Stephen Summers, Theodore Henry, Tony Gutierrez,

Agglomeration of nano- and microplastic particles in seawater by autochthonous and de
novo-produced sources of exopolymeric substances,

Marine Pollution
Bulletin, Volume 130, May 2018, Pages 258-267, ISSN 0025-326X,

Abstract:

Microplastics (<5 mm) have often been studied under in-vitro conditions
where plastics have been investigated in isolation. However, in the
natural environment microplastics readily form agglomerates conferring
the particles with properties different to their pristine counterparts.
Here, we examined the interaction of exopolymers with polystyrene
nanoplastics and microplastics. Formation of plastic agglomerates was
examined using simulated sea surface conditions. Flow cytometry coupled
with microscopy revealed that nano- and microplastic particle spheres
form agglomerates in seawater with a mucilagenous material and an
associated microbial community. To characterise this material,
differential staining methods revealed it to be glycoprotein in
composition. Exposing increasing concentrations of a marine bacterial
glycoprotein EPS to nano- or microplastics revealed that these types of
polymers contribute to the formation and abundance of plastic
agglomerates. This work highlights the importance of EPS on the fate of
plastic and future research should take this into account when
evaluating the impact of plastics.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=12aj652CO55_CWgvvs13Obn4gRzi0oRP8
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.039.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X18302042)