Microbial Dynamics on Different Microplastics in Coastal Urban Aquatic Ecosystems: The Critical Roles of Extracellular Polymeric Substances.

ABSTRACT: Microplastics (MPs) serve as carriers for microbial community colonization, forming unique ecosystems known as plastispheres in urban aquatic ecosystems. However, interactions among microbes, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and MPs remain poorly understood. This study investigates microbial consortia and their EPS secretion behaviors across various plastispheres at two representative coastal urban water sites. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance revealed that MP type significantly influenced microbial community structures in reservoir environments (R² = 0.60, p < 0.001), highlighting the pronounced impact of MP types in high-quality urban waters. Specific microbial phyla and genera were identified as key contributors to EPS compositional varia

SUBMITTER: Feng C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12139041 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature