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1. Surface-programmed microbiome assembly in phycosphere to microplastics contamination

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.122064  

   Fan, Xuan; Kong, Lingyu; Wang, Jingyi; Tan, Yixiao; Xu, Xiangyang; Li, Mengyan; Zhu, Liang (September 2024, Water Research)

   Recalcitrance in microplastics accounts for ubiquitous white pollution. Of special interest are the capabilities of microorganisms to accelerate their degradation sustainably. Compared to the well-studied pure cultures in degrading natural polymers, the algal-bacterial symbiotic system is considered as a promising candidate for microplastics removal, cascading bottom-up impacts on ecosystem-scale processes. This study selected and enriched the algae-associated microbial communities hosted by the indigenous isolation Desmodesmus sp. in wastewater treatment plants with micro-polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polystyrene contamination. Results elaborated that multiple settled and specific affiliates were recruited by the uniform algae protagonist from the biosphere under manifold microplastic stress. Alteration of distinct chemical functionalities and deformation of polymers provide direct evidence of degradation in phycosphere under illumination. Microplastic-induced phycosphere-derived DOM created spatial gradients of aromatic protein, fulvic and humic acid-like and tryptophan components to expanded niche-width. Surface thermodynamic analysis was conducted to simulate the reciprocal and reversible interaction on algal-bacterial and phycosphere-microplastic interface, revealing the enhancement of transition to stable and irreversible aggregation for functional microbiota colonization and microplastics capture. Furthermore, pangenomic analysis disclosed the genes related to the chemotaxis and the proposed microplastics biodegradation pathway in enriched algal-bacterial microbiome, orchestrating the evidence for common synthetic polymer particles and ultimately to confirm the effectiveness and potential. The present study emphasizes the necessity for future endeavors aimed at fully leveraging the potential of algal-bacterial mutualistic systems within sustainable bioremediation strategies targeting the eradication of microplastic waste. 

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2. Wastewater treatment alters microbial colonization of microplastics

   https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244443  

   Kelly, John J.; London, Maxwell G.; McCormick, Amanda R.; Rojas, Miguel; Scott, John W.; Hoellein, Timothy J. (January 2021, PLOS ONE)

   Nerenberg, Robert (Ed.)

   Microplastics are ubiquitous contaminants in aquatic habitats globally, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are point sources of microplastics. Within aquatic habitats microplastics are colonized by microbial biofilms, which can include pathogenic taxa and taxa associated with plastic breakdown. Microplastics enter WWTPs in sewage and exit in sludge or effluent, but the role that WWTPs play in establishing or modifying microplastic bacterial assemblages is unknown. We analyzed microplastics and associated biofilms in raw sewage, effluent water, and sludge from two WWTPs. Both plants retained >99% of influent microplastics in sludge, and sludge microplastics showed higher bacterial species richness and higher abundance of taxa associated with bioflocculation (e.g. Xanthomonas ) than influent microplastics, suggesting that colonization of microplastics within the WWTP may play a role in retention. Microplastics in WWTP effluent included significantly lower abundances of some potentially pathogenic bacterial taxa (e.g. Campylobacteraceae ) compared to influent microplastics; however, other potentially pathogenic taxa (e.g. Acinetobacter ) remained abundant on effluent microplastics, and several taxa linked to plastic breakdown (e.g. Klebsiella , Pseudomonas , and Sphingomonas ) were significantly more abundant on effluent compared to influent microplastics. These results indicate that diverse bacterial assemblages colonize microplastics within sewage and that WWTPs can play a significant role in modifying the microplastic-associated assemblages, which may affect the fate of microplastics within the WWTPs and the environment. 

