Ecosystem based on plastic garbage find in Antarctica

By Alimat Aliyeva

Spanish scientists from the University of Barcelona have discovered a new type of microbial ecosystem in Antarctica that has formed around plastic debris. The study, published in the scientific journal Marine Pollution Bulletin (MPB).

According to experts, polymer waste can be quickly colonized by communities of microorganisms, forming a biofilm. This phenomenon is referred to as the plastisphere.

In addition to serving as a habitat for microbes, the plastisphere can disrupt the natural balance of ocean life on a microscopic level. These changes don’t only affect the water; they can spread beyond the immediate vicinity, potentially impacting how the ocean absorbs carbon and produces greenhouse gases. This, in turn, affects the composition of the atmosphere, the researchers noted.

Scientists have also highlighted that plastic provides an ideal environment for potentially dangerous pathogens, such as E. coli and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, to thrive. Synthetic debris offers these harmful microbes a means to reach even the most remote polar regions, which were previously thought to be pristine.

During the experiment, the team installed aquariums filled with seawater from the Antarctic seas and placed small granules of the three most common types of plastic pollutants—polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene—inside them. The samples were left in containers for five weeks at around 0°C and exposed to sunlight for 13 to 18 hours a day. The analysis revealed that microbes colonized the plastic in less than two days.

Additionally, the researchers found Oleispira sp. bacteria on the polypropylene. These microorganisms are capable of breaking down hydrocarbons in plastic, offering a potential mechanism for mitigating plastic waste over time.

According to scientists, this discovery brings hope for developing strategies to reduce the environmental impact of plastic pollution. Understanding how microorganisms interact with plastic debris in extreme environments like Antarctica could also help inform future efforts to clean up polluted ecosystems around the world.