Study on the Colonization of Ammonia-Oxidizing Microorganisms on Different Microplastics in Drinking Water

Microplastics are widely present in drinking water systems, posing a potential threat to water quality stability. However, their role as carriers for ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms (AOM) remains unclear. This study investigates the colonization potential of common microplastics (PA, PE, PET, PP, and PS) in water supply systems by ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities and their possible role as a nitrification niche. Microplastics were cultured for 42 days using an improved PropellaTM reactor based on an actual pipeline network. Physical-chemical properties were analyzed, and ammonia-oxidizing microbial diversity and functional gene abundances on the microplastics were assessed using high-throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR