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Metagenomic and metabolomic insight into microplastic-derived inhibition of tetracycline degradation in sediments
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Microplastics in aquatic sediments don't just sit there — this study found they actively interfere with the natural microbial processes that break down antibiotic compounds like tetracycline. By combining field sampling with lab experiments, researchers showed that microplastics disrupt the microbial communities responsible for tetracycline degradation, potentially allowing antibiotics to persist longer in the environment. This interaction between microplastics and antibiotic persistence is a concern for both ecosystem health and the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Microplastics (MPs) have been extensively reported to affect organic compound metabolism and nutrient cycling in the ecosystem, particularly in aquatic sediments. However, the specific microbial pathways and underlying mechanisms governing these impacts remain incompletely understood. Herein, this study integrates field investigations and simulation experiments to demonstrate the inhibitory effects of MP contamination on tetracycline (TC) biodegradation in sediments. Our findings reveal three distinct TC biotransformation pathways in sediments, with monooxygenase-mediated hydroxylation emerging as the predominant pathway. Comparative analysis revealed significant reductions in monooxygenase abundance (56.6 %), host bacterial populations (38.5 %), and TC biodegradation efficiency (23.8 %) in MP-amended sediments compared with the control after 28 days (p < 0.05). MPs reduce microbial metabolic activity and cooperative relationships among microorganisms, which inhibit cooperative metabolism of complex organic compounds (including tetracycline). Ultimately, MPs occupy interstitial spaces within sediment matrices, thereby altering redox conditions and promoting microbial succession toward taxa less efficient in TC metabolism. Moreover, the plastisphere exhibits significantly reduced metabolic capacity for TC transformation compared with inorganic mineral-associated biofilms, thereby impeding TC biotransformation within sediments. This finding further implies that continuous MP accumulation may exacerbate interference with biogeochemical cycles.
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Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics — both fresh and environmentally weathered — interact with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin to affect the microbial communities living in aquatic sediments. They found that microplastics, especially in combination with the antibiotic, disrupted microbial community structure and simplified the ecological networks that microbes rely on for stable functioning. This is concerning because healthy sediment microbe communities underpin nutrient cycling and ecosystem health, and their disruption by combined plastic-antibiotic pollution could have cascading effects.
Microplastics inhibit oxytetracycline degradation in soils: Insights into biofilm-enhanced adsorption and microbial community shifts
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Researchers examined how polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics affect oxytetracycline degradation in organic fertilizer-amended paddy soil, finding that both plastic types significantly inhibited antibiotic degradation by lowering degradation rates 11.1-20.2%. Biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces enhanced oxytetracycline adsorption and shifted microbial community composition, reducing the abundance of antibiotic-degrading microorganisms.
Effects of co-loading of polyethylene microplastics and ciprofloxacin on the antibiotic degradation efficiency and microbial community structure in soil
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Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin together affect soil microbial communities and antibiotic degradation. The study found that co-loading of microplastics with antibiotics altered microbial community structure and affected the rate of antibiotic degradation in soil, suggesting microplastic contamination may influence how soils process pharmaceutical pollutants.
Slower antibiotics degradation and higher resistance genes enrichment in plastisphere
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Researchers compared how antibiotics break down on microplastic surfaces versus natural mineral surfaces in urban water environments. Tetracycline degraded significantly more slowly on microplastic biofilms than on quartzite biofilms, and the plastic surfaces harbored higher levels of antibiotic resistance genes. The findings suggest that microplastics in waterways may slow antibiotic breakdown while promoting the spread of antibiotic resistance.
The combined effect of microplastics and tetracycline on soil microbial communities and ARGs
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Researchers studied how simultaneous exposure to microplastics and tetracycline affects soil microbial communities, finding that the combination disrupted microbial diversity, altered functional gene expression, and promoted horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes beyond the effects of either pollutant alone.
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