IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i23p4639-d289611.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of Nanoplastics on Freshwater Biofilm Microbial Metabolic Functions as Determined by BIOLOG ECO Microplates

Author

Listed:
  • Lingzhan Miao

    (Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China)

  • Song Guo

    (Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China)

  • Zhilin Liu

    (Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China)

  • Songqi Liu

    (Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China)

  • Guoxiang You

    (Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China)

  • Hao Qu

    (Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China)

  • Jun Hou

    (Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resources Development on Shallow Lakes of Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, China)

Abstract

Nanoplastic (NP) contamination is becoming a pervasive issue as NPs, originating from microplastic particles, pose potentially harmful environmental impacts on aquatic ecosystems. The environmental hazards of NPs on microorganisms have been well documented in recent studies; however, little is known about their ecotoxicity effects on freshwater biofilms, which serve as important primary producers and decomposers and are highly connected with other ecosystem components. We investigated the effects of NPs on the microbial metabolic functions of freshwater biofilms in terms of carbon source utilization ability. Biofilm samples were collected, cultivated in a hydrodynamic flume for six weeks, and then exposed in polystyrene (PS) beads (100 nm in size) with different NP concentrations (1, 5, and 10 mg/L). BIOLOG ECO microplates were used to quantify carbon source utilization characteristics. The data were analyzed using average well-color development (AWCD), functional diversity indices, and principle component analysis (PCA). Results showed that the total carbon metabolic functions (represented by AWCD) remained constant ( p > 0.05) with elevated NP concentrations, but some specific carbon sources (e.g., esters) changed in their utilization ability ( p < 0.05). The microbial functional diversity (Shannon–Wiener diversity index, Simpson diversity index, and Shannon evenness index) was significantly reduced under 10 mg/L NPs ( p < 0.05), indicating an inhibiting effect of NPs on biofilm metabolic diversity. This study examined NP ecotoxicity effects on microbial metabolic activities at the community level, but further studies are required to fully understand the mechanisms driving this change.

Suggested Citation

  • Lingzhan Miao & Song Guo & Zhilin Liu & Songqi Liu & Guoxiang You & Hao Qu & Jun Hou, 2019. "Effects of Nanoplastics on Freshwater Biofilm Microbial Metabolic Functions as Determined by BIOLOG ECO Microplates," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-12, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:23:p:4639-:d:289611
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/23/4639/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/23/4639/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tom J. Battin & Louis A. Kaplan & J. Denis Newbold & Claude M. E. Hansen, 2003. "Contributions of microbial biofilms to ecosystem processes in stream mesocosms," Nature, Nature, vol. 426(6965), pages 439-442, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. David M Costello & Konrad J Kulacki & Mary E McCarthy & Scott D Tiegs & Bradley J Cardinale, 2018. "Ranking stressor impacts on periphyton structure and function with mesocosm experiments and environmental-change forecasts," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Susheel Bhanu Busi & Massimo Bourquin & Stilianos Fodelianakis & Grégoire Michoud & Tyler J. Kohler & Hannes Peter & Paraskevi Pramateftaki & Michail Styllas & Matteo Tolosano & Vincent Staercke & Mar, 2022. "Genomic and metabolic adaptations of biofilms to ecological windows of opportunity in glacier-fed streams," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Hannes Peter & Irene Ylla & Cristian Gudasz & Anna M Romaní & Sergi Sabater & Lars J Tranvik, 2011. "Multifunctionality and Diversity in Bacterial Biofilms," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(8), pages 1-8, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:23:p:4639-:d:289611. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.