influence of environmental factors
Barbara Klun (Avtor), Mark Starin (Avtor), Janja Novak (Avtor), Ula Rozman (Avtor), Nataša Čelan Korošin (Avtor), Gilberto Binda (Avtor), Gabriela Kalčíková (Avtor)

Povzetek

To overcome the environmental challenges posed by conventional plastics, new alternative plastic materials are being developed and increasingly used. However, their fate in the natural environment is still poorly understood. This study compared biofilm formation on polyethylene (PE) and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics (MPs) under different conditions i.e. water regimes (static and moving conditions), nutrient levels (excess of nitrogen and phosphorus), light exposure (light and dark), and pollution levels (presence and absence of wastewater). Although PE and PLA differ in their composition and physico-chemical properties, the processes of aging and biofilm formation on both materials exhibited many similarities. Light availability had the strongest influence, as the formation of biofilm on both PE and PLA was suppressed in the dark, as shown by reduced biomass, chlorophyll a content, and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The availability of nutrients influenced the composition of the biofilm. High N:P ratios favoured photosynthetic microorganisms with increased chlorophyll a and EPS content, while phosphorus enrichment reduced their presence. Pollution, simulated by adding sterilized municipal wastewater, slightly reduced total biofilm mass but supported the growth of photosynthetic microorganisms. Static condition led to the formation of elongated microbial structures. Biofilm growth altered the density of MPs (increasing for PE, decreasing for PLA), reaching ∼1.1 g/cm³ for both, suggesting biofilm-induced sedimentation. Crystallinity of both PE and PLA decreased by 9–30 % due to the presence of biofilm, which has amorphous structure. The multivariate analysis confirmed environmental factors as primary drivers of biofilm development over polymer type.

Ključne besede

mikroplastika;okoljski pogoji;biofilm;površinske vode;microplastics;environmental conditions;freshwater;

Podatki

Jezik: Angleški jezik
Leto izida:
Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
Organizacija: UL FKKT - Fakulteta za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo
UDK: 502.51:504.5:678
COBISS: 247024131 Povezava se bo odprla v novem oknu
ISSN: 2213-3437
Št. ogledov: 27
Št. prenosov: 24
Ocena: 0 (0 glasov)
Metapodatki: JSON JSON-RDF JSON-LD TURTLE N-TRIPLES XML RDFA MICRODATA DC-XML DC-RDF RDF

Ostali podatki

Sekundarni jezik: Slovenski jezik
Sekundarne ključne besede: mikroplastika;okoljski pogoji;biofilm;površinske vode;
Vrsta dela (COBISS): Članek v reviji
Strani: str. 1-11
Letnik: ǂVol. ǂ13
Zvezek: ǂiss. ǂ5, [article no.] 118689
Čas izdaje: Oct. 2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2025.118689
ID: 27270809