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Determining Antimicrobial Resistance in the Plastisphere: Lower Risks of Nonbiodegradable vs Higher Risks of Biodegradable Microplastics
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This study found that biodegradable microplastics actually pose a higher risk for spreading antibiotic resistance than conventional non-biodegradable plastics. As biodegradable plastics break down, they appear to promote stress responses in bacteria that encourage the sharing of antibiotic resistance genes. This is concerning because biodegradable plastics are often marketed as safer alternatives.
The plastisphere is a potential contributor to global antimicrobial resistance (AMR), posing potential threats to public and environmental health. However, comprehensively quantifying the contribution of microplastics with different biodegradability to AMR is lacking. In this study, we systematically quantified AMR risk mediated by biodegradable and nonbiodegradable microplastics using abundance-based methods and a custom AMR risk ranking framework that includes antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) abundance, mobility, and host pathogenicity. Our results demonstrated that biodegradable microplastics exhibited higher AMR risk compared to that of nonbiodegradable plastics. Key resistance genes, including those for multidrug, bacitracin, and aminoglycoside resistance, were predominant. Machine learning analysis identified cell motility as the most significant signature associated with AMR risk, highlighting its potential role in promoting ARGs dissemination. In addition, biodegradable microplastics promoted oxidative stress and SOS responses, which likely enhanced horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and AMR. Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) analysis uncovered the colocalization of microplastic degradation genes, ARGs, and virulence factors (VFs), further supporting the elevated risk in biodegradable plastisphere. The proximity of ARGs to mobile genetic elements (MGEs) suggests that microplastic degradation processes might favor ARGs mobility. These findings would contribute critical insights into AMR dissemination in the plastisphere, emphasizing the need for integrated environmental and public health strategies under the context of One Health.
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Plastisphere as a resistome incubator: Substrate biodegradability escalates compounded genetic risks
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Scientists found that microplastics, especially "biodegradable" ones, can become breeding grounds for bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes, sometimes even more than regular plastics. These bacteria also picked up traits that help them spread resistance and cause infections, suggesting that eco-friendly plastics may not be as harmless to health as assumed.
DeterminingAntimicrobial Resistance in the Plