How will marine plastic pollution affect bacterial primary producers?

Tetu, Sasha G.; Sarker, Indrani; Moore, Lisa R.

doi:10.1038/s42003-020-0789-4

Cited by 22 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Many key planktonic marine microbes, including phototrophs (e.g., Prochlorococcus ) and heterotrophs (e.g., Pelagibacter), which play major roles in the ocean carbon cycling [ 13 , 14 ], tend to be scarce within the plastisphere [ 11 ] and are replaced by different heterotrophic and mixotrophic bacteria, such as members of the Pseudomonadales and Sphingomonadales orders. This indicates that plastic debris presents a new potential niche for a relatively small subset of marine microbes [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic leachates impair picophytoplankton and dramatically reshape the marine microbiome

et al. 2022

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Background Each year, approximately 9.5 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the ocean with the potential to adversely impact all trophic levels. Until now, our understanding of the impact of plastic pollution on marine microorganisms has been largely restricted to the microbial assemblages that colonize plastic particles. However, plastic debris also leaches considerable amounts of chemical additives into the water, and this has the potential to impact key groups of planktonic marine microbes, not just those organisms attached to plastic surfaces. Results To investigate this, we explored the population and genetic level responses of a marine microbial community following exposure to leachate from a common plastic (polyvinyl chloride) or zinc, a specific plastic additive. Both the full mix of substances leached from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and zinc alone had profound impacts on the taxonomic and functional diversity of our natural planktonic community. Microbial primary producers, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, which comprise the base of the marine food web, were strongly impaired by exposure to plastic leachates, showing significant declines in photosynthetic efficiency, diversity, and abundance. Key heterotrophic taxa, such as SAR11, which are the most abundant planktonic organisms in the ocean, also exhibited significant declines in relative abundance when exposed to higher levels of PVC leachate. In contrast, many copiotrophic bacteria, including members of the Alteromonadales, dramatically increased in relative abundance under both exposure treatments. Moreover, functional gene and genome analyses, derived from metagenomes, revealed that PVC leachate exposure selects for fast-adapting, motile organisms, along with enrichment in genes usually associated with pathogenicity and an increased capacity to metabolize organic compounds leached from PVC. Conclusions This study shows that substances leached from plastics can restructure marine microbial communities with the potential for significant impacts on trophodynamics and biogeochemical cycling. These findings substantially expand our understanding of the ways by which plastic pollution impact life in our oceans, knowledge which is particularly important given that the burden of plastic pollution in the marine environment is predicted to continue to rise.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic leachates impair picophytoplankton and dramatically reshape the marine microbiome

et al. 2022

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“…Without phytoplankton Ocean would be a biological (and also economic) desert. Microplastics within the phytoplankton is a fact of life (1,2), with a negative impact on phytoplankton photosynthesis, reproduction and growth; in the worst case, if we don't slow down our war with Nature, the extinction of phytoplankton, may become a reality.…”

Section: Pollution and Climate Perturbation -Our Way To Collective Su...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Society or Mass Extinction, that Is the Question

Hajdukovic¹,

Hajdukovic²,

Hajdukovic³

2023

SSRN Journal

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“…This can be attributed to alterations in growth and metabolism of individual organisms in the natural plankton community. Increased stress and even apoptosis of more sensitive species can supply additional energy sources for other heterotrophic microorganisms which may lead to distinct changes in the microbial community structure in the plastisphere . For instance, among photoautotrophic organisms, in freshwater and brackish waters, Chlorella and Scenedesmus genera are two of the most ubiquitous and resilient organisms which have been found to be resistant to various organic compounds in wastewater. − They also seem to be highly resilient against MP even at high concentrations. ,, Therefore, phytoplankton diversity in the presence of MP is likely much lower than that of the surrounding planktonic community as the presence of MP may select for the dominance of a few tolerant organisms. , These massive alterations in microbial community structure may also occur in a dose-dependent manner as it has been found for individual organisms. ,, Another recent study argues that the microbial community structure in the plastisphere is diverse and influenced by the local species and nutrient pools, but relatively less on MP polymer type.…”

Section: Is the Phytoplankton Community Resilient To Omnipresent Mp A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Increased stress and even apoptosis of more sensitive species can supply additional energy sources for other heterotrophic microorganisms which may lead to distinct changes in the microbial community structure in the plastisphere. 113 For instance, among photoautotrophic organisms, in freshwater and brackish waters, Chlorella and Scenedesmus genera are two of the most ubiquitous and resilient organisms which have been found to be resistant to various organic compounds in wastewater. 114−116 They also seem to be highly resilient against MP even at high concentrations.…”

Section: Is the Phytoplankton Community Resilient To Omnipresent Mp A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Gross Negligence: Impacts of Microplastics and Plastic Leachates on Phytoplankton Community and Ecosystem Dynamics

Amaneesh

Balan

Silpa

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Plastic debris is an established environmental menace affecting aquatic systems globally. Recently, microplastics (MP) and plastic leachates (PL) have been detected in vital human organs, the vascular system, and in vitro animal studies positing severe health hazards. MP and PL have been found in every conceivable aquatic ecosystem�from open oceans and deep sea floors to supposedly pristine glacier lakes and snow covered mountain catchment sites. Many studies have documented the MP and PL impacts on a variety of aquatic organisms, whereby some exclusively focus on aquatic microorganisms. Yet, the specific MP and PL impacts on primary producers have not been systematically analyzed. Therefore, this review focuses on the threats posed by MP, PL, and associated chemicals on phytoplankton, their comprehensive impacts at organismal, community, and ecosystem scales, and their endogenous amelioration. Studies on MP-and PL-impacted individual phytoplankton species reveal the production of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, physical damage of thylakoids, and other physiological and metabolic changes, followed by homo-and heteroaggregations, ultimately eventuating in decreased photosynthesis and primary productivity. Likewise, analyses of the microbial community in the plastisphere show a radically different profile compared to the surrounding planktonic diversity. The plastisphere also enriches multidrug-resistant bacteria, cyanotoxins, and pollutants, accelerating microbial succession, changing the microbiome, and thus, affecting phytoplankton diversity and evolution. These impacts on cellular and community scales manifest in changed ecosystem dynamics with widespread bottom-up and top-down effects on aquatic biodiversity and food web interactions. These adverse effects�through altered nutrient cycling�have "knock-on" impacts on biogeochemical cycles and greenhouse gases. Consequently, these impacts affect provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. Our citation network analyses (CNA) further demonstrate dire effects of MP and PL on all trophic levels, thereby unsettling ecosystem stability and services. CNA points to several emerging nodes indicating combined toxicity of MP, PL, and their associated hazards on phytoplankton. Taken together, our study shows that ecotoxicity of plastic particles and their leachates have placed primary producers and some aquatic ecosystems in peril.

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How will marine plastic pollution affect bacterial primary producers?

Cited by 22 publications

References 25 publications

Plastic leachates impair picophytoplankton and dramatically reshape the marine microbiome

Plastic leachates impair picophytoplankton and dramatically reshape the marine microbiome

Sustainable Society or Mass Extinction, that Is the Question

Gross Negligence: Impacts of Microplastics and Plastic Leachates on Phytoplankton Community and Ecosystem Dynamics

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