Unveiling Chemical-Microbial Cascade Risk Factors from Plastic Pipe Leaching in Drinking Water.

ABSTRACT: Plastic pipes are increasingly used in drinking water distribution systems, yet their impact on water quality remains insufficiently understood. Here, we systematically investigate the dual outcomes posed by plastic pipes─chemical leaching and cascaded microbial exposure risks─by integrating Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry and metagenomic analysis. Our results reveal that plastic pipes continuously release dissolved organic matter (DOM), including organic additives such as bisphenols (BPs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs), which profoundly reshape microbial communities. Under chlorinated conditions, leached DOM alters microbial diversity, promoting chlorine-resistant bacteria and opportunistic pathogens (OPs), while under nonchlorinated conditions, it accelerat

SUBMITTER: Fan M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12573800 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature