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Effect of microplastics on antibiotic resistome risk in composting
Summary
Researchers examined how polypropylene microplastics affect antibiotic resistance gene levels during composting of laying hen manure. The study found that while microplastics increased compost temperature, they did not significantly change the overall composition or risk score of antibiotic resistance genes, though they did influence which bacterial communities colonized the microplastic surfaces versus the surrounding manure.
Microplastics are a growing concern worldwide because of their impact on the environment and human health. Composting is an effective method for managing antibiotic resistome risk in organic waste, yet the effects of microplastics on antibiotic resistome risk in composting are not well understood. In this study of laying hen manure, the microplastic polypropylene increased the temperature of the compost but did not significantly affect the total composition, abundance and risk score of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) during composting. The dominant phyla on microplastics and manure were Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Escherichia (bin.70), Oceanobacillus (bin.85) and Mycobacterium (bin.79) were the main ARG hosts. Among them, the abundance of the ARG host Mycobacterium (bin.79) was significantly higher in microplastics than in manure. Furthermore, ARG transfer occurred between the ARG host Mycobacterium (bin.79) and other microorganisms on microplastics and manure. These findings indicate that while microplastics may not strongly affect the overall antibiotic resistome risk during composting, they increase the likelihood of horizontal gene transfer in specific ARG hosts. This underscores the critical need to control both microplastic and resistance contamination.