In aquatic environments, bacterial biofilms on different types of microplastics have become an increasing ecological and public health concern.
In a recently published study, researchers from Brazilian institutions and from Técnico, including Carla C. C. R. de Carvalho (2BRG-iBB), showed microbial colonization in polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene microbeads.
The study showed that biofilm formation was not only influenced by microplastic type and aging processes but also by the release of potentially toxic additives from the microplastic. This may have strong impact on microplastic accumulation in aquatic organisms.
Link to study: https://doi.org/10.3390/microplastics4040095