Microbial Succession on Microplastics in Wastewater Treatment Plants: Exploring the Complexities of Microplastic-Microbiome Interactions

• Published in: Microbial ecology Vol. 87; no. 1; p. 105
• Main Authors: Kwiatkowska, Klaudia, Ormaniec, Paulina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-12-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - metabolism; Biofilms; Biological activity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Composite materials; Ecological succession; Ecology; Environmental assessment; Environmental impact; Enzymatic activity; Enzyme activity; Flora; Geoecology/Natural Processes; Information management; Land application; Life Sciences; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Microplastics; Microplastics - analysis; Nature Conservation; Organic compounds; Organic soils; Pathogenicity; Pathogens; Physicochemical processes; Physicochemical properties; Plant production; Plants; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Plastics - chemistry; Pollution control; Polymers; Review; Sewage; Sewage - chemistry; Sewage - microbiology; Sewage sludge; Sludge; Soil microorganisms; Substrates; Toxicity; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Wastewater - chemistry; Wastewater - microbiology; Wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Water treatment; Biofilm; Microorganisms; Wastewater treatment plant; Microplastic; Sewage sludge
• ISSN: 0095-3628; 1432-184X; 1432-184X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02422-y

Despite some effectiveness of wastewater treatment processes, microplastics accumulate in sewage sludge and their further use may contribute to the release of plastic microplastics into the environment. There is an urgent need to reduce the amount of microplastics in sewage sludge. Plastic particles serve as solid substrates for various microorganisms, promoting the formation of microbial biofilms with different metabolic activities. The biofilm environment associated with microplastics will determine the efficiency of treatment processes, especially biological methods, and the mechanisms of organic compound conversion. A significant source of microplastics is the land application of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants. The detrimental impact of microplastics affects soil enzymatic activity, soil microorganisms, flora, fauna, and plant production. This review article summarizes the development of research related to microplastics and discusses the issue of microplastic introduction from sewage sludge. Given that microplastics can contain complex composite polymers and form a plastisphere, further research is needed to understand their potential environmental impact, pathogenicity, and the characteristics of biofilms in wastewater treatment systems. The article also discusses the physicochemical properties of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants and their role in biofilm formation. Then, the article explained the impact of these properties on the possibility of the formation of biofilms on their surface due to the peculiar structure of microorganisms and also characterized what factors enable the formation of specific plastisphere in wastewater treatment plants. It highlights the urgent need to understand the basic information about microplastics to assess environmental toxicity more rationally, enabling better pollution control and the development of regulatory standards to manage microplastics entering the environment.