The daily use of plastics presents a serious pollution issue due to their extremely slow degradation.Microplastics and the biofilm that grows on plastics(i.e.,the plastisphere)are important subsets of plastic wastes.Many studies have been conducted to reveal the structures of the plastispheres,the driving factors for the formation of the plastisphere,and the ability of the plastispheres to degrade plastics in a variety of water bodies.However,the plastispheres related to wastewater are understudied.In this study,we used a microcosmic strategy to study the evolution of the plastispheres associated with microplastics(MPs)over time in wastewater.We found that plastic materials and water sources did not actively select and shape the plastispheres at an early stage,but the active selection for a unique niche of the plastisphere occurred after 14 d of growth.In addition,we confirmed that the alkB gene was densely present,and metagenomics showed some additional chemical reactions,which suggests that MPs are consumed by the microbes in the plastispheres.Additionally,metagenomics identified some metagenome-assembled genomes(MAGs)associated with high-density polyethylene(HDPE)and polyethylene terephthalate(PET).The identification of HDPE-associated MAGs and PET-associated MAGs further supports the notion that the selection for a unique niche of the plastisphere is driven by plastic materials and water sources(in this study,after 14 d of growth).Our discoveries bring new views on the behavior of the wastewater-associated plastisphere,especially how long it takes a wastewater plastisphere to form.

Yu Xia;Xuyang Zhang;Miao Zhang;Liming Chen;Xiaotong Tang;Yuhong Sun;Xiang Li

School of Environmental Science and Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen 518055,China;State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Surface Water-Groundwater Pollution Control,School of Environmental Science and Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen 518055,China;Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control,School of Environmental Science and Engineering,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen 518055,China

环境科学与工程前沿

[1]Yu Xia;Xuyang Zhang;Miao Zhang;Liming Chen;Xiaotong Tang;Yuhong Sun;Xiang Li-.Plastic materials and water sources actively select and shape wastewater plastispheres over time)[J].环境科学与工程前沿,2022(11):95-104

plastispheres,plastisphere,microcosmic,alkB

Plastic,materials,sources,actively,shape,wastewater,daily,presents,serious,pollution,issue,due,their,extremely,slow,degradation,Microplastics,biofilm,that,grows,are,important,subsets,wastes,Many,studies,have,been,conducted,reveal,structures,driving,factors,formation,ability,degrade,variety,bodies,However,related,understudied,In,this,study,used,strategy,evolution,associated,microplastics,MPs,We,found,did,early,stage,but,selection,unique,niche,occurred,after,growth,confirmed,gene,densely,metagenomics,showed,some,additional,chemical,reactions,which,suggests,consumed,by,microbes,Additionally,identified,metagenome,assembled,genomes,MAGs,high,density,polyethylene,HDPE,terephthalate,PET,identification,further,supports,notion,driven,Our,discoveries,bring,new,views,behavior,especially,long,takes

0.452852