Multi-omics-based approach reveals the effects of microplastics on microbial abundance and function of sediments in Shenzhen coastal waters

Abstract

In recent years, microplastics (MPs) have received extensive attention due to their bioaccumulation and toxic effects on organisms. However, there are few studies on MPs in coastal waters ecosystem and the relationship between MPs and microorganisms. Thus, to understand the concentration and characteristics of MPs and explore the impact of MPs on microbial community, we collected sediment samples from the coastal waters of Shenzhen, a developed city in southern China, and then analyzed them. The results showed that the concentration of MPs in the sediments of eastern Shenzhen was 119 ± 18 items/kg, while the concentration of MPs in the sediments of western Shenzhen, in which coastal waters were heavily polluted, was as high as 664 ± 197 items/kg. micro-FTIR analysis showed that the copolymers of polystyrene (PS) (39.64%) and polyethylene (PE) (16.26%) were the main types of MPs in Shenzhen coastal waters. According to optical microscopy, MPs (51.52%) with a size range of 0.1-0.5 mm dominated sediments in Shenzhen coastal watershed. Fibrous black plastics and film white plastics were the main forms of MPs in sediment samples studied in eastern and western Shenzhen. Metagenome and metabonomics analysis showed that MPs had an impact on microbial diversity in sediments, the structure and composition of microbial community. What’s more, through a functional prediction analysis, MPs may have different effects on the functions of various microbial communities. The study on the effects of MPs on microorganisms in the sediments of coastal waters ecosystem can provides a basis for further study on the interaction between MPs and microorganisms in similar habitats.