Characteristics of microplastic pollution and analysis of colonized-microbiota in a freshwater aquaculture system

The microbial communities associated with microplastics (MPs) and their ambient environments have received wide attention. Although previous studies have reported the differences of microbial communities between MPs and natural environment or substrates, the effects of MPs on microbial balance and functions in ambient water remain unclear, particularly for aquaculture water. Here, we investigated the MPs pollution in farm ponds of grass carp located in the Foshan City of Guangdong Province and reported the distinction of bacterial structures, functions, and complexity between microbiota on MPs and in water. MPs with an average abundance of 288.53 +/- 74.27 items/L in pond water were mostly fibers and cellulose, mainly transparent and in size of 0.5-1mm. Structures and functions of bacterial communities on MPs significantly differed from that in pond water. A large number of enriched or depleted OTUs on MPs compared with water belong to the phylum Proteobacteria, the predominant phylum in microbial communities on MPs and in water. Some species included in the phylum Proteobacteria have been shown to be cellulose-degrading and pathogenic. Microbiota on MPs exhibited higher species richness and diversity as well as a more complex network than that in water, illustrating MPs as a distinct habitat in the aquaculture system.

Automated summary

This study investigated the microbial communities associated with microplastics (MPs) pollution in grass carp farm ponds and found significant differences in bacterial structures, functions, and complexity between microbiota on MPs and in water. The enriched or depleted microbial species on MPs belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria, some of which have cellulose-degrading and pathogenic characteristics. Microbiota on MPs exhibited higher species richness, diversity, and a more complex network structure.