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Microbial hitchhikers harbouring antimicrobial-resistance genes in the riverine plastisphere
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Researchers found that plastic surfaces in rivers harbor distinct microbial communities enriched in potentially pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes compared to surrounding water and sediment, suggesting that riverine microplastics actively spread antibiotic resistance through aquatic ecosystems.
Our results provide insights into the capacity of the riverine plastisphere to harbour a distinct set of potentially pathogenic bacteria and function as a reservoir of ARGs. The environmental impact that plastics pose if they act as a reservoir for either pathogenic bacteria or ARGs is aggravated by the persistence of plastics in the environment due to their recalcitrance and buoyancy. Nevertheless, the high similarities with microbiomes growing on natural co-occurring materials and even more worrisome microbiome observed in the surrounding water highlights the urgent need to integrate the analysis of all environmental compartments when assessing risks and exposure to pathogens and ARGs in anthropogenically-impacted ecosystems. Video Abstract.
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Microbial hitchhikers harbouring antimicrobial-resistance genes in the riverine plastisphere
AI summary Read the abstract
This study found that plastic surfaces in rivers host a microbial community — the "plastisphere" — that is taxonomically distinct from communities on natural surfaces like wood, and harbours a higher abundance of potential pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). The finding is concerning because it suggests that floating microplastics could act as mobile reservoirs spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria through freshwater systems.
Wastewater discharges and polymer type modulate the riverine plastisphere and set the role of microplastics as vectors of pathogens and antibiotic resistance
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Researchers investigated how wastewater treatment plant discharges and polymer type shape microbial communities on microplastics in a river environment. They found that microplastics harbored significantly higher microbial diversity than surrounding water, and that wastewater discharges led to a 2.3-fold increase in antibiotic resistance gene abundance on the plastic surfaces. Different polymer types, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET, each attracted distinct microbial communities with varying levels of pathogens and resistance genes.
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This study examined how bacterial communities colonizing plastic debris in a river — the Plastisphere — change along a gradient of increasing antibiotic pollution. Plastic debris hosted distinct microbial communities compared to surrounding water, and areas with higher antibiotic levels showed greater inheritance of resistant bacterial structures on plastic surfaces, suggesting plastics facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance.
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Metagenomic analysis of microplastics sampled along an urban river watershed revealed that MP-associated microbial communities carried antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors at higher levels than surrounding water, with composition shifting along the river gradient. The findings confirm microplastics as environmental vectors for spreading antimicrobial resistance.
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Researchers tracked biofilm formation on everyday plastic items deployed in a river over one year, finding that sampling site (reflecting level of human impact) was the strongest driver of microbial diversity, and that antibiotic resistance genes were present on plastic surfaces throughout.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.