticles with different properties and consequences, but the mechanism of fragmentation has not been fully understood yet. In this work, we investigate the combined effect of marine communities and ultraviolet (UV) radiation towards the degradation of virgin and artificially weathered polypropylene (PP) pellets after a long-term incubation period in marine mesocosms. The surface chemical alterations and deterioration of the polymer, in conjunction with the attachment and evolution of marine bacterial communities, the development of biofilm and exopolymeric substances (EPS), as well as the colloidal properties (zeta-potential and hydrodynamic diameter) of the mesocosms were studied. The surface area of both types of pellets decreased over time, despite no concrete weight change being observed. Cell growth, EPS production and colloid particle size were correlated to the loss of area. Therefore, we propose that surface area could be effectively monitored, instead of weight loss, as an alternative indicator of polymer degradation in biodegradation experiments. Changes in the chemical structure of the polymer, in addition to the evolution of the biological factors, implied that a complex degradation process alternated between two phases: an abiotic phase, when UV irradiation contributes to the deterioration of the polymer surface layers and a biotic phase, when marine communities degrade the weathered polymer surface to reveal the underlying layer of virgin polymer. Finally, microscopic particles, produced as a result of the decrease in pellet area, promoted the aggregation of colloidal particles. The role and impacts of these colloidal particles in marine ecosystems are yet as unidentified as that of micro- and nano-sized plastic particles and call for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Karkanorachaki
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece
| | - Evdokia Syranidou
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece
| | | | - Nicolas Kalogerakis
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece; Institute of GeoEnergy, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Chania, Greece.
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47
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Sérvulo T, Taylor JD, Proietti MC, Rodrigues LDS, Puertas IP, Barutot RA, Lacerda ALDF. Plastisphere composition in a subtropical estuary: Influence of season, incubation time and polymer type on plastic biofouling. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023:121873. [PMID: 37244532 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Plastics are abundant artificial substrates in aquatic systems that host a wide variety of organisms (the plastisphere), including potential pathogens and invasive species. Plastisphere communities have many complex, but not well-understood ecological interactions. It is pivotal to investigate how these communities are influenced by the natural fluctuations in aquatic ecosystems, especially in transitional environments such as estuaries. Further study is needed in sub-tropical regions in the Southern Hemisphere, where plastic pollution is ever increasing. Here we applied DNA-metabarcoding (16S, 18S and ITS-2) as well Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to assess the diversity of the plastisphere in the Patos Lagoon estuary (PLE), South Brazil. Through a one-year in situ colonization experiment, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plates were placed in shallow waters, and sampled after 30 and 90 days within each season. Over 50 taxa including bacteria, fungi and other eukaryotes were found through DNA analysis. Overall, the polymer type did not influence the plastisphere community composition. However, seasonality significantly affected community composition for bacteria, fungi and general eukaryotes. Among the microbiota, we found Acinetobacter sp., Bacillus sp., and Wallemia mellicola that are putative pathogens of aquatic organisms, such as algae, shrimp and fish, including commercial species. In addition, we identified organisms within genera that can potentially degrade hydrocarbons (e.g. Pseudomonas and Cladosporium spp). This study is the first to assess the full diversity and variation of the plastisphere on different polymers within a sub-tropical southern hemisphere estuary, significantly expanding knowledge on plastic pollution and the plastisphere in estuarine regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Sérvulo
- Projeto Lixo Marinho - Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil.
| | - Joe D Taylor
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, UK
| | - Maíra C Proietti
- Projeto Lixo Marinho - Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Lucas D S Rodrigues
- Projeto Lixo Marinho - Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Igor P Puertas
- Projeto Lixo Marinho - Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Roberta A Barutot
- Projeto Lixo Marinho - Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil
| | - Ana L D F Lacerda
- Projeto Lixo Marinho - Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, Brazil; University of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
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48
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Liu Y, Shi H, Chen L, Teng X, Xue C, Li Z. An overview of microplastics in oysters: Analysis, hazards, and depuration. Food Chem 2023; 422:136153. [PMID: 37130454 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic pollution has become an emergent global environmental issue because of its ubiquitous nature and everlasting ecological impacts. In marine ecosystems, microplastics can serve as carriers to absorb various contaminants and the ingestion of microplastics in oysters is of concern because they can induce several adverse effects. The analytical process of microplastics in oysters commonly consists of separation, quantification, and identification. Quantification of microplastics is difficult since information regarding the analytical methods is incoherent, therefore, standard microplastic analytical methods for shellfish should be established in the future. The depuration process can be used to reduce the level of microplastics in oysters to ensure safe consumption of oysters and longer depuration time facilitates improved depuration efficacy. In summary, this review aims to help better understand microplastic pollution in oysters and provide useful suggestions and guidance for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No.5, Yu Shan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, PR China
| | - Haohao Shi
- College of Food Science and Technology, Hainan University, Hainan 570228, PR China
| | - Lipin Chen
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No.5, Yu Shan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, PR China.
