CYANOBACTERIAL EXTRACELLULAR POLYMERIC SUBSTANCES MEDIATED ECO CORONA FORMATION ON MICRO AND NANOPLASTICS: MECHANISMS, ENVIRONMENTAL FATE, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS

Abstract

One of the most common pollutants of the aquatic ecosystem is Micro and Nanoplastics. They are able to quickly take in the biologically active coats, which are the eco-coronas. The Cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances are characterized by polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and other functional groups. The eco-corona formation is driven by the extracellular polymeric substances which aids in aggregation, changes the surface properties and supports biofilm formation. Plastics that are extracellular polymeric substances coated exhibit altered transport characteristics, increased sedimentation and increased bioavailability. This is an increase in their incorporation in food webs and transfer of contaminants. Micro and Nanoplastics hold Cyanobacterial aggregates in the bodies of water where the pools are characterized by blooms and prolong the duration of the harmful algal bloom and the proliferation of the toxins. The composition of extracellular polymeric substances, particle size, environmental stress factors and photochemical reactions affect the formation of the eco-corona, where tight binding of extracellular polymeric substances triggers adhesion and soluble extracellular polymeric substances triggers aggregation. Various methods of analytical techniques like microscopy, vibrational spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and fluorescence techniques are essential in characterizing these dynamic coats. This knowledge of the Cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances mediated eco-corona formation illuminates the behavior of plastics, the pollutant cycling process, and Harmful algal blooms dynamics. It focuses on the fact that plastics are not passive contaminants but active agents of ecology.