Study finds microbes hitchhike on microplastics in freshwater to reach the ocean

Microplastics, particles that are less than 5mm in size, can be found in large amounts within our freshwaters and oceans. Littering and domestic or industrial sewage are the two main sources through which microplastics enter these aquatic habitats. They can have a long-lasting effects on numerous aquatic species in the ecosystem as they do not tend to easily decompose. A large proportion of microplastics in the oceans have been washed out by rivers and other waterways. These microplastics also have microbes growing on their surface meaning that many freshwater microbes follow the microplastics into the oceans. However, this study's results show that even though many freshwater microbes hitchhiked on the microplastics, the marine-dwelling microbes eventually outcompeted them and the microbial community of the coastal habitat appeared to remain unchanged.

Vass, M., Ramasamy, K. P., & Andersson, A. (2024). Microbial hitchhikers on microplastics: The exchange of aquatic microbes across distinct aquatic habitats. Environmental Microbiology, 26(4). DOI: Vass, M., Ramasamy, K. P., & Andersson, A. (2024). Microbial hitchhikers on microplastics: The exchange of aquatic microbes across distinct aquatic habitats. Environmental Microbiology, 26(4). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16618.