While the global distribution of microplastics (MP) in the marine environment is currently being critically evaluated, the potential role of MP as a vector for distinct microbial assemblages or even pathogenic bacteria is hardly understood. To gain a deeper understanding, we investigated how different in situ conditions contribute to the composition and specificity of MP-associated bacterial communities in relation to communities on natural particles. Polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (PE), and wooden pellets were incubated for 2 weeks along an environmental gradient, ranging from marine (coastal Baltic Sea) to freshwater (waste water treatment plant, WWTP) conditions. The associated assemblages as well as the water communities were investigated applying high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our setup allowed for the first time to determine MP-dependent and -independent assemblage factors as subject to different environmental conditions in one system. Most importantly, plastic-specific assemblages were found to develop solely under certain conditions, such as lower nutrient concentration and higher salinity, while the bacterial genus Erythrobacter, known for the ability to utilize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), was found specifically on MP across a broader section of the gradient. We discovered no enrichment of potential pathogens on PE or PS; however, the abundant colonization of MP in a WWTP by certain bacteria commonly associated with antibiotic resistance suggests MP as a possible hotspot for horizontal gene transfer. Taken together, our study clarifies that the surrounding environment prevailingly shapes the biofilm communities, but that MP-specific assemblage factors exist. These findings point to the ecological significance of specific MP-promoted bacterial populations in aquatic environments and particularly in plastic accumulation zones.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 60. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 16 January 2024.
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#7
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Altmetric has tracked 26,539,834 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 97th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 30,437 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 6.5. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 98% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 552 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 98% of its contemporaries.
