Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific
Plastic debris is a growing threat in freshwater ecosystems and transport models predict that many plastics will sink to the benthos. Among the most common plastics found in the Laurentian Great Lakes sediments are polyethylene terephthalate (especially fibers; PET), polyvinylchloride (particles; PV...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/2/348 |
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| author | Kristina M. Chomiak Wendy A. Owens-Rios Carmella M. Bangkong Steven W. Day Nathan C. Eddingsaas Matthew J. Hoffman André O. Hudson Anna Christina Tyler |
| author_facet | Kristina M. Chomiak Wendy A. Owens-Rios Carmella M. Bangkong Steven W. Day Nathan C. Eddingsaas Matthew J. Hoffman André O. Hudson Anna Christina Tyler |
| author_sort | Kristina M. Chomiak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Plastic debris is a growing threat in freshwater ecosystems and transport models predict that many plastics will sink to the benthos. Among the most common plastics found in the Laurentian Great Lakes sediments are polyethylene terephthalate (especially fibers; PET), polyvinylchloride (particles; PVC), and styrene-butadiene rubber resulting from tire wear (“crumb rubber”; SBR). These materials vary substantially in physical and chemical properties, and their impacts on benthic biogeochemistry and microbial community structure and function are largely unknown. We used a microcosm approach to evaluate the impact of these three plastics on benthic-pelagic coupling, sediment properties, and sediment microbial community structure and function using sediments from Irondequoit Bay, a major embayment of Lake Ontario in Rochester, New York, USA. Benthic metabolism and nitrogen and phosphorous cycling were all uniquely impacted by the different polymers. PET fibers and PVC particles demonstrated the most unique effects, with decreased ecosystem metabolism in sediments containing PET and greater nutrient uptake in sediments with PVC. Microbial diversity was reduced in all treatments containing plastic, but SBR had the most substantial impact on microbial community function, increasing the relative importance of metabolic pathways such as hydrocarbon degradation and sulfur metabolism. Our results suggest that individual polymers have unique impacts on the benthos, with divergent implications for ecosystem function. This provides deeper insight into the myriad ways plastic pollution may impact aquatic ecosystems and will help to inform risk assessment and policy interventions by highlighting which materials pose the greatest risk. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:32:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-be310b93da954f2f8db8696d007b4a38 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:32:47Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-be310b93da954f2f8db8696d007b4a382024-01-26T18:52:17ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412024-01-0116234810.3390/w16020348Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer SpecificKristina M. Chomiak0Wendy A. Owens-Rios1Carmella M. Bangkong2Steven W. Day3Nathan C. Eddingsaas4Matthew J. Hoffman5André O. Hudson6Anna Christina Tyler7Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5603, USAThomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5603, USAThomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5603, USADepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5603, USASchool of Materials Science and Chemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5603, USASchool of Mathematics and Statistics, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5603, USAThomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5603, USAThomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623-5603, USAPlastic debris is a growing threat in freshwater ecosystems and transport models predict that many plastics will sink to the benthos. Among the most common plastics found in the Laurentian Great Lakes sediments are polyethylene terephthalate (especially fibers; PET), polyvinylchloride (particles; PVC), and styrene-butadiene rubber resulting from tire wear (“crumb rubber”; SBR). These materials vary substantially in physical and chemical properties, and their impacts on benthic biogeochemistry and microbial community structure and function are largely unknown. We used a microcosm approach to evaluate the impact of these three plastics on benthic-pelagic coupling, sediment properties, and sediment microbial community structure and function using sediments from Irondequoit Bay, a major embayment of Lake Ontario in Rochester, New York, USA. Benthic metabolism and nitrogen and phosphorous cycling were all uniquely impacted by the different polymers. PET fibers and PVC particles demonstrated the most unique effects, with decreased ecosystem metabolism in sediments containing PET and greater nutrient uptake in sediments with PVC. Microbial diversity was reduced in all treatments containing plastic, but SBR had the most substantial impact on microbial community function, increasing the relative importance of metabolic pathways such as hydrocarbon degradation and sulfur metabolism. Our results suggest that individual polymers have unique impacts on the benthos, with divergent implications for ecosystem function. This provides deeper insight into the myriad ways plastic pollution may impact aquatic ecosystems and will help to inform risk assessment and policy interventions by highlighting which materials pose the greatest risk.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/2/348microplasticnutrient cyclingfreshwater lakessedimentmicrobial community structure and function |
| spellingShingle | Kristina M. Chomiak Wendy A. Owens-Rios Carmella M. Bangkong Steven W. Day Nathan C. Eddingsaas Matthew J. Hoffman André O. Hudson Anna Christina Tyler Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific Water microplastic nutrient cycling freshwater lakes sediment microbial community structure and function |
| title | Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific |
| title_full | Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific |
| title_short | Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific |
| title_sort | impact of microplastic on freshwater sediment biogeochemistry and microbial communities is polymer specific |
| topic | microplastic nutrient cycling freshwater lakes sediment microbial community structure and function |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/2/348 |
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