Photochemical dissolution of buoyant microplastics to dissolved organic carbon: Rates and microbial impacts

Zhu, Lixin; Zhao, Shiye; Bittar, Thais B.; Stubbins, Aron; Li, Daoji

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121065

Cited by 284 publications

(222 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…An overwhelming part of the scientific research has been dedicated to the study of the occurrence, distribution, transformation, and impacts of marine litter. The continuous degradation of plastic debris in the water column, down to the nano-fraction, has been at first hypothesized (Cózar et al, 2014) and then confirmed by laboratory (Zhang et al, 2012;Gigault et al, 2016;Lambert and Wagner, 2016;Hernandez et al, 2019;Zhu et al, 2020) and in situ studies (Ter Halle et al, 2017;Schirinzi et al, 2019), raising concerns due to the potential harm to the marine biota associated to the lower plastic size (as reviewed by Chae and An, 2017). In this context, the term nanoplastics usually refers to polymers with various colors and shapes (e.g., fiber, film, spherule, and fragment), and sizes below 1 µm, thus, comprehensive of the sub-micron and nanometric fraction (Hartmann et al, 2019).…”

Section: Tio 2 and Ps Nanoparticle Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 90%

Behavior and Bio-Interactions of Anthropogenic Particles in Marine Environment for a More Realistic Ecological Risk Assessment

Corsi

Bergami

Grassi

2020

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Owing to production, usage, and disposal of nano-enabled products as well as fragmentation of bulk materials, anthropogenic nanoscale particles (NPs) can enter the natural environment and through different compartments (air, soil, and water) end up into the sea. With the continuous increase in production and associated emissions and discharges, they can reach concentrations able to exceed toxicity thresholds for living species inhabiting marine coastal areas. Behavior and fate of NPs in marine waters are driven by transformation processes occurring as a function of NP intrinsic and extrinsic properties in the receiving seawaters. All those aspects have been overlooked in ecological risk assessment. This review critically reports ecotoxicity studies in which size distribution, surface charges and bio−nano interactions have been considered for a more realistic risk assessment of NPs in marine environment. Two emerging and relevant NPs, the metal-based titanium dioxide (TiO 2), and polystyrene (PS), a proxy for nanoplastics, are reviewed, and their impact on marine biota (from planktonic species to invertebrates and fish) is discussed as a function of particle size and surface charges (negative vs. positive), which affect their behavior and interaction with the biological material. Uptake of NPs is related to their nanoscale size; however, in vivo studies clearly demonstrated that transformation (agglomerates/aggregates) occurring in both artificial and natural seawater drive to different exposure routes and biological responses at cellular and organism level. Adsorption of single particles or agglomerates onto the body surface or their internalization in feces can impair motility and affect sinking or floating behavior with consequences on populations and ecological function. Particle complex dynamics in natural seawater is almost unknown, although it determines the effective exposure scenarios. Based on the latest predicted environmental concentrations for TiO 2 and PS NPs in the marine environment, current knowledge gaps and future research challenges encompass the comprehensive study of bio−nano interactions. As such, the analysis of NP biomolecular coronas can enable a better assessment of particle uptake and related cellular pathways leading to toxic effects. Moreover, the formation of an environmentally derived corona (i.e., eco-corona) in seawater accounts for NP physical-chemical alterations, rebounding on interaction with living organisms and toxicity.

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Section: Tio 2 and Ps Nanoparticle Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 90%

Behavior and Bio-Interactions of Anthropogenic Particles in Marine Environment for a More Realistic Ecological Risk Assessment

Corsi

Bergami

Grassi

2020

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…2c, f). Relatively low stability and high degradation rates of PS in seawater could be one explanation for the low abundance as well as smaller particle sizes of this polymer compared to that of PE and PP 51 . In addition, PS is produced in two distinct chemical grades, which could impact its fate in the water column.…”

Section: And References Therein)mentioning

confidence: 99%

High concentrations of plastic hidden beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean

2020

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Concern over plastic pollution of the marine environment is severe. The mass-imbalance between the plastic litter supplied to and observed in the ocean currently suggests a missing sink. However, here we show that the ocean interior conceals high loads of small-sized plastic debris which can balance and even exceed the estimated plastic inputs into the ocean since 1950. The combined mass of just the three most-littered plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene) of 32-651 µm size-class suspended in the top 200 m of the Atlantic Ocean is 11.6-21.1 Million Tonnes. Considering that plastics of other sizes and polymer types will be found in the deeper ocean and in the sediments, our results indicate that both inputs and stocks of ocean plastics are much higher than determined previously. It is thus critical to assess these terms across all size categories and polymer groups to determine the fate and danger of plastic contamination.

