Agglomeration of nano- and microplastic particles in seawater by autochthonous and de novo-produced sources of exopolymeric substances

MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN

卷:130

Article

Summers, Stephen^1,2,3  Henry, Theodore^4,5  Gutierrez, Tony¹ 

[1] Heriot Watt Univ, Sch Engn & Phys Sci, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, Midlothian, Scotland

[2] Nanyang Technol Univ, Singapore Ctr Environm Life Sci Engn, Singapore 637551, Singapore

[3] Nanyang Technol Univ, Sch Biol Sci, Singapore 637551, Singapore

[4] Heriot Watt Univ, Sch Energy Geosci Infrastruct & Soc, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, Midlothian, Scotland

[5] Univ Tennessee, Ctr Environm Biotechnol, Dept Forestry Wildlife & Fisheries, Knoxville, TN 36849 USA

关键词: Microplastic;    Nanoplastic;    Marine snow;    Exopolysaccharide;    EPS;    Glycoprotein;    Marine environment;    Marine pollution;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.039

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Microplastics ( < 5 mm) have often been studied under in-vitro conditions where plastics have been investigated in isolation. However, in the natural environment microplastics readily form agglomerates conferring the particles with properties different to their pristine counterparts. Here, we examined the interaction of exopolymers with polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics. Formation of plastic agglomerates was examined using simulated sea surface conditions. Flow cytometry coupled with microscopy revealed that nano- and microplastic particle spheres form agglomerates in seawater with a mucilagenous material and an associated microbial community. To characterise this material, differential staining methods revealed it to be glycoprotein in composition. Exposing increasing concentrations of a marine bacterial glycoprotein EPS to nano- or microplastics revealed that these types of polymers contribute to the formation and abundance of plastic agglomerates. This work highlights the importance of EPS on the fate of plastic and future research should take this into account when evaluating the impact of plastics.

【 授权许可】

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