Microbial colonization and degradation of polyethylene and biodegradable plastic bags in temperate fine-grained organic-rich marine sediments

Nauendorf, Alice; Krause, Stefan; Bigalke, Nikolaus; Gorb, Elena V.; Gorb, Stanislav N.; Haeckel, Matthias; Wahl, Martin; Treude, Tina

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.024

Cited by 167 publications

(96 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…; Tribedi and Sil ; Nauendorf et al . ). In cases of plastic polymers including PE, which have high hydrophobicity and MW, the formation of a biofilm either requires the polymer to be altered by oxidation reactions or supplemented with chemicals in order to increase the surface interactions with bacterial cells (Shah et al .…”

Section: Importance Of Biofilms To Biodegradationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Degradation and metabolism of synthetic plastics and associated products byPseudomonassp.: capabilities and challenges

2017

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SummarySynthetic plastics, which are widely present in materials of everyday use, are ubiquitous and slowly-degrading polymers in environmental wastes. Of special interest are the capabilities of microorganisms to accelerate their degradation. Members of the metabolically diverse genus Pseudomonas are of particular interest due to their capabilities to degrade and metabolize synthetic plastics. Pseudomonas species isolated from environmental matrices have been identified to degrade polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene succinate, polyethylene glycol and polyvinyl alcohol at varying degrees of efficiency. Here, we present a review of the current knowledge on the factors that control the ability of Pseudomonas sp. to process these different plastic polymers and their by-products. These factors include cell surface attachment within biofilms, catalytic enzymes involved in oxidation or hydrolysis of the plastic polymer, metabolic pathways responsible for uptake and assimilation of plastic fragments and chemical factors that are advantageous or inhibitory to the biodegradation process. We also highlight future research directions required in order to harness fully the capabilities of Pseudomonas sp. in bioremediation strategies towards eliminating plastic wastes.

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Section: Importance Of Biofilms To Biodegradationmentioning

confidence: 97%

Degradation and metabolism of synthetic plastics and associated products byPseudomonassp.: capabilities and challenges

2017

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“…Although it has been unclear whether plastisphere members can biodegrade conventional plastics [11,69,70], a bacterial strain isolated from sediment near a Japanese bottle recycling facility (Ideonella sakaiensis) was recently found to assimilate PET [18]. The strain was shown to employ two enzymes to degrade PET at a daily rate of 0.13 mg cm À2 when incubated at 30 C [18].…”

Section: Biodegradation and Pollutant Transportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic-Associated Biofilms: A Comparison of Freshwater and Marine Environments

Harrison

Hoellein

Sapp

et al. 2017

The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry

116

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Microplastics (<5 mm particles) occur within both engineered and natural freshwater ecosystems, including wastewater treatment plants, lakes, rivers, and estuaries. While a significant proportion of microplastic pollution is likely sequestered within freshwater environments, these habitats also constitute an important conduit of microscopic polymer particles to oceans worldwide. The quantity of aquatic microplastic waste is predicted to dramatically increase over the next decade, but the fate and biological implications of this pollution are still poorly understood. A growing body of research has aimed to characterize the formation, composition, and spatiotemporal distribution of microplastic-associated ("plastisphere") microbial biofilms. Plastisphere microorganisms have been suggested to play significant roles in pathogen transfer, modulation of particle buoyancy, and biodegradation of plastic polymers and co-contaminants, yet investigation of these topics within freshwater environments is at a very early stage. Here, what is known about marine plastisphere assemblages is systematically compared with up-to-date findings from freshwater habitats. Through analysis of key differences and likely commonalities between environments, we discuss how

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“…An additional threat of microplastics is their role as colonization surface habitats for bacteria or other organisms, which may lead to the invasive transport of microbial communities (e.g. Ye and Andrady, 1991;Zettler et al, 2013;Harrison et al, 2014;McCormick et al, 2014;Nauendorf et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources and sinks of microplastics in Canadian Lake Ontario nearshore, tributary and beach sediments

Ballent

Corcoran

Madden

et al. 2016

Marine Pollution Bulletin

554

230

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Microplastics contamination of Lake Ontario sediments is investigated with the aim of identifying distribution patterns and hotspots in nearshore, tributary and beach depositional environments. Microplastics are concentrated in nearshore sediments in the vicinity of urban and industrial regions. In Humber Bay and Toronto Harbour microplastic concentrations were consistently >500 particles per kg dry sediment. Maximum concentrations of ~28,000 particles per kg dry sediment were determined in Etobicoke Creek. The microplastic particles were primarily fibres and fragments < 2 mm in size. Both low-and high-density plastics were identified using Raman spectroscopy. We provide a baseline for future monitoring and discuss potential sources of microplastics in terms of how and where to implement preventative measures to reduce the contaminant influx. Although the impacts of microplastics contamination on ecosystem health and functioning is uncertain, understanding, monitoring and preventing further microplastics contamination in Lake Ontario and the other Great Lakes is crucial . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 Ballent, Anika Manuscript page 1Sources and sinks of microplastics in Canadian Lake Ontario nearshore, tributary and beach sediments. AbstractMicroplastics contamination of Lake Ontario sediments is investigated with the aim of identifying distribution patterns and hotspots in nearshore, tributary and beach depositional environments. Microplastics are concentrated in nearshore sediments in the vicinity of urban and industrial regions. In Humber Bay and Toronto Harbour microplastic concentrations were consistently >500 particles per kg dry sediment. Maximum concentrations of ~28,000 particles per kg dry sediment were determined in Etobicoke Creek. The microplastic particles were primarily fibres and fragments < 2 mm in size. Both low-and high-density plastics were identified using Raman spectroscopy. We provide a baseline for future monitoring and discuss potential sources of microplastics in terms of how and where to implement preventative measures to reduce the contaminant influx. Although the impacts of microplastics contamination on ecosystem health and functioning is uncertain, understanding, monitoring and preventing further microplastics contamination in Lake Ontario and the other Great Lakes is crucial.

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Microbial colonization and degradation of polyethylene and biodegradable plastic bags in temperate fine-grained organic-rich marine sediments

Cited by 167 publications

References 40 publications

Degradation and metabolism of synthetic plastics and associated products byPseudomonassp.: capabilities and challenges

Degradation and metabolism of synthetic plastics and associated products byPseudomonassp.: capabilities and challenges

Microplastic-Associated Biofilms: A Comparison of Freshwater and Marine Environments

Sources and sinks of microplastics in Canadian Lake Ontario nearshore, tributary and beach sediments

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