1
|
Chen K, Jin Z, Zhu Q, Hu X, Tian S, Wang Y, Sun Y, Yuan M, Yao H. Impacts of biodegradable microplastics on rhizosphere bacterial communities of Arabidopsis thaliana: Insights into root hair-dependent colonization. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2025; 276:121496. [PMID: 40157415 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2025] [Revised: 03/20/2025] [Accepted: 03/27/2025] [Indexed: 04/01/2025]
Abstract
Biodegradable microplastics (MPs) affect plant health by altering rhizosphere microbial communities. Root hairs create a unique niche for diverse microbes, but the effects of biodegradable MPs on root hair-dependent bacterial colonization are unclear, particularly the direct relationship between microbes in the rhizosphere and bulk soil. Here, the effects of polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) MPs on root hair-dependent bacterial colonization and diversity in the rhizosphere were revealed using an absolute quantitative method and in-situ zymography with two genotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana (long root hair, wild-type, WT and short root hair, rop2-1 mutant, ROP). The results showed that rhizosphere enzyme activity hotspots, bacterial diversity, and colonization increased from ROP to WT plants. PBAT MPs reduced root hair-dependent bacterial colonization and β-glucosidase hotspots by 17.1 % and 9.8 %, respectively. Despite increasing bacterial absolute abundance in both rhizosphere and bulk soil, PBAT MPs diminished bacterial community modularity and shifted bacterial life strategies from K- to r-strategy via elevated rRNA (rrn) copy numbers and copiotroph/oligotroph ratio. This study indicated that PBAT MPs decreased root hair-dependent bacterial colonization and diversity in the rhizosphere by altering the microbial life history strategies and increasing copiotrophic abundance. This study explained the effects of PBAT MPs on rhizosphere bacterial colonization and diversity from the perspective of root hairs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keyi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Microbial Transformation and Regulation of Biogenic Elements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Zhihui Jin
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Microbial Transformation and Regulation of Biogenic Elements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Qing Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Microbial Transformation and Regulation of Biogenic Elements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Xiaodie Hu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Microbial Transformation and Regulation of Biogenic Elements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Sijia Tian
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Microbial Transformation and Regulation of Biogenic Elements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Yulin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Microbial Transformation and Regulation of Biogenic Elements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Yaru Sun
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Microbial Transformation and Regulation of Biogenic Elements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China
| | - Ming Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Microbial Transformation and Regulation of Biogenic Elements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China.
| | - Huaiying Yao
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Microbial Transformation and Regulation of Biogenic Elements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Trueba-Santiso A, Wimmer R, Eskildsen M, Cubero-Cardoso J, Lema JM, Nielsen JL. Reliable methodology to determine biotransformation of PBAT in anaerobic conditions. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2025; 424:132242. [PMID: 39986631 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2025.132242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2025] [Accepted: 02/14/2025] [Indexed: 02/24/2025]
Abstract
Biodegradable plastics can enhance food waste utilization in anaerobic digestion (AD) units, but their fate under thermophilic conditions remains unclear. Previous studies using methane production, calorimetry, or spectroscopic analyses often report inconsistent results. This study tracks the biotransformation of polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate (PBAT) in thermophilic AD (55 °C) using 1H NMR to quantify monomers. While 1,4-butanediol degraded quickly, adipic (AA) and terephthalic acid (TPA) accumulated over time. Monomer analysis estimated PBAT biotransformation at 11.1 ± 1.9 % (TPA) and 10.1 ± 2.3 % (AA). The core microbial community remained stable, indicating intrinsic hydrolytic capacities, which were stable despite TPA and AA accumulation. This workflow provides a robust methodology to evaluate the biotransformation of plastics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alba Trueba-Santiso
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Reinhard Wimmer
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg E, Denmark
| | - Mathias Eskildsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg E, Denmark
| | - Juan Cubero-Cardoso
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Juan M Lema
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Jeppe Lund Nielsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg E, Denmark.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang J, Xu L, Wang Y, He C, Mei H, Xuan L, Wang Y, Dong F, Wang W. Rapid start-up and excellent performance of anaerobic membrane bioreactor for treating poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) wastewater by using one-step feeding mode. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 370:122544. [PMID: 39316878 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
The traditional anaerobic treatment process for highly concentrated, toxic, and acidic poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) wastewater faces challenges. In contrast, the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) offers the advantage of robust performance, but the influence of start-up modes has not been explored. This study investigated the impact of one-step and stepwise startup (gradual dilution of wastewater) strategies in AnMBR treating PBAT wastewater. The results indicated that the one-step startup group achieved COD removal efficiency of 91.2% ± 2.7% and methane conversion rate of 234.7 ± 8.5 mLCH4/gCOD, which were 21.7% and 81.8 mL CH4/gCOD respectively higher than those achieved by the stepwise start-up group. Furthermore, the one-step startup led to the reduction of startup time by 10 days and the decrease in the average membrane fouling cycle by 6.6 days. Compared to the stepwise start-up group, the one-step startup group exhibited a lower abundance of Bacteroidota (11.3%), and a higher abundance of Proteobacteria (27.1%), Chloroflexi (10.5%), and Actinobacteria (11.8%). The one-step startup strategy facilitated the rapid development of a toxicity-tolerant hydrogenotrophic methanogenic pathway. Consequently, the one-step startup method provided a promising approach for the rapid start-up and excellent performance of AnMBR in PBAT wastewater treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Wang
- Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Luyao Xu
- Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Wastewater and Environmental Treatment, East China Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Chunhua He
- Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Environment and Energy Engineering, Anhui JianZhu University, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Hong Mei
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Wastewater and Environmental Treatment, East China Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Liang Xuan
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Industrial Wastewater and Environmental Treatment, East China Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd., Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Fang Dong
- Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Municipal Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Peng W, Nie R, Lü F, Zhang H, He P. Biodegradability of PBAT/PLA coated paper and bioplastic bags under anaerobic digestion. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 174:218-228. [PMID: 38064993 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) are two of biodegradable plastics with the highest production capacities in 2021. Bioplastic waste management can be easily integrated with organic waste management, especially when bioplastics are used as food packaging material, since they are potentially biodegradable. The aim of this study was to assess the biodegradability of biodegradable polymer-coated paper (BPCP) and bioplastic bags made from PBAT/PLA blend during mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) and to reveal the changes in the physicochemical properties of the bioplastics. BPCP obtained 155 NmL-CH4/g VS and 307.3 NmL-CH4/g VS under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions, respectively, but left bioplastic film residues. The bioplastic bags did not exhibit significant biodegradation during the AD processes. 1H NMR results indicated that the ratio of PLA to PBAT decreased significantly after AD of the BPCP film and that PLA monomers were formed from the bioplastic bags, leading to a decrease in the hydrophobicity on the surfaces of the materials. Methanoculleus was found to be enriched on the bioplastic surface after mesophilic AD. From the perspective of coupling bioplastic waste management with the food waste management, the incorporation of BPCP into the AD reactor not only enhances system stability and methane production to a greater extent than biodegradable plastic bags but also raises concerns regarding the residual biofilm when utilizing the digestate for direct land applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Peng
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Rong Nie
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Fan Lü
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Pinjing He
- Institute of Waste Treatment & Reclamation, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China.
| |
Collapse
|