Coupling of sulfate reduction and dissolved organic carbon degradation accelerated by microplastics in blue carbon ecosystems

IF 11.4 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Water Research Pub Date : 2025-02-28 DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2025.123414

Heli Wang , Yin Zhong , Qian Yang , Jiaying Li , Dan Li , Junhong Wu , Sen Yang , Jiashuo Liu , Yirong Deng , Jianzhong Song , Ping'an Peng

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Microplastics have increasingly accumulated in sulfate- and organic matter-rich mangrove ecosystems, yet their effects on microbially mediated carbon and sulfur cycling in sediments remains poorly understood. In this study, we performed a 70-day anaerobic microcosm experiment to examine the effects of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics with different sizes on sulfate reduction and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) degradation in mangrove sediments. Our results demonstrated that millimeter-scale PLA (mm-PLA) more effectively enhanced sulfate reduction, sulfur isotope fractionation, reduced sulfide production, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission compared to micrometer-scale PLA (m-PLA). These results suggested that mm-PLA had a more pronounced impact on the carbon and sulfur cycles. Integrated 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metagenomic analyses revealed that mm-PLA preferentially enriched key functional microorganisms, including acetate-producing bacteria (e.g., Acetobacteroides), completely oxidizing sulfate-reducing bacteria (e.g., Desulfobacter), and incompletely oxidizing sulfate-reducing bacteria (e.g., Desulfobulbus). These microorganisms exhibited higher abundances and greater genetic potential for carbon metabolism and sulfate reduction under mm-PLA treatment. Their relative abundances showed positive correlations with sulfate reduction rates, sulfur isotope fractionation, and CO₂ emission, identifying them as crucial drivers of coupled carbon-sulfur cycling. Furthermore, the synergistic interactions among Acetobacteroides, Desulfobacter, and Desulfobulbus facilitated the oxidation of sediment-derived DOC, highlighting significant implications for carbon sequestration in blue carbon ecosystems.

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微塑料加速蓝碳生态系统中硫酸盐还原与溶解有机碳降解的耦合作用

微塑料越来越多地积聚在富含硫酸盐和有机物的红树林生态系统中，但它们对沉积物中微生物介导的碳和硫循环的影响仍然知之甚少。在这项研究中，我们进行了为期70天的厌氧微观环境实验，研究了不同尺寸的聚乳酸（PLA）微塑料对红树林沉积物中硫酸盐还原和溶解有机碳（DOC）降解的影响。我们的研究结果表明，与微米级PLA （μm-PLA）相比，毫米级PLA （mm-PLA）更有效地促进硫酸盐还原，硫同位素分异，减少硫化物产量和二氧化碳（CO2）排放。这些结果表明，mm-PLA对碳和硫循环的影响更为显著。集成16S rRNA基因扩增子测序和宏基因组分析显示，mm-PLA优先富集关键功能微生物，包括产生醋酸盐的细菌（如Acetobacteroides）、完全氧化硫酸盐还原细菌（如Desulfobacter）和不完全氧化硫酸盐还原细菌（如Desulfobulbus）。这些微生物在mm-PLA处理下表现出更高的丰度和更大的碳代谢和硫酸盐还原的遗传潜力。它们的相对丰度与硫酸盐还原速率、硫同位素分馏和CO2排放呈正相关，是碳硫耦合循环的关键驱动因素。此外，Acetobacteroides、desulobacter和Desulfobulbus之间的协同作用促进了沉积物来源DOC的氧化，这对蓝碳生态系统的碳固存具有重要意义。

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来源期刊

Water Research 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

20.80

自引率

9.40%

发文量

1307

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Water Research, along with its open access companion journal Water Research X, serves as a platform for publishing original research papers covering various aspects of the science and technology related to the anthropogenic water cycle, water quality, and its management worldwide. The audience targeted by the journal comprises biologists, chemical engineers, chemists, civil engineers, environmental engineers, limnologists, and microbiologists. The scope of the journal include: •Treatment processes for water and wastewaters (municipal, agricultural, industrial, and on-site treatment), including resource recovery and residuals management; •Urban hydrology including sewer systems, stormwater management, and green infrastructure; •Drinking water treatment and distribution; •Potable and non-potable water reuse; •Sanitation, public health, and risk assessment; •Anaerobic digestion, solid and hazardous waste management, including source characterization and the effects and control of leachates and gaseous emissions; •Contaminants (chemical, microbial, anthropogenic particles such as nanoparticles or microplastics) and related water quality sensing, monitoring, fate, and assessment; •Anthropogenic impacts on inland, tidal, coastal and urban waters, focusing on surface and ground waters, and point and non-point sources of pollution; •Environmental restoration, linked to surface water, groundwater and groundwater remediation; •Analysis of the interfaces between sediments and water, and between water and atmosphere, focusing specifically on anthropogenic impacts; •Mathematical modelling, systems analysis, machine learning, and beneficial use of big data related to the anthropogenic water cycle; •Socio-economic, policy, and regulations studies.