ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
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2023
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IF 8.9
Jianfeng Ye,Yi Zhu,Hao Chen,Xin Zhao,Jianfei Tang,Jinxu Zhang,Yu Chen,Yali Guo,Yaqin Tan,Ting Zhang
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.
研究领域:
环境科学
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微生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
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2021
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IF 8.071
Huan-Qin Li,Ying-Jia Shen,Wen-Lei Wang,Hong-Tao Wang,Hu Li,Jian-Qiang Su
Microplastic (MP) pollution is widespread in various ecosystems and is colonized by microbes that form biofilms with compositions and functions. However, compared with aquatic environments, the soil environment has been poorly studied in terms of the taxonomic composition of microbial communities and the factors influencing the community structure of microbes in the plastisphere. In the present study, a microcosm experiment was conducted to investigate the plastisphere bacterial communities of MP (polyvinyl chloride, PVC) in soils with different pH (4.62, 6.5, and 7.46) and arsenic (As) contents (13 and 74 mg kg −1 ). Bacterial communities in the plastisphere were dominated by Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, with distinct compositions and structures compared with soil bacterial communities. Soil pH and As content significantly affected the plastisphere bacterial communities. Constrained analysis of principal coordinates and a structural equation model demonstrated that soil pH had a stronger influence on the dissimilarity and diversity of bacterial communities than did soil As content. Soil pH affected As speciation in soil and on MP. The concentration of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) was significantly higher on MP than that in soil, indicating that As methylation occurred on MP. These results suggest that environmental fluctuations govern plastisphere bacterial communities with cascading effects on biogeochemical cycling of As in the soil ecosystems.
研究领域:
环境科学
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微生物学
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生态学
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土壤学
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PubMed
高影响因子
Nature Communications
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2024
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-14
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IF 14.7
Su Xiaoxuan,Huang Xinrong,Zhang Yiyue,Yang Leyang,Wen Teng,Yang Xiaoru,Zhu Guibing,Zhang Jinbo,Tang Yijia,Li Zhaolei,Ding Jing,Li Ruilong,Pan Junliang,Chen Xinping,Huang Fuyi,Rillig Matthias C.,Zhu Yong-guan
The estuarine plastisphere, a novel ecological habitat in the Anthropocene, has garnered global concerns. Recent geochemical evidence has pointed out its potential role in influencing nitrogen biogeochemistry. However, the biogeochemical significance of the plastisphere and its mechanisms regulating nitrogen cycling remain elusive. Using 15 N- and 13 C-labelling coupled with metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, here we unveil that the plastisphere likely acts as an underappreciated nitrifying niche in estuarine ecosystems, exhibiting a 0.9 ~ 12-fold higher activity of bacteria-mediated nitrification compared to surrounding seawater and other biofilms (stone, wood and glass biofilms). The shift of active nitrifiers from O 2 -sensitive nitrifiers in the seawater to nitrifiers with versatile metabolisms in the plastisphere, combined with the potential interspecific cooperation of nitrifying substrate exchange observed among the plastisphere nitrifiers, collectively results in the unique nitrifying niche. Our findings highlight the plastisphere as an emerging nitrifying niche in estuarine environment, and deepen the mechanistic understanding of its contribution to marine biogeochemistry.
研究领域:
环境科学
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微生物学
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生物地球化学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Scientific Reports
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2025
·Vol. 15
·期 1
·1-10
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IF 3.9
Li Huan-Qin,Wang Wen-Lei,Shen Ying-Jia,Su Jian-Qiang
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants in mangrove ecosystems, with significant implications for microbial communities and nitrogen (N) cycling. However, the ecological processes shaping MP-associated microbial assemblages across environmental gradients remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted in situ and microcosm experiments to investigate microbial community composition and N-cycling gene abundance on three MP types—polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)—across salinity gradients (0–30 ppt) and under simulated tidal fluctuations over 35 days. High-throughput sequencing revealed distinct microbial communities on MPs compared to surrounding soils, dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Bacterial diversity in PE and PS peaked at moderate salinity (10 ppt), while PVC-associated diversity declined with salinity. Structural equation modeling showed that salinity directly and indirectly influenced MP-associated diversity via soil microbial communities. During tidal cycling, microbial diversity on MPs increased over time, contrasting with declining diversity in soils. PS biofilms exhibited the fastest community turnover (R² = 0.79). MPs harbored significantly higher abundances of 15 N-cycling genes (except hao ) than soils ( P < 0.05), with PS and PE supporting the highest gene levels under salinity gradients and tidal exposure. Denitrification and nitrification gene abundances peaked at intermediate salinity (20 ppt) and day 14 of tidal simulation, respectively. These findings demonstrate that MP type, vegetation, salinity, and hydrological dynamics jointly regulate plastisphere development and microbial N cycling, highlighting the multifaceted ecological impacts of MPs in mangrove ecosystems.
