ArticleBiodegradation2026
Microfibres versus fragments: differential impacts of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide (PA6) microplastics on anaerobic digestion efficiency and microbial ecology.
Article in Biodegradation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Rising microplastic (MP) pollution can significantly affect engineered treatment systems such as anaerobic digestion (AD). While prior studies have investigated the influence of individual polymers, varying concentrations and sizes on AD, the role of MP morphology and polymer interactions remains underexplored. This study investigated these factors using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamide 6 (PA6) MPs, both in isolation and in combination (1:1 ratio), introduced as microfibres (MFs) and fragments at three concentrations, 1, 5, and 15 mg/gTS. Results revealed morphology-dependent effects on methane production. MF exposure inhibited methane yield by 10-17% (p < 0.01), with PET and mixed polymers exhibiting a correlation to MP concentration. In contrast, fragments enhanced methane yield, particularly PA6 and mixed (PET and PA6) polymers increased methane output by 9 and 17% at the highest dose, respectively. Kinetic modelling further revealed that MFs consistently reduced methane production potential, apparent degradation and hydrolysis rate, whereas fragment trends were polymer-driven. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs showed greater surface roughness in PA6, which enhanced microbial colonization compared to PET. Elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels with MF addition, especially at the highest concentration, suggested higher oxidative stress and microbial inhibition. Microbial community analysis showed that exposure to MP fragments resulted in similar bacterial shifts across different polymer types, compared to the more diverse effects observed with MFs. Archaeal diversity was more affected by particle shape than polymer composition. All MP treatments favoured a shift toward hydrogenotrophic over aceticlastic methanogenesis. PET and mixed MF addition resulted in a substantial decline in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria (18-20%) from 42% in the control and other methanogenic taxa compared to their fragment counterparts. MF addition disrupted community structure, suppressed additive-degrading taxa, and increased acetogenic groups such as Synergistetes. Overall, the findings suggest that a comprehensive understanding of all influencing factors, including MP morphology, polymer type and concentrations, is important for effective AD system management.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41832279What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.