Fingerprinting Plastic-Associated Inorganic and Organic Matter on Plastic Aged in the Marine Environment for a Decade

Abstract

The long-term aging of plastic leads to weathering and biofouling that can influence the behavior and fate of plastic in the marine environment. This is the first study to fingerprint the contaminant profiles and bacterial communities present in plastic-associated inorganic and organic matter (PIOM) isolated from 10 year-aged plastic. Plastic sleeves were sampled from an oyster aquaculture farm and the PIOM was isolated from the intertidal, subtidal, and sediment-buried segments to investigate the levels of metal(loid)s, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and explore the microbial community composition. Results indicated that the PIOM present on long-term aged high-density polyethylene plastic harbored high concentrations of metal(loid)s, PAHs, and PFAS. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the bacterial composition in the PIOM differed by habitat type, which consisted of potentially pathogenic taxa including Vibrio, Shewanella, and Psychrobacter. This study provides new insights into PIOM as a potential sink for hazardous environmental contaminants and its role in enhancing the vector potential of plastic. Therefore, we recommend the inclusion of PIOM analysis in current biomonitoring regimes and that plastics be used with caution in aquaculture settings to safeguard valuable food resources, particularly in areas of point-source contamination.

Understanding the Fundamental Basis for Biofilm Formation on Plastic Surfaces: Role of Conditioning Films

“…Global plastic production is rising, as is the rate at which plastics enter the environment, including the oceans (Law, 2017;Dauvergne, 2018). Currently, there is a lack of detailed data on how plastics in the ocean interact with their local environment on the micro-scale, namely, how the plastic surfaces are altered by contact with all the chemical species present in seawater, and how it can change the interaction of plastics with microbes in that environment (Geetika et al, 2021). To begin to understand the early events leading to the colonization of plastic surfaces, this study has examined the changes in the properties of two plastics, PLA and PET, after 24 h of exposure to seawater.…”

Biofilms Enhance the Adsorption of Toxic Contaminants on Plastic Microfibers under Environmentally Relevant Conditions

“…This indicates that the composition of biofilms can significantly influence the transport and fate of metals in the aquatic environment. Another study showed a high accumulation of metals and PFAS on 10-year aged plastics and showed the presence of bacterial genus Pseudoalteromonas, Psychrobacter, and Oceanosphaera known to prefer a surface-associated lifestyle and potential for organic compounds and polymer degradation. This study was conducted at a site very close to the aquaculture ponds used for aging the ropes used in the present study, suggesting that the presence of such genera may influence the adsorption and subsequent metabolism of such compounds under natural conditions.…”

“…The bioconcentration of PFAS in periphytic biofilms was found to be inversely proportional to the dissolved PFOS levels, indicating concentration-dependent bioaccumulation in biofilms . A recent study indicated high accumulation of metals, PAHs, and PFAS in plastic-associated organic and inorganic matter . Another study reported higher adsorption of PFAS on real environmental plastics because of the presence of natural organic matter .…”

Degradation of high density polyethylene packaging by accelerated aging in sea water

“…12,13 In Africa, plastic waste enters water bodies such as the Atlantic and the Mediterranean due to poor waste management, which is associated with increased toxicity in food webs and the marine environment due to the aging of plastic particles. 14 The most commonly consumed plastics worldwide are polyethylene terephthalate PET, high density polyethylene HDPE, polyvinyl chloride PVC, low density polyethylene lowdensity polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene PP, and polystyrene PS. HDPE, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and PP are widely used as packaging materials due to their mechanical properties, low cost, and durability.…”