Plastic debris is among the most abundant pollutants in freshwater. And despite the fact that its decomposition can lead to increased water toxicity that negatively affects bacterial growth, a study published this week in the journal Nature Communication under the title Plastic pollution promotes microbial growth in lakes more than natural organic matter, seems to have found that this decomposition of plastic in fresh waters is also likely to release compounds that provide energy for bacterial growth.
The findings are based on samples from 29 Scandinavian lakes, which University of Cambridge researcher Eleanor Sheridan and her colleagues analyzed using ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry to determine how much low density polyethylene (LDPE)the most common type of plastic found in fresh water, and organic matter contained its waters.
Bacteria from the genera Deinococcus and Hymenobacter could be particularly effective in future plastic removal strategies in polluted waters
Thus, the researchers found that the compounds dissolved in the plastic were chemically different and easier for bacteria to use as a carbon source than natural organic matter. The authors note that growth rates depended on both bacterial diversity and the characteristics of natural organic matter in the lake, but that this increased carbon accessibility translated into bacterial growth up to 1.72 times higher.
The authors caution that their study focuses only on bacteria and does not take into account the effect of plastic on other microorganisms, such as microalgae and fungi. However, they suggest that some bacterial taxa, such as Deinococcus e Hymenobacternaturally present in lake environments, may be particularly suitable for eliminate plastic-derived compounds and could help future pollution mitigation strategies.
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