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“…The flexibility these taxa show in using carbon from various sources (HDPE microbeads vs Tween 20) depending on the light availability might highlight an opportunistic behaviour 33 . Another hypothesis suggests a higher level of available DOC in light-exposed textile fiber and HDPE incubations, caused by the polymer exposure to artificial sunlight 13,28 . These findings may help us better understand the plastisphere dynamic in situations similar to, for example, microorganisms settled on plastic debris initially floating in the photic zone and later buried in the sediment or sinking in regions with limited light availability.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We hypothesized that hydrocarbon-degrading microbes can use microplastics and textile waste as the sole carbon source, and that different types of microplastics will select for unique communities with different levels of activity. Because light also plays a role in the abiotic degradation of organic matter in aquatic environments 13 , we hypothesized that exposure to light may also improve the ability of the bacteria to utilize carbon from plastic polymers as a growth substrate due to its photochemical dissolution. The results contribute to our understanding of the formation and development of plastics and textile-waste-associated microbes and their potential role in bioremediation of these widespread environmental micropollutants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Textile waste and microplastic induce activity and development of unique hydrocarbon-degrading marine bacterial communities

Girard

Kaliwoda

Schmahl

et al. 2020

Preprint

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22Biofilm-forming microbial communities on plastics and textile fibers are of growing interest since 23 they have potential to contribute to disease outbreaks and material biodegradability in the 24 environment. Knowledge on microbial colonization of pollutants in the marine realm is expanding, 25 but metabolic responses during substrate colonization remains poorly understood. Here, we assess 26 the metabolic response in marine microbial communities to three different micropollutants, virgin 27 high-density polyethylene (HDPE) microbeads, polysorbate-20 (Tween), and textile fibers. 28Intertidal textile fibers, mainly cotton, virgin HDPE, and Tween induced variable levels of 29 microbial growth, respiration, and community assembly in controlled microcosm experiments. 30 RAMAN characterization of the chemical composition of the textile waste fibers and high-31throughput DNA sequencing data shows how the increased metabolic stimulation and 32 biodegradation is translated into selection processes ultimately manifested in different 33 communities colonizing the different micropollutant substrates. The composition of the bacterial 34 communities colonizing the substrates were significantly altered by micropollutant substrate type 35 and light conditions. Bacterial taxa, closely related to the well-known hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria 36Kordiimonas spp. and Alcanivorax spp., were enriched in the presence of textile-waste. The 37 findings demonstrate an increased metabolic response by marine hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial 38 taxa in the presence of microplastics and textile waste, highlighting their biodegradation potential. 39The metabolic stimulation by the micropollutants was increased in the presence of light, possibly 40 due to photochemical dissolution of the plastic into smaller bioavailable compounds. Our results 41 suggest that the development and increased activity of these unique microbial communities likely 42 play a role in the bioremediation of the relatively long lived textile and microplastic pollutants in 43 marine habitats. 44 45 readily colonized by complex microbial communities 3 . Consequently, macro-and micro-litter 51 may facilitate microbial dispersal throughout the marine realm. However, knowledge gaps 52 regarding the mechanisms of microbial biodegradation of plastic and textile waste. 53Plastic-degrading microorganisms have been studied since the 1960's. Summer studied the 54 inhibition of microorganism growth for lasting polymers, to counter the deterioration of plastics 55 due to mold and bacteria, because some plasticisers (chemical additives used to provide strength 56 and flexibility), e.g., Ester-type plasticisers, are in turn a source of nutrients, which sustains 57 microbial activity leading to natural degradation of the polymer 4 . More recent studies have shed 58 some light on the diversity of microbial communities colonizing synthetic polymers. For example, 59 Zettler et al. (2013) identified a highly diverse microbial community settled on plastic debris, 60 termed as the "plastisphe...

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Photochemical dissolution of buoyant microplastics to dissolved organic carbon: Rates and microbial impacts

Cited by 284 publications

References 48 publications

Behavior and Bio-Interactions of Anthropogenic Particles in Marine Environment for a More Realistic Ecological Risk Assessment

Behavior and Bio-Interactions of Anthropogenic Particles in Marine Environment for a More Realistic Ecological Risk Assessment

High concentrations of plastic hidden beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean

Textile waste and microplastic induce activity and development of unique hydrocarbon-degrading marine bacterial communities

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