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Updated: Sep 2, 2025

Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris

Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris

Published on: July 28, 2018

Plastic microbiome development in a freshwater ecosystem.

Adit Chaudhary¹, Samuel T Dunn¹, John Kelly¹

¹Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America.

The Science of the Total Environment

|August 1, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Plastic litter in streams hosts active microbial biofilms that influence ecosystem processes. These biofilms, comprising bacteria, fungi, and algae, dynamically colonize various plastic types and natural surfaces.

Keywords:

Biofilms Biogeochemistry Microbial communities Plastic litter Succession Urban streams

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Area of Science:

Environmental Microbiology
Ecosystem Ecology
Polymer Science

Background:

Plastic litter is a growing concern in freshwater ecosystems.
Understanding the biological interactions of plastics is crucial for assessing ecosystem impacts.
Microbial biofilms colonizing plastic surfaces play a role in ecological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the activity and composition of microbial biofilms on different plastic substrates in an urban stream.
To determine how plastic properties influence biofilm development and ecosystem functions.
To assess the role of plastic-associated microbes in freshwater ecosystem processes.

Main Methods:

Monitoring biofilm growth and succession on various plastic types (hard, soft, foam, film) and a ceramic tile over four weeks.
Measuring biofilm biomass, metabolism, and extracellular enzyme activity.
Analyzing bacterial, fungal, and algal community composition using molecular techniques.

Main Results:

Biofilm biomass and enzymatic activity increased across all substrates, indicating active microbial metabolism.
Higher respiration rates and negative net ecosystem productivity were observed on foam and tile surfaces.
Microbial community composition changed significantly over time but showed limited differences among plastic substrates.

Conclusions:

Plastic litter in streams is colonized by active and dynamic microbial communities.
Substrate type is not the primary driver of biofilm composition, but biofilms contribute to ecosystem processes.
Plastic debris should be recognized as a substrate for biologically active organisms in aquatic ecosystems.