Bioplastics: trick-or-treat for freshwater ecosystems in the context
of global change
Autores: *Bonet, Berta(1), Giménez, Lorena(1), Ribot, Miquel(1), Castelar, Sara(1),
Torremorell, Ana María(2).
(1) 1 Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes
(CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Catalonia, Spain
(2) Programa Ecología de Protistas y Hongos (PEPHON), Instituto de Ecología y
Desarrollo Sustentable-INEDES- (CONICET-UNLu). Departamento de Ciencias
Básicas-Universidad Nacional de Luján, Argentina
Presentación tipo ORAL
Plastics are present in our daily life, but their high persistence and degradation into
microplastics make them a worldwide environmental threat. Alternatively, bioplastics
(BioP) have been developed. BioP are biodegradable at the end of their life due to their
chemical composition? and/or produced from renewable sources. They have become
an alternative since they can degrade into water and carbon dioxide. In fluvial
ecosystems, the inherent microbial communities could potentially decompose BioP
due to their great capacity for recycling and decomposition of nutrients such as carbon.
However, it is still unknown how the degradation of BioP will affect in-stream carbon
and nutrient cycling, and consequently, their potential effects on essential ecosystem
services such as water purification. In addition, global change, especially rising
temperatures, may further accelerate their degradation. Thus, this study aims to
explore and provide new knowledge on the decomposition of BioP on freshwater
ecosystems and their related effects under different water temperatures using
microbial communities as a bioindicators.
Results from a microcosm study measurements of BioP decomposition and effects on
functional and structural biofilm performance under different temperatures will be
presented. To achieve this aim, a microcosm study is being performed at 20ºC and
30ºC using a BioP (Mater-Bi) with and without biofilm. Water and biofilms samples
have been taken before bioplastic addition (T0), and after 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21 days.
Water physicochemical parameters, nutrients, DOC, CDOM, as well as functional and
structural biofilm changes using several endpoints: total biomass, algal and bacterial
biomass, enzyme activities, photosynthetic activity, metabolic activity (Raz/Rru
system), main algal groups. SEM observations of BioP and biofilm community have
also been evaluated.
The results will serve to evaluate the effects of BioP on fluvial ecosystems and on water
quality. Moreover, results will provide evidence of the effects of BioP as a potential
source of anthropogenic organic matter, especially nutrients and their potential effects
on carbon cycling.
Keywords: Bioplastics, biofilm, global change, freshwater ecosystems
Acknowledgements –. This project is supported by a scholarship from the ComFuturo program of the General
CSIC Foundation that has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation
program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101034263 and external scholarship for young
researchers RESOL-2023-1547-APN-DIR#CONICET . Moreover, thanks to the work placement agreement between
the CEAB and the UPC, allowing the participation of LG in this study.
