Evaluation of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial communities on microplastic-associated biofilms in marine and freshwater environments

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are major concern due to their potential harm to ecosystems and most research has focused on their presence and fate, with limited attention to their biodegradation in aquatic ecosystems. Nevertheless, MPs act as hotspots for the colonization by a diverse range of microorganisms that can adhere to plastic surfaces, resulting in the subsequent formation of biofilms—a potential threat especially in terms of pathogenicity. This study employed 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA sequencing metagenomic analyses to investigate microbial communities within biofilms on plastic materials exposed to long-term marine and freshwater environments. Three Arcobacter species (Arcobacter nitrofigilis, Arcobacter acticola, and Arcobacter suis) emerged as dominant species in M_MP sample, while Flavobacterium tructae was the predominant species within the F_MP sample. The 18S rRNA sequencing revealed the presence of the fungal phylum Ascomycota and the microalgal species Pseudocharaciopsis ovalis in F_MP. Although, the primary species detected on M_MP and F_MP samples include bacteria previously implicated as pathogen, the predominant species identified in this study were unconnected to MP-associated biofilms or MP degradation. Their presence constitutes a novel discovery, opening promising avenues for the exploration of their potential involvement in the biodegradation of MPs within aquatic environments.