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Zhuo Y, Yang Y, Zhang H, Wang X, Cao M, Wang Y. Toxicological evaluation and metabolic profiling of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) after exposure to microplastics and acetochlor. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2025; 276:121546. [PMID: 40189011 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121546] [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: 02/07/2025] [Revised: 03/18/2025] [Accepted: 04/03/2025] [Indexed: 04/15/2025]
Abstract
In recent years, microplastic (MPs) and pesticide pollution have become prominent issues in the field of soil pollution. This research endeavored to assess the impact of ultraviolet radiation (UV) on the characteristics of microplastics, as well as investigating the toxicological effect on earthworms (Eisenia fetida) when subjected to the dual stressors of microplastics and acetochlor (ACT). This research found that microplastics aged under UV were more prone to wear and tear in the environment, and produced more oxygen-containing functional groups. Chronic exposure experiments were conducted on ACT and aged-MPs. The results revealed that aged-MPs and ACT inhibited earthworm growth, induced oxidative stress, and caused damage to both the body cavity muscles and the intestinal lumen. Compared with individual exposure, combined exposure increased the oxidative products (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)) and altered the expression levels of related genes (TCTP and Hsp70) significantly. PE inflicted more significant harm to the earthworm intestinal tissue compared to PBAT. By 1H-NMR metabolomics, the investigation delved into the repercussions of PE and ACT on the metabolic pathways of earthworms. Exposure to ACT and PE can disrupt the stability of intestinal membranes stability, amino acid metabolism, neuronal function, oxidative stress and energy metabolism. Overall, the research revealed that combined exposure of MPs and ACT exacerbated the negative effects on earthworms significantly, and contributed valuable insights to environmental risk assessment of the combined toxicity of microplastics and pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonggan Zhuo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China; School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224007, China.
| | - Yunxia Yang
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224007, China; Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Agricultural Breeding Pollution Control and Resource, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224007, China.
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224007, China.
| | - Xingyu Wang
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224007, China.
| | - Meng Cao
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224007, China.
| | - Yanqing Wang
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Yancheng Teachers University, Yancheng, 224007, China.
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Song K, Gao SH, Pan Y, Gao R, Li T, Xiao F, Zhang W, Fan L, Guo J, Wang A. Ecological and Health Risk Mediated by Micro(nano)plastics Aging Process: Perspectives and Challenges. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2025; 59:5878-5896. [PMID: 40108891 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c11813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2025]
Abstract
Aged micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) are normally the ultimate state of plastics in the environment after aging. The changes in the physical and chemical characteristics of aged MNPs significantly influence their environmental behavior by releasing additives, forming byproducts, and adsorbing contaminants. However, a systematic review is lacking on the effects of aged MNPs on ecological and human health regarding the increasing but scattered studies and results. This Review first summarizes the unique characteristics of aged MNPs and methods for quantifying their aging degree. Then we focused on the potential impacts on organisms, ecosystems, and human health, including the "Trojan horse" under real environmental conditions. Through combining meta-analysis and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model, we demonstrated that, compared to virgin MNPs, aged MNPs would result in biomass decrease and oxidative stress increase on organisms and lead to total N/P decrease and greenhouse gas emissions increase on ecosystems while causing cell apoptosis, antioxidant system reaction, and inflammation in human health. Within the framework of ecological and human health risk assessment, we used the risk quotient (RQ) and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBK) models as examples to illustrate the importance of considering aging characteristics and the degree of MNPs in the process of data acquisition, model building, and formula evaluation. Given the ecological and health risks of aged MNPs, our urgent call for more studies of aged MNPs is to understand the potential hazards of MNPs in real-world environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kexiao Song
- State Key Laboratory of Urban-rural Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Shu-Hong Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban-rural Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yusheng Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Urban-rural Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Rui Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban-rural Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Tianyao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban-rural Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Fan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban-rural Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wanying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban-rural Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Lu Fan
- Department of Ocean Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB, formerly AWMC), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Aijie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban-rural Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban-rural Water Resource and Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Wang Y, Zhong H, Xu Q, Dong M, Yang J, Yang W, Feng Y, Su ZM. Vacancy-rich NiFe-LDH/carbon paper as a novel self-supporting electrode for the electro-Fenton degradation of polyvinyl chloride microplastics. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2025; 485:136797. [PMID: 39657496 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2024] [Revised: 11/25/2024] [Accepted: 12/03/2024] [Indexed: 12/12/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemically upcycling polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into high-value small molecules represents a sustainable strategy for mitigating plastic pollution. Herein, a cost-effective self-supporting electrode with abundant vacancies, i.e., NiFe-layered double hydroxide nanoarrays in-situ grown on the surface of carbon paper (denoted as NiFeV-LDH/CP), is developed for the electro-Fenton degradation of PVC microplastics (MPs). The NiFeV-LDH catalyst shows a high selectivity of 76 % towards H2O2 production via two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e- ORR). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the energy barrier of rate-determining step (*H2O2 desorption) decreases over the vacancy-enriched NiFeV-LDH related to the pristine NiFeZn-LDH. The influence of vacancy concentration, reaction temperature and initial concentration of PVC MPs were systematically investigated. Under optimized conditions, the NiFeV-LDH/CP electrode exhibits an outstanding degradation performance of PVC MPs via direct cathodic reduction and oxidation by hydroxyl radicals. This work demonstrates that the electro-Fenton technology using LDH-based self-supporting electrodes is a promising and environmentally-friendly approach for waste plastic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Civilization, Hainan University, No. 58 Renmin Road, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Haihong Zhong
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Civilization, Hainan University, No. 58 Renmin Road, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Qianqian Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, No. 15 Beisanhuan East Road, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Miao Dong
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Civilization, Hainan University, No. 58 Renmin Road, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Jianxin Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Civilization, Hainan University, No. 58 Renmin Road, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Weiting Yang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Civilization, Hainan University, No. 58 Renmin Road, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Yongjun Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, College of Chemistry, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, No. 15 Beisanhuan East Road, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Zhong-Min Su
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Civilization, Hainan University, No. 58 Renmin Road, Haikou 570228, China; State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
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Zhang J, Shao Y, Shao Y, Yang W, Xuan N, Geng Y, Bian F, Zhang Y, Chen G. Pretreated polystyrene is degraded by a microbial consortium enriched from wetland plastic waste. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 480:136143. [PMID: 39423649 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.136143] [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: 08/01/2024] [Revised: 10/05/2024] [Accepted: 10/10/2024] [Indexed: 10/21/2024]
Abstract
The biodegradation of polystyrene (PS), a type of plastic with aromatic rings in its polymer chain, is a critical environmental goal worldwide. Microbial degradation of PS has been reported, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we constructed a microcosm wetland containing PS plastic. We isolated six highly efficient PS plastic-degrading bacterial strains and created a microbial consortium (MCs) consisting of these strains. After a 30-day incubation period, MCs-treated PS exhibited hallmarks of degradation, including -CO- formation, reduced hydrophobicity, surface porosity, and 20 % weight loss. The efficiency of PS degradation was enhanced by using a combination of physical-chemical pretreatment and biological methods, increasing the microbial degradation rate by 20 %. Antioxidant 2246 (C23H32O2) was detected in the culture supernatant via GC-MS. Metatranscriptomic sequencing analysis provided insight into the possible metabolic pathway of PS degradation by the composite bacteria. We identified 31 highly expressed genes encoding proteins that function in carbon metabolism pathways and 34 unique proteases which catalyze the cleavage of long polymer chains. The resulting small molecules are absorbed and further degraded intracellularly by enzymes such as coenzyme synthase, hydratase, transferase, carboxylase, and dehydrogenase. These findings lay the foundation for the efficient and sustainable degradation of PS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China; Jinan Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Microbial Resources, Jinan 250100, China; School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan 250101, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Yahui Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China; Jinan Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Microbial Resources, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yuanyuan Shao
- School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Shandong Jianzhu University, Jinan 250101, China.
| | - Wenlong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China; Jinan Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Microbial Resources, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Ning Xuan
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China; Jinan Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Microbial Resources, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yun Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China; Jinan Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Microbial Resources, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Fei Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China; Jinan Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Microbial Resources, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yingxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China; Jinan Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Microbial Resources, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Gao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China; Jinan Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Agricultural Microbial Resources, Jinan 250100, China.
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Adomako MO, Jin L, Li C, Liu J, Adu D, Seshie VI, Yu FH. Mechanisms underpinning microplastic effects on the natural climate solutions of wetland ecosystems. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 954:176491. [PMID: 39341239 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2024] [Revised: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Wetland ecosystems are vital carbon dioxide (CO2) sinks, offering significant nature-based solutions for global climate mitigation. However, the recent influx of microplastic (MP) into wetlands substantially impacts key drivers (e.g., plants and microorganisms) underpinning these wetland functions. While MP-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization potentially threaten the long-term wetland C-climate feedbacks, the exact mechanisms and linkage are unclear. This review provides a conceptual framework to elaborate on the interplay between MPs, wetland ecosystems, and the atmospheric milieu. We also summarize published studies that validate possible MP impacts on natural climate solutions of wetlands, as well as provide extensive elaboration on underlying mechanisms. We briefly highlight the relationships between MP influx, wetland degradation, and climate change and conclude by identifying key gaps for future research priorities. Globally, plastic production, MP entry into aquatic systems, and wetland degradation-related emissions are predicted to increase. This means that MP-related emissions and wetland-climate feedback should be addressed in the context of the UN Paris Climate Agreement on net-zero emissions by 2050. This overview serves as a wake-up call on the alarming impacts of MPs on wetland ecosystems and urges a global reconsideration of nature-based solutions in the context of climate mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Opoku Adomako
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ling Jin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Changchao Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Daniel Adu
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhejiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Vivian Isabella Seshie
- Department of Environmental and Safety Engineering, University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, Ghana
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, Zhejiang, China.
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Pang R, Wang X, Zhang L, Lei L, Han Z, Xie B, Su Y. Genome-Centric Metagenomics Insights into the Plastisphere-Driven Natural Degradation Characteristics and Mechanism of Biodegradable Plastics in Aquatic Environments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:18915-18927. [PMID: 39380403 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c04965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2024]
Abstract
Biodegradable plastics (BPs) are pervasively available as alternatives to traditional plastics, but their natural degradation characteristics and microbial-driven degradation mechanisms are poorly understood, especially in aquatic environments, the primary sink of plastic debris. Herein, the three-month dynamic degradation process of BPs (the copolymer of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) and polylactic acid (PLA) (PBAT/PLA) and single PLA) in a natural aquatic environment was investigated, with nonbiodegradable plastics polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and polystyrene as controls. PBAT/PLA showed the weight loss of 47.4% at 50 days and severe fragmentation within two months, but no significant decay for other plastics. The significant increase in the specific surface area and roughness and the weakening of hydrophobicity within the first month promoted microbial attachment to the PBAT/PLA surface. Then, a complete microbial succession occurred, including biofilm formation, maturation, and dispersion. Metagenomic analysis indicated that plastispheres selectively enriched degraders. Based on the functional genes involved in BPs degradation, a total of 16 high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes of degraders (mainly Burkholderiaceae) were recovered from the PBAT/PLA plastisphere. These microbes showed the greatest degrading potential at the biofilm maturation stage and executed the functions by PLA_depolymerase, polyesterase, hydrolase, and esterase. These findings will enhance understanding of BPs' environmental behavior and microbial roles on plastic degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruirui Pang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xueting Wang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Liangmao Zhang
- College of Resource Environment and Tourism, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang 441053, China
| | - Lang Lei
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Zhibang Han
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Bing Xie
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
- Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics & Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yinglong Su
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Biotransformation of Organic Solid Waste, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
- Engineering Research Center for Nanophotonics & Advanced Instrument, Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision Optics, Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing 401120, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
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She Y, Qi X, Li Z. Insights into soil autotrophic ammonium oxidization under microplastics stress: Crossroads of nitrification, comammox, anammox and Feammox. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 478:135443. [PMID: 39128156 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135443] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in agroecosystems and profoundly impact soil microbiome and nutrient cycling. However, the effects of MPs on soil autotrophic ammonium oxidization processes, including nitrification, complete ammonium oxidation (comammox), anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled to iron reduction (Feammox), remain unclear. These processes are the rate-limiting steps of nitrogen cycling in agroecosystems. Here, our work unveiled that exposures of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polylactic acid (PLA), and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) MPs significantly modulated ammonium oxidization pathways with distinct type- and dose-dependent effects. Nitrification remained the main contributor (56.4-70.7 %) to soil ammonium removal, followed by comammox (11.7-25.6 %), anammox (5.0-20.2 %) and Feammox (3.3-11.6 %). Compared with conventional nonbiodegradable MPs (i.e., PE and PP), biodegradable MPs (i.e., PLA and PBAT) exhibited more pronounced impacts on soil nutrient conditions and functional microbes, which collectively induced alterations in soil ammonium oxidation. Interestingly, low-dose PLA and PBAT remarkably enhanced the roles of anammox and Feammox in soil ammonium removal, contributing to the mitigation of soil acidification in agroecosystems. This study highlights the diverse responses of ammonium oxidization pathways to MPs, further deepening our understanding of how MPs affect biogeochemical cycling and enriching strategies for agricultural managements amid increasing MPs pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuecheng She
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xin Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhengkui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
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Meng Q, Yi X, Zhou H, Song H, Liu Y, Zhan J, Pan H. Isolation of marine polyethylene (PE)-degrading bacteria and its potential degradation mechanisms. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 207:116875. [PMID: 39236493 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116875] [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: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 08/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024]
Abstract
Microbial degradation of polyethylene (PE) offers a promising solution to plastic pollution in the marine environment, but research in this field is limited. In this study, we isolated a novel marine strain of Pseudalkalibacillus sp. MQ-1 that can degrade PE. Scanning electron microscopy and water contact angle results showed that MQ-1 could adhere to PE films and render them hydrophilic. Analyses using X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed a decrease in relative crystallinity, the appearance of new functional groups and an increase in the oxygen-to‑carbon ratio of the PE films, making them more susceptible to degradation. The results of gel permeation chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated the depolymerization of the long PE chains, with the detection of an intermediate, decanediol. Furthermore, genome sequencing was employed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of PE degradation. The results of genome sequencing analysis identified the genes associated with PE degradation, including cytochrome P450, alcohol dehydrogenase, and aldehyde dehydrogenase involved in the oxidative reaction, monooxygenase related to ester bond formation, and esterase associated with ester bond cleavage. In addition, enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism and intracellular transport have been identified, collectively providing insights into the metabolic pathway of PE degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Meng
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering, Ocean and Life Sciences, Panjin Campus, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Xianliang Yi
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering, Ocean and Life Sciences, Panjin Campus, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China.
| | - Hao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering, Ocean and Life Sciences, Panjin Campus, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Hongyu Song
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering, Ocean and Life Sciences, Panjin Campus, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering, Ocean and Life Sciences, Panjin Campus, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Jingjing Zhan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering, Ocean and Life Sciences, Panjin Campus, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China
| | - Haixia Pan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Chemical Engineering, Ocean and Life Sciences, Panjin Campus, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, China.
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Zhuo T, Yu K, Chai B, Tang Q, Gao X, Wang J, He L, Lei X, Li Y, Meng Y, Wu L, Chen B. Microplastics increase the microbial functional potential of greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution in a freshwater lake: A metagenomic study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 257:119250. [PMID: 38844031 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119250] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems are being increasingly polluted by microplastics (MPs), which calls for an understanding of how MPs affect microbially driven biogenic element cycling in water environments. A 28-day incubation experiment was conducted using freshwater lake water added with three polymer types of MPs (i.e., polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene) separately or in combination at a concentration of 1 items/L. The effects of various MPs on microbial communities and functional genes related to carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycling were analyzed using metagenomics. Results showed that Sphingomonas and Novosphingobium, which were indicator taxa (genus level) in the polyethylene treatment group, made the largest functional contribution to biogenic element cycling. Following the addition of MPs, the relative abundances of genes related to methane oxidation (e.g., hdrD, frhB, accAB) and denitrification (napABC, nirK, norB) increased. These changes were accompanied by increased relative abundances of genes involved in organic phosphorus mineralization (e.g., phoAD) and sulfate reduction (cysHIJ), as well as decreased relative abundances of genes involved in phosphate transport (phnCDE) and the SOX system. Findings of this study underscore that MPs, especially polyethylene, increase the potential of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, N2O) and water pollution (PO43-, H2S) in freshwater lakes at the functional gene level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Zhuo
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Intelligent Regulation and Comprehensive Management of Water Resources, School of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
| | - Kehong Yu
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
| | - Beibei Chai
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Intelligent Regulation and Comprehensive Management of Water Resources, School of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Intelligent Water Conservancy, School of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China.
| | - Qingfeng Tang
- Beijing Center for Physical & Chemical Analysis, Beijing, 100089, China
| | - Xia Gao
- Beijing Center for Physical & Chemical Analysis, Beijing, 100089, China
| | - Jiamin Wang
- Beijing Center for Physical & Chemical Analysis, Beijing, 100089, China
| | - Lixin He
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Intelligent Regulation and Comprehensive Management of Water Resources, School of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
| | - Xiaohui Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100038, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Energy and Environment, Zhongyuan University of Technology, Zhengzhou, 450007, China
| | - Yuan Meng
- School of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric Power, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China; School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
| | - Lifeng Wu
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Intelligent Water Conservancy, School of Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China
| | - Bin Chen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China; Innovation Center for Water Pollution Control and Water Ecological Remediation, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, 056038, China.
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Pan W, Zhou Y, Xie H, Liang L, Zou G, Du L, Guo X. Plant and microbial response in constructed wetland treating tetracycline antibiotic polluted water: Evaluating the effects of microplastic size and concentration. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 353:141553. [PMID: 38412891 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141553] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics are novel water pollutants that have attracted increasing attention. Constructed wetlands (CWs) are widely applied treating various types of polluted water. How these two new pollutants affect plants and microorganisms in CWs, especially deciphering the unknown roles of MPs size and concentration, is of great essential. Here, five CW treatments with submerged macrophyte Myriophyllum aquaticum were established to treat oxytetracycline (OTC) antibiotic-polluted water. The effects of polystyrene (PS) nanoplastics (NPs) (700 nm) and MPs (90-110 μm) on plant and microbial communities at 10 μg/L and 1 mg/L, respectively, were systematically evaluated. PS reduced the nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies and inhibited OTC removal. Low doses (10 μg/L) of NPs and high doses (1 mg/L) of MPs had the greatest effects on plant and microbial responses. The overall effect of MPs was greater than that of NPs. Compared with high NPs concentration (1 mg/L), low concentrations (10 μg/L) had higher catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. However, the activity and content of MPs at low concentrations (10 μg/L) were lower than those at high concentrations (1 mg/L). The coexistence of OTC and MPs/NPs decreased the microbial diversity and abundance. Low doses of NPs and high doses of MPs decreased the relative abundance of Abditibacteriota, Deinococccota, and Zixibacteria. Redundancy and network analyses revealed a strong correlation between pollutant removal and plant and microbial responses. NH4+-N and OTC removal was positively and negatively correlated with CAT, SOD, and MDA content, respectively. MDA positively correlated to chlorophyll content, whereas SOD showed a negative correlation with Chloroflexi. This study highlighted the scale effect of MPs in wastewater treatment via CWs. It enhances our understanding of the response of plants and microorganisms to the remediation of water co-polluted with MPs and antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiliang Pan
- School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China.
| | - Yi Zhou
- School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China; Institute of Plant Nutrition, Resources and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Huimin Xie
- School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China; Institute of Plant Nutrition, Resources and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Lin Liang
- School of River and Ocean Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China; Institute of Plant Nutrition, Resources and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Guoyuan Zou
- Institute of Plant Nutrition, Resources and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Lianfeng Du
- Institute of Plant Nutrition, Resources and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Xuan Guo
- Institute of Plant Nutrition, Resources and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China; China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory of Water Environment Research, Beijing, 100097, China.
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