Nature Communications (Apr 2018)

Dissolved organic carbon leaching from plastics stimulates microbial activity in the ocean

  • Cristina Romera-Castillo,
  • Maria Pinto,
  • Teresa M. Langer,
  • Xosé Antón Álvarez-Salgado,
  • Gerhard J. Herndl

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03798-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

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The impact of plastic debris floating at the sea surface on the lowest trophic levels of the food web remains unknown. Here, using leaching experiments, the authors show that plastics release dissolved organic carbon into the ambient seawater that is rapidly taken up by marine microbes stimulating their growth.