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Updated: May 14, 2026

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Seasonal Divergence between Microbiomes on Microplastics and Natural Particles Increases with Rising Water

Yingyu Bao1, Yuen-Wa Ho2,3, Zhiyong Shen1

  • 1School of Energy and Environment and State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Environmental Science & Technology
|May 12, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microplastics host distinct microbial communities in urban rivers, with temperature driving seasonal changes. Warmer conditions increase microbial diversity and pollutant-degrading bacteria on microplastics.

Keywords:
microbial sharingmicroplasticsplastisphereseasonal dynamicsurban riverswater temperature

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Ecotoxicology
  • Urban Ecology

Background:

  • The "plastisphere" (microplastic-associated microbial communities) is a key component of urban river ecosystems.
  • Seasonal dynamics of the plastisphere are poorly understood compared to natural particle-associated microbiomes.
  • Urban rivers face increasing microplastic pollution, necessitating ecological risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare seasonal dynamics of microplastic- (MP) and natural particle- (NP) associated microbiomes in Hong Kong's urban rivers.
  • To identify environmental drivers influencing these microbiomes.
  • To assess the ecological impacts and risks of MPs under varying temperatures.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a year-long metagenomic study across 15 sites in 10 urban rivers.
  • Collected and analyzed microbial communities associated with MPs and NPs over four seasons.
  • Utilized high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes to determine taxonomic and functional compositions.

Main Results:

  • Significant seasonal variations in taxonomic and functional composition were observed for both MP and NP microbiomes, with water temperature as the primary driver.
  • Increasing temperatures led to higher taxonomic and functional diversity but lower stability in both MP and NP microbiomes.
  • MP microbiomes showed greater turnover, more complex networks, and distinct traits, including higher abundance of pollutant-degrading and potentially virulent taxa in warmer conditions.

Conclusions:

  • Water temperature significantly influences the structure and function of microbial communities on MPs and NPs in urban rivers.
  • Microplastic microbiomes exhibit unique characteristics, with warmer temperatures potentially enhancing the abundance of harmful microbes and facilitating gene transfer.
  • Climatic factors must be considered when evaluating the long-term ecological risks posed by microplastics in aquatic environments.