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3. Contaminants of Emerging Concern on Microplastics Found in the Chrysaora chesapeakei of the Patuxent River, Chesapeake Bay, MD

   https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics4020032  

   Smith, Carol A; Drichko, Natalie; Lorenzo, Miranda; Pramanik, Saroj (June 2025, Microplastics)

   Previously, we reported that microplastic volatile organic compounds are present within the Chrysaora chesapeakei of Chesapeake Bay, MD. In this study, we report the presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) on the hydrophobic surface of microplastic (MP) particles extracted from the C. chesapeakei, detected by Raman spectroscopy and identified by Wiley’s KnowItAll Software with IR & Raman Spectral Libraries. C. chesapeakei encounters various microplastics and emerging contaminants as it floats through the depths of the Patuxent River water column. This study identifies subsuming CECs found directly on microplastics from within C. chesapeakei in the wild using Raman spectroscopy. Among the extracted microplastics, some of the emerging contaminants found on the different microplastics were pesticides, pharmaceuticals, minerals, food derivatives, wastewater treatment chemicals, hormones, and recreational drugs. Our results represent the first of such findings in C. chesapeakei, obtained directly from the field, and indicate C. chesapeakei’s relationship with microplastics, with this species serving as a vector of emerging contaminants through the marine food web. This paper further illustrates a relationship between different types of plastics that attract dissimilar types of emerging pollutants in the same surrounding environmental conditions, underscoring the urgent need for further research to fully understand and mitigate the risks that MPs coexist with contaminants. 

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4. Nutrient recovery from treated wastewater by a hybrid electrochemical sequence integrating bipolar membrane electrodialysis and membrane capacitive deionization

   https://doi.org/10.1039/C9EW00981G  

   Gao, Fei; Wang, Li; Wang, Jie; Zhang, Hongwei; Lin, Shihong (February 2020, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology)

   The growing needs for sustainable nutrient management and pollution control have motivated the development of novel technologies for nutrient recovery from wastewater. However, most of the existing technologies require extensive use of chemicals and intensive consumption of energy to achieve substantial recovery of nutrients. Herein, we present a hybrid electrochemical sequence integrating two relatively novel electrochemical processes, bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED) and membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI), for simultaneous removal of phosphorus and nitrogen. Specifically, the BMED process is employed to alkalify the wastewater to facilitate struvite precipitation and the MCDI process is used to further reduce the ammonia concentration in the effluent and concentrate the excess ammonia to a small stream. The electrochemical sequence is demonstrated to remove ∼89% of phosphorus and ∼77% of ammonia, recovering ∼81% of wastewater as a high-quality effluent that can be discharged or reused. This electrochemical treatment train minimizes chemical use and has competitive energy consumption as compared to electrochemical processes for nutrient recovery from wastewater. 

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5. Distribution and transport of microplastic and fine particulate organic matter in urban streams

   https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2429  

   Vincent, Anna E. S.; Hoellein, Timothy J. (August 2021, Ecological Applications)

   Abstract Plastic litter is accumulating in ecosystems worldwide. Rivers are a major source of plastic litter to oceans. However, rivers also retain and transform plastic pollution. While methods for calculating particle transport dynamics in rivers are well established, they are infrequently used to quantify the transport and retention of microplastics (i.e., particles < 5 mm) in flowing waters. Measurements of microplastic movement in rivers are needed for a greater understanding of the fate of plastic litter at watershed and global scales, and to inform pollution prevention strategies. Our objectives were to (1) quantify the abundance of microplastics within different river habitats and (2) adapt organic matter “spiraling” metrics to measure microplastic transport concurrent with fine particulate organic matter (FPOM). We quantified microplastic and FPOM abundance across urban river habitats (i.e., surface water, water column, benthos), and calculated downstream particle velocity, index of retention, turnover rate, and spiraling length for both particle types. Microplastic standing stock was assessed using a habitat‐specific approach, and estimates were scaled up to encompass the study reach. Spatial distribution of particles demonstrated that microplastics and FPOM were retained together, likely by hydrodynamic forces that facilitate particle sinking or resuspension. Microplastic particles had a higher downstream particle velocity and lower index of retention relative to FPOM, suggesting that microplastics were retained to a lesser degree than FPOM in the study reaches. Microplastics also showed lower turnover rates and longer spiraling lengths relative to FPOM, attributed to the slow rates of plastic degradation. Thus, rivers are less retentive of microplastics than FPOM, although both particles are retained in similar locations. Because microplastics are resistant to degradation, individual particles can be transported longer distances prior to mineralization than FPOM, making it likely that microplastic particles will encounter larger bodies of water and interact with various aquatic biota in the process. These empirical assessments of particle transport will be valuable for understanding the fate and transformation of microplastic particles in freshwater resources and ultimately contribute to the refinement of global plastic budgets. 

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