Plastisphere on microplastics: In situ assays in an estuarine environment

LÓPEZ, A.D. FORERO; BRUGNONI, L.I.; ABASTO, B.; RIMONDINO, G.N.; LASSALLE, V.L.; ARDUSSO, M.G.; NAZZARRO, M.S.; MARTINEZ, A.M.; SPETTER, C.V.; BIANCALANA, F.; SEVERINI, FERNÁNDEZ

JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2022

0304-3894

In this study, the influence of the plastisphere on metals accumulation and weatheringprocesses of polystyrene (PSMPs) and nylon microplastics (NyMPs) in polluted watersduring a 129 day-assay were studied. MPs were characterized through scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM) with Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD),attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, contactangle, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Also Cr, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu in theplastisphere on MPs were analyzed during the assay. Potentially pathogenic Vibrio,Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas spp. were abundant in both MPs. Ascomycota fungi(Phona s.l., Alternaria sp., Penicillium sp., and Cladosporium sp.), and yeast, were alsoidentified. NyMPs and PSMPs exhibited a decrease in the contact angle and increased theirweights. SEM/EDX showed weathering signs, like surface cracks and pits, and leaching TiO2pigments from NyMPs after 42 days. XRD displayed a notorious decrease in NyMPscrystallinity, which could alter its interaction with external contaminants. Heavy metalaccumulation on the plastisphere formed on each type of MPs increased over the exposuretime. After 129 days of immersion, metals concentrations in the plastisphere on MPs were in the following order Cr ˃ Mn ˃ Zn ˃ Cu ˃ Pb ˃ Cd, demonstrating how the biofilm facilitatesmetal mobilization. The results of this study lead to a better understanding of the impact ofmarine plastic debris as vectors of pathogens and heavy metals in coastal environments.Surface degradation; Heavy metals; Biofilms; Pathogens; Pollution“Environmental Implication”The manuscript is of environmental relevance because it studies the presence of hazardousmaterials like microplastics and heavy metals in a marine ecosystem and their interactionswith microorganisms of human health implications. Microplastics produce several impacts