Surface structures changes and biofilm communities development of degradable plastics during aging in coastal seawater

Biodegradable plastics (BPs) are a suitable alternative to conventional plastics. Still, their excessive or unplanned use may disrupt the abundance and community structure of the microbial population. To this end, a 58-day experiment in which biodegradable plastic objects, such as bags and boxes, were exposed to near-coastal seawater was conducted. They also assessed how they affected the diversity and organization of bacterial populations in seawater and on the surface of BPs products. It is evident that after the exposure time, both BP's bag and box products deteriorate in the ocean to varying degrees. The results of high-throughput sequencing of bacterial communities in seawater and those colonized on BPs products reveal significant differences in microbial community structures between seawater and BPs plastic samples. These suggest that the degradation of biodegradable plastics is shadowed by microorganisms and exposure time, while BP products influence the structural characteristics of microbial communities. [Display omitted] •Degradation of biodegradable plastic bag and box in coastal waters are different.•The composition of the bacterial community varied significantly with exposure time.•Microbial communities on BPs plastics and in seawater are significantly different.•Bacterial communities on biodegradable plastics have an impact on N and S cycling.