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Microplastic-antibiotic Complex Pollutants on Intestinal Microbial Community Structure of Zebrafish
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Tiny plastic particles in water can soak up antibiotics like a sponge, essentially hitching a ride into the guts of fish and disrupting their natural balance of gut bacteria. This matters because it shows microplastics aren't just passive pollution—they can act as delivery vehicles for other harmful chemicals, and since fish are part of our food chain and share similar gut biology to humans, this raises real questions about what combined pollution might be doing to our own health.
This study investigated the adsorption of chloramphenicol by microplastics in water and examined the effects of the combined pollutant on zebrafish gut microbiota using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. The results demonstrated that the equilibrium adsorption capacity of chloramphenicol by microplastics was 2.27 mg/g, consistent with a quasi-first-order kinetic model, while the saturated adsorption capacity was 14.60 mg/g, aligning with the Langmuir adsorption model. Gut microbiota analysis revealed that in the experimental group exposed to the microplastic-antibiotic composite pollutant, the abundance of Bacteroidota and Firmicutes increased progressively, whereas the abundance of Proteobacteria and Fusobacteriota showed minimal changes. Additionally, microbial beta-diversity was significantly reduced. This study confirms that microplastics can act as carriers of chloramphenicol, enter aquatic organisms, and alter the structure of the intestinal microbial community.
More Papers Like This
Gut microbiome and metabolic responses of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) to the co-exposure of polyethylene microplastics and levofloxacin
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Scientists found that when zebrafish were exposed to both microplastics and a common antibiotic together, something surprising happened: the microplastics actually soaked up some of the antibiotic, which protected the fish's gut bacteria from damage. But here's the catch — even though the gut microbiome looked healthier, the fish still suffered worse overall health effects, including stress signals and metabolic disruptions not seen with either exposure alone. This suggests that a "stable" gut microbiome doesn't always mean a body is truly healthy, which matters as humans increasingly encounter both microplastics and antibiotic residues in food and water
A combined hazard to mariculture: Quality and safety impairment associated with intestinal barrier disruption in fish co-exposed to environmentally relevant microplastics and antibiotics
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Tiny plastic particles in ocean fish farms can act like sponges, soaking up antibiotics and making it easier for fish to absorb them, damaging their gut health and reducing their nutritional quality. In this study, farmed fish exposed to both microplastics and a common antibiotic had more of the drug build up in their edible muscle, though levels were still within safe limits for human consumption based on current estimates. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution could be quietly amplifying other contamination problems in our seafood, highlighting a need for closer monitoring of farmed fish as microplastic pollution continues to rise.
Combined effects of micro-/nano-plastics and oxytetracycline on the intestinal histopathology and microbiome in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
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Researchers studied the combined effects of micro- and nano-sized plastics with the antibiotic oxytetracycline on zebrafish intestines over 30 days. Nano-sized plastics caused more intestinal damage than micro-sized ones, and combined exposures altered gut bacterial communities and increased antibiotic resistance genes. The findings suggest that the co-occurrence of plastic particles and antibiotics in aquatic environments may have compounding negative effects on fish gut health.
Gut microbiota related response of Oryzias melastigma to combined exposure of polystyrene microplastics and tetracycline
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Researchers exposed estuarine fish to polystyrene microplastics and the antibiotic tetracycline, both alone and in combination, for four weeks. The combined exposure caused more severe disruption to gut bacteria and liver tissue than either pollutant alone, with microplastics appearing to worsen the effects of tetracycline. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics in coastal waters may pose greater ecological risks than either contaminant by itself.
Multi-omics association pattern between gut microbiota and host metabolism of a filter-feeding fish in situ exposed to microplastics
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Scientists exposed filter-feeding fish to environmentally realistic levels of microplastics and found that the particles reshaped gut bacteria communities, which in turn altered the fish's liver metabolism through changes in amino acid processing. This gut-microbiome-to-organ connection matters because it shows microplastics may affect human health not just through direct toxicity but by disrupting the beneficial bacteria in our digestive systems.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.