研究领域:
环境科学
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海洋生物学
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微生物学
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生态学
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生物地球化学
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PubMed
高影响因子
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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2020
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IF 7.864
Kai Yang,Qing-Lin Chen,Mo-Lian Chen,Hong-Zhe Li,Hu Liao,Qiang Pu,Yong-Guan Zhu,Li Cui
The increasing and simultaneous pollution of plastic debris and antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments makes plastisphere a great health concern. However, the development process of antibiotic resistome in the plastisphere is largely unknown, impeding risk assessment associated with plastics. Here, we profiled the temporal dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and microbial composition in the plastisphere from initial microbial colonization to biofilm formation in urban water. A total of 82 ARGs, 12 MGEs, and 63 bacterial pathogens were detected in the plastisphere and categorized as the pioneering, intermediate, and persistent ones. The high number of five MGEs and six ARGs persistently detected in the whole microbial colonization process was regarded as a major concern because of their potential role in disseminating antibiotic resistance. In addition to genomic analysis, D2O-labeled single-cell Raman spectroscopy was employed to interrogate the ecophysiology of plastisphere in a culture-independent way and demonstrated that the plastisphere was inherently more tolerant to antibiotics than bacterioplankton. Finally, by combining persistent MGEs, intensified colonization of pathogenic bacteria, increased tolerance to antibiotic, and potential trophic transfer into a holistic risk analysis, the plastisphere was indicated to constitute a hot spot to acquire and spread antibiotic resistance and impose a long-term risk to ecosystems and human health. These findings provide important insights into the antibiotic resistome and ecological risk of the plastisphere and highlight the necessity for comprehensive surveillance of plastisphere.
研究领域:
环境科学
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微生物学
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基因组学
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公共健康
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
WATER RESEARCH
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2023
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IF 12.8
Longji Zhu,Ruilong Li,Kai Yang,Fei Xu,Chenshuo Lin,Qinglin Chen,Dong Zhu,Qian Sun,Yong-Guan Zhu,Li Cui
Microplastics (MPs) ubiquitous in environments promote the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), threatening ecosystem safety and human health. However, quantitative assessments of the health risks of ARGs (HRA) in plastisphere and an in-depth exploration of their driving mechanisms are still lacking. Here, the microbiomes, ARGs, and community assembly processes of five types of MPs in an urbanizing watershed were systematically investigated. By fully considering the abundance, clinical availability, human pathogenicity, human accessibility, and mobility of 660 ARGs in plastisphere, the HRA on MPs were quantified and compared. Polyethylene had the highest HRA among the five MP types, and urbanization further increased its risk index. In addition to abiotic factors, more complex biotic factors have been shown to drive HRA in plastisphere. Specifically, dispersal limitation accounted for the increasing diversity and interaction of bacteria that determined HRA in plastisphere. Further analysis of metabolic functions indicated that a higher HRA was accompanied by decreased normal metabolic functions of plastisphere microbiota due to the higher fitness costs of ARGs. This study advances the quantitative surveillance of HRA in plastisphere and understanding of its driving mechanisms. This will be helpful for the management of both MPs and ARGs treatments for human health.
研究领域:
环境科学
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微生物学
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公共卫生
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生态学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
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2024
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IF 12.2
Jiaxin Lu,Yizhan Qiu,Luxi Zhang,Jiancheng Wang,Chunmei Li,Pan Wang,Lianhai Ren
Biodegradable plastic bags (BPBs), meant for eco-friendly, often inadequately degrade in compost, leading to microplastic pollution. In this study, the effect of Fenton-like reaction with Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NMs) on the plastisphere microorganisms' evolution and the BPBs' aging mechanism was revealed by co-composting of food waste with BPBs for 40 days. The establishment of the Fenton-like reaction was confirmed, with the addition of Fenton-like reagent treatments resulting in an increase of 57.67% and 37.75% in H 2 O 2 levels during the composting, compared to the control group. Moreover, the structural characterization reveals that increasing oxygen content continuously generates reactive free radicals on the surface, leading to the formation of oxidative cavities. This process results in random chain-breaking, significantly reducing molecular weights by 39.27% and 38.81%, thus showcasing a deep-seated transformation in the plastic's molecular structure. Furthermore, the microbial network suggested that the Fenton-like reaction enriched plastisphere keystone species , thus accelerating the BPBs' aging. Additionally, the Fenton-like reaction improved compost maturity and reduced greenhouse gas emissions . These results reveal the bio-chemical mechanisms of BPBs aging and random chain-breaking by the Fenton-like reaction, under alternating oxidative/anoxic conditions of composting and provide a new insight to resolve the BPBs' pollutions.
研究领域:
环境科学
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材料科学
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微生物学
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废物管理
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）