2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
5/24/2018 | 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM | HUMAN TRASH AND MICROBIAL TREASURES: DISTINCT PATTERNS OF MICROBIAL BIOFILM SUCCESSION ON PLASTIC LITTER SURFACES | 330 A
HUMAN TRASH AND MICROBIAL TREASURES: DISTINCT PATTERNS OF MICROBIAL BIOFILM SUCCESSION ON PLASTIC LITTER SURFACES
Plastics production and disposal rates are accelerating. Discarded plastics can accumulate in terrestrial and riverine systems before transport to global oceans. Microbial biofilms on natural substrates in streams (wood, sediments, and rocks) show distinct biofilm community composition, metabolism, and nutrient uptake rates. Plastics are a novel and abundant substrate for microbial biofilms to colonize in lotic ecosystems. Thus, accrual of plastic litter in lotic ecosystems could affect biofilm-mediated ecological processes. We incubated common plastic polymer types (PVC, polyethylene, polystyrene) and unglazed clay tiles in the North Branch of the Chicago River over 5 weeks to measure the effect of plastic litter type on biofilm colonization rates, community composition, and ecosystem function. All materials were colonized at similar rates to a similar magnitude, but polyethylene and PVC selected for autotrophic-dominated communities, while polystyrene and clay tile selected for heterotrophic-dominated communities. Differences in respiration emerged early in succession and persisted through biofilm maturation, but became less apparent as the biofilm senesced. Some plastic polymers host microbial biofilms that function differently than those on natural surfaces, which reveal controls on biofilm succession and suggest the potential for effects at larger spatial scales.
- Microplastic
- Metabolism
- Urban
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Presenters/Authors
Samuel Dunn
(), Loyola University Chicago , sdunn3@luc.edu;
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Anna Vincent
(), University of Notre Dame, avincen5@nd.edu;
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Timothy Hoellein
(), Loyola University Chicago, thoellein@luc.edu;
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