Can microplastics from personal care products affect stream microbial decomposers in the presence of silver nanoparticles?

Microplastics (MPs) are emerging contaminants of great concern due to their abundance and persistence over time in aquatic environments. However, studies on their impacts on freshwater organisms are scarce. In resemblance, silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are incorporated into textiles and personal care products and are also classified as emerging contaminants. We used the leaf litter decomposition model system to investigate the effects of MPs from a commercially used personal care product, alone or in mixture with Ag-NPs, on the diversity and activities of freshwater microbial decomposers. We exposed stream microbial communities associated with leaf litter to increasing concentrations of MPs (polyethylene extracted from a personal care product; 100 mu g L-1 up to 1 g L(-1)5 concentrations plus 1 control) for 27 days in the absence or presence of Ag-NPs (0.1 mg L-1 and 1 mg L-1). The exposure to MPs, alone or in mixture with Ag-NPs, negatively affected fungal diversity and sporulation, with a reduction in leaf litter decomposition (Cohen's d > 1.5; r > 0.8; Bonferroni, P < 0.01). Shifts in community structure of sporulating fungi were observed, and effects were more pronounced in mixtures with Ag-NPs at the highest concentration. Mixtures of MPs with Ag-NPs (at the higher concentration) had the strongest impacts on extracellular enzymatic (beta-glucosidase, Cohen's d > 1; r > 0.5; phenol oxidase, Cohen's d > 1; r > 0.4) activities (ANOVAs, P < 0.05). Apart from sporulation rates, observed toxicity in mixtures was lower than that expected based on individual toxicity effects, mainly for higher concentrations (Bonferroni, P < 0.05). Our study provided evidence of the potential harmful effects of MPs, alone or in mixtures with Ag-NPs, on the activities of aquatic fungi and on a key ecosystem process, determinant to organic matter turnover in streams.

Automated summary

Microplastics, an emerging contaminant in aquatic environments, have been found to negatively affect freshwater microbial decomposers and the process of leaf litter decomposition. This study highlights the potential harmful effects of microplastics, alone or in mixtures with silver nanoparticles, on aquatic fungi and a key ecosystem process.