| | - Xiaoyu Teng
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No.5, Yu Shan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, PR China
| | - Changhu Xue
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No.5, Yu Shan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, PR China
| | - Zhaojie Li
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, No.5, Yu Shan Road, Qingdao, Shandong Province 266003, PR China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Seafood Deep Processing, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, PR China.
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49
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Casella C, Sol D, Laca A, Díaz M. Microplastics in Sewage Sludge: A review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:63382-63415. [PMID: 37079238 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27151-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) represent a serious problem for the environment and for this reason they have been studied in many articles, especially their presence in aquatic environments and soils. MPs have been found in wastewater and sewage sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Most part of the published works have focused on the detection and elimination of MPs in the water line and several reviews have been published in the last years. In addition, the application of sewage sludge produced from WWTPs for agricultural use is known to be a primary source of MPs in soils. However, in the scientific literature less attention has been paid to the sludge and little is known about MPs fate when it is applied in agriculture. This work aims to give a global revision on the most used techniques to identify and detect MPs in sludges, their characteristics and incidence, their effect on sludge treatments and their impact on the environment. As far as we know, there are no standardized protocols for MPs extraction from soil and the possible repercussions on the cultivation of plants are not known. This review evidences that more studies are necessary to stablished standardized protocols and decipher the main mechanisms and the effects of MPs from sewage sludge in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Casella
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Oviedo, C/ Julián Clavería S/N, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Daniel Sol
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Oviedo, C/ Julián Clavería S/N, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Adriana Laca
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Oviedo, C/ Julián Clavería S/N, 33006, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Mario Díaz
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Oviedo, C/ Julián Clavería S/N, 33006, Oviedo, Spain
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50
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Marques J, Ares A, Costa J, Marques MPM, de Carvalho LAEB, Bessa F. Plastisphere assemblages differ from the surrounding bacterial communities in transitional coastal environments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 869:161703. [PMID: 36708826 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Marine plastic contamination is currently considered ubiquitous in aquatic environments. These particles present a resistant and hydrophobic substrate known to promote microbial colonisation and biofilm formation in aquatic ecosystems, the so-called "Plastisphere", raising concerns about its potential ecological risks. The novelty of this topic translates into a relatively low number of studies, including for transitional coastal ecosystems, such as sandy beaches or estuarine habitats. Therefore, a sampling campaign was conducted in two transitional coastal ecosystems - the Mondego estuary (Portugal) - and adjacent sandy beaches (winter 2020). After visual sorting and filtering of suspected particles under sterile conditions DNA extraction and 16S rRNA amplicon high throughput sequencing was used to profile the bacterial communities on the surface of plastic particles and from those found on the water and sediments from the sampled transitional coastal ecosystems. All particles were characterised according to type, colour and size, and the chemical nature of the particles was determined by FTIR-ATR or μ-FTIR spectroscopy after DNA extraction. All samples contained plastics in several sizes (micro and mesoplastics), shapes (higher abundances of fragments on beaches and fibres in the estuarine waters), colours and polymers. Although no significant differences were detected in the α-diversity indexes of the bacterial communities between plastics and their surrounding environments, data showed the occurrence of unique key bacterial groups on plastics from both environments, such as pathogens (e.g., Lactococcus, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus) and groups commonly associated with wastewater treatment plants (e.g., members of the phylum Firmicutes). This highlights the concerns for plastics to act as vectors of transmission and spread of these bacterial groups in transitional coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, it raises the possibility that (micro)plastics entering the estuary from the sea play a substantial contribution to overall dynamics of (micro)plastics and their microbial assemblages in the estuarine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Marques
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Aitana Ares
- University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology - Science for People & the Planet, TERRA Associate Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal
| | - Joana Costa
- University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology - Science for People & the Planet, TERRA Associate Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal
| | - M P M Marques
- University of Coimbra, Molecular Physical-Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, Rua Larga, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - L A E Batista de Carvalho
- University of Coimbra, Molecular Physical-Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, Rua Larga, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Filipa Bessa
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal.
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