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Sheridan EA, Fonvielle JA, Cottingham S, Zhang Y, Dittmar T, Aldridge DC, Tanentzap AJ. Plastic pollution fosters more microbial growth in lakes than natural organic matter. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4175. [PMID: 35882837 PMCID: PMC9325981 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31691-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Plastic debris widely pollutes freshwaters. Abiotic and biotic degradation of plastics releases carbon-based substrates that are available for heterotrophic growth, but little is known about how these novel organic compounds influence microbial metabolism. Here we found leachate from plastic shopping bags was chemically distinct and more bioavailable than natural organic matter from 29 Scandinavian lakes. Consequently, plastic leachate increased bacterial biomass acquisition by 2.29-times when added at an environmentally-relevant concentration to lake surface waters. These results were not solely attributable to the amount of dissolved organic carbon provided by the leachate. Bacterial growth was 1.72-times more efficient with plastic leachate because the added carbon was more accessible than natural organic matter. These effects varied with both the availability of alternate, especially labile, carbon sources and bacterial diversity. Together, our results suggest that plastic pollution may stimulate aquatic food webs and highlight where pollution mitigation strategies could be most effective. Ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry revealed that plastic bags leach labile compounds. Bioassays performed in Scandinavian lakes indicated that these compounds are incorporated into biomass faster and more efficiently than natural organic matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor A Sheridan
- Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, United Kingdom. .,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, United Kingdom.
| | - Jérémy A Fonvielle
- Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel Cottingham
- Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
| | - Yi Zhang
- Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
| | - Thorsten Dittmar
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.,Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB), 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - David C Aldridge
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, The David Attenborough Building, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Tanentzap
- Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, United Kingdom.
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Bravo AG, Kothawala DN, Attermeyer K, Tessier E, Bodmer P, Ledesma JLJ, Audet J, Casas-Ruiz JP, Catalán N, Cauvy-Fraunié S, Colls M, Deininger A, Evtimova VV, Fonvielle JA, Fuß T, Gilbert P, Herrero Ortega S, Liu L, Mendoza-Lera C, Monteiro J, Mor JR, Nagler M, Niedrist GH, Nydahl AC, Pastor A, Pegg J, Gutmann Roberts C, Pilotto F, Portela AP, González-Quijano CR, Romero F, Rulík M, Amouroux D. The interplay between total mercury, methylmercury and dissolved organic matter in fluvial systems: A latitudinal study across Europe. Water Res 2018; 144:172-182. [PMID: 30029076 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.06.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale studies are needed to identify the drivers of total mercury (THg) and monomethyl-mercury (MeHg) concentrations in aquatic ecosystems. Studies attempting to link dissolved organic matter (DOM) to levels of THg or MeHg are few and geographically constrained. Additionally, stream and river systems have been understudied as compared to lakes. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the influence of DOM concentration and composition, morphological descriptors, land uses and water chemistry on THg and MeHg concentrations and the percentage of THg as MeHg (%MeHg) in 29 streams across Europe spanning from 41°N to 64 °N. THg concentrations (0.06-2.78 ng L-1) were highest in streams characterized by DOM with a high terrestrial soil signature and low nutrient content. MeHg concentrations (7.8-159 pg L-1) varied non-systematically across systems. Relationships between DOM bulk characteristics and THg and MeHg suggest that while soil derived DOM inputs control THg concentrations, autochthonous DOM (aquatically produced) and the availability of electron acceptors for Hg methylating microorganisms (e.g. sulfate) drive %MeHg and potentially MeHg concentration. Overall, these results highlight the large spatial variability in THg and MeHg concentrations at the European scale, and underscore the importance of DOM composition on mercury cycling in fluvial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Dolly N Kothawala
- Limnology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Katrin Attermeyer
- Limnology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emmanuel Tessier
- CNRS/ UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Materiaux, UMR5254, MIRA, Pau, France
| | - Pascal Bodmer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany; Chemical Analytics and Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - José L J Ledesma
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joachim Audet
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Núria Catalán
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain
| | | | - Miriam Colls
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain
| | - Anne Deininger
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Vesela V Evtimova
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Jérémy A Fonvielle
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Fuß
- Ecohydrology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany; WasserCluster Biological Station Lunz, Lunz am See, Austria
| | - Peter Gilbert
- The Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College, University of Highlands and Islands, Thurso, Scotland, UK
| | - Sonia Herrero Ortega
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, Germany
| | - Liu Liu
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Clara Mendoza-Lera
- IRSTEA, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, Villeurbanne, Cedex, France
| | - Juliana Monteiro
- Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jordi-René Mor
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Magdalena Nagler
- Microbial Resource Management, Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Georg H Niedrist
- River and Conservation Research, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Anna C Nydahl
- Limnology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ada Pastor
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain
| | - Josephine Pegg
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, UK; University Centre Sparsholt, Winchester, UK
| | | | - Francesca Pilotto
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ana Paula Portela
- Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Ferran Romero
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain
| | - Martin Rulík
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Palacky University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - David Amouroux
- CNRS/ UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Materiaux, UMR5254, MIRA, Pau, France.
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