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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 30, 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

Microplastics and microorganisms in sediments from stormwater drain system.

Yudong Chen¹, Siping Niu¹, Jianghua Yu²

¹Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Environment, Anhui University of Technology, Ma'anshan, People's Republic of China.

The Science of the Total Environment

|May 18, 2023

Summary

Microplastics in stormwater drain sediments vary seasonally, with fibers being most common. These microplastics (MPs) create unique habitats for bacteria, influencing nitrogen cycling processes within the drains.

Keywords:

Microorganisms Microplastics Nitrogen cycle Sediments Stormwater drain system

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Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Microbiology
Polymer Science

Background:

Microplastics (MPs) are prevalent in stormwater drain system (SDS) sediments, but their distribution and impact on microbial communities require further investigation.
Understanding the seasonal variations and characteristics of MPs is crucial for assessing their ecological role in urban aquatic environments.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the spatio-temporal distribution of microplastics in stormwater drain sediments.
To analyze the characteristics (polymer type, size, shape) of microplastics found in SDS.
To elucidate the impact of microplastics on the structure and function of microbial communities in SDS sediments.

Main Methods:

Sediment samples were collected seasonally from a stormwater drain system.
Microplastic abundance, polymer type, size, and shape were analyzed.
Microbial community structure and functional genes were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing.

Main Results:

Microplastic abundance varied seasonally, with the highest concentrations in winter and lowest in summer.
Polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene fibers were the dominant microplastic types.
Microplastics provided a distinct ecological niche for bacteria, enriching for chemoheterotrophic and denitrifying communities, and positively correlated with nitrogen transformation genes.

Conclusions:

Microplastic pollution in stormwater drains exhibits significant seasonal variations and is dominated by specific polymer types and shapes.
Microplastics influence microbial community composition and function, particularly nitrogen cycling, by acting as a habitat for specific bacterial groups.
While microplastics impact microbial communities on their surfaces, their influence on the overall microbial functional genes within the bulk sediment was not significant.