Microplastics benefit bacteria colonization and induce microcystin degradation

He, Yan; Wei, Guining; Tang, Bingran; Salam, Muhammad; Shen, Ai; Wei, Yanyan; Zhou, Xin; Liu, Mengzi; Yang, Yongchuan; Li, Hong; Mao, Yufeng

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128524

Cited by 25 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…This suggested that the batch experiment used to assess the role of MPs as pollutants of natural origin may be magnified. In addition, in our recent study, we found that PS absorbed MC-LR and favored the colonization of microcystin-degrading bacteria; thus, the biodegradation of the toxin was identified [25]. As a result, our previous and current study indicates that the potential risk and environmental impact of MPs should be evaluated under conditions that could more closely resemble the real scenario, which requires further multidisciplinary investigations.…”

Section: Potential Environmental Impactmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…In the first experiment, the equivalent amount of MC-LR standard was added into each flask (containing water and MPs) to reach the toxin concentration of 400 µg/L. The solution was shaken for 48 h at 150 rpm, and the water was collected after 0 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h by a 0.45 µm filter (cellulose acetate filter) to remove the MPs, and the aqueous MC-LR was quantified using an HPLC-MS system (Agilent1100, Agilent, Wilmington, DE, USA) [25]. In the second experiment, the adsorption of IOM by PE, PS, and PMMA was evaluated, with the experimental system being the same as experiment 1, but with the addition of IOM (to reach the initial concentration of 5 mg/L) instead of MC-LR.…”

Section: Batch Adsorption Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Inhibition of Microcystin Adsorption by Microplastics in the Presence of Algal Organic Matters

Tang

Zhou

et al. 2022

Toxics

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Microplastics (MPs) could act as vectors of synthetic chemicals; however, their influence on the adsorption of chemicals of natural origin (for example, MC-LR and intracellular organic matter (IOM), which could be concomitantly released by toxic Microcystis in water) is less understood. Here, we explored the adsorption of MC-LR by polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The results showed that the MPs could adsorb both MC-LR and IOM, with the adsorption capability uniformly following the order of PS, PE, and PMMA. However, in the presence of IOM, the adsorption of MC-LR by PE, PS, and PMMA was reduced by 22.3%, 22.7% and 5.4%, respectively. This is because the benzene structure and the specific surface area of PS facilitate the adsorption of MC-LR and IOM, while the formation of Π-Π bonds favor its interaction with IOM. Consequently, the competition for binding sites between MC-LR and IOM hindered MC-LR adsorption. The C=O in PMMA benefits its conjunction with hydroxyl and carboxyl in the IOM through hydrogen bonding; thus, the adsorption of MC-LR is also inhibited. These findings highlight that the adsorption of chemicals of natural origin by MPs is likely overestimated in the presence of metabolites from the same biota.

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Section: Potential Environmental Impactmentioning

confidence: 67%

Section: Batch Adsorption Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Inhibition of Microcystin Adsorption by Microplastics in the Presence of Algal Organic Matters

Tang

Zhou

et al. 2022

Toxics

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“…Thus, the sorption capacity for microcystins among different polymers may be comparable in the field but noticeably different under laboratory conditions because the biofilm, whose composition can be similar among polymer types within a given location (Ye & Andrady, 1991; Zettler et al, 2013), is the dominant layer for sorption. This hypothesis has recently been tested for one polymer type (PS) and a single microcystin congener (MC‐LR) under laboratory conditions (He et al, 2022). In their study, these authors found that PS had enhanced sorption capacity for MC‐LR after biofilm formation due to an alteration of the microplastic's surface properties, specifically the addition of oxygen‐containing functional groups increasing polar interactions (He et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This hypothesis has recently been tested for one polymer type (PS) and a single microcystin congener (MC‐LR) under laboratory conditions (He et al, 2022). In their study, these authors found that PS had enhanced sorption capacity for MC‐LR after biofilm formation due to an alteration of the microplastic's surface properties, specifically the addition of oxygen‐containing functional groups increasing polar interactions (He et al, 2022). Together, these findings have important implications for studies that assess the interaction between microplastics and microcystin in the laboratory using pristine microplastics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although recent research has demonstrated that microcystin congeners quickly adsorb to pristine microplastics in artificial freshwater laboratory assays (He et al, 2022;Moura et al, 2022;Pestana et al, 2021), to our knowledge, no study has resolved the question of do weathered microplastics affect the environmental fate of microcystins in surface waters of natural ecosystems. Once plastics enter the aquatic environment, their properties immediately begin to change as a result of weathering processes (Arp et al, 2021), which include abiotic and biotic weathering, as well as mechanical degradation and fragmentation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental Evidence from the Field that Naturally Weathered Microplastics Accumulate Cyanobacterial Toxins in Eutrophic Lakes

Hataley

Shahmohamadloo

Almirall

et al. 2022

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Freshwater ecosystems with recurring harmful algal blooms can also be polluted with plastics. Thus the two environmental problems may interact. To test whether microplastics influence the partitioning of microcystins in freshwater lakes, we examined the sorption of four microcystin congeners to different polymers of commercially available plastics (low-density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene). We conducted three experiments: a batch sorption experiment in the laboratory with pristine microplastics of four different polymers, a second batch sorption experiment in the laboratory to compare pristine and naturally weathered microplastics of a single polymer, and a 2-month sorption experiment in the field with three different polymers experiencing natural weathering in a eutrophic lake. This series of experiments led to a surprising result: microcystins sorbed poorly to all polymers tested under laboratory conditions (<0.01% of the initial amount added), irrespective of weathering, yet in the field experiment, all polymers accumulated microcystins under ambient conditions in a eutrophic lake (range: 0-84.1 ng/g). Furthermore, we found that the sorption capacity for microcystins differed among polymers in the laboratory experiment yet were largely the same in the field. We also found that the affinity for plastic varied among microcystin congeners, namely, more polar congeners demonstrated a greater affinity for plastic than less polar congeners. Our study improves our understanding of the role of polymer and congener type in microplastic-microcystin sorption and provides novel evidence from the field, showing that naturally weathered microplastics in freshwater lakes can accumulate microcystins. Consequently, we caution that microplastics may alter the persistence, transport, and bioavailability of microcystins in freshwaters, which could have implications for human and wildlife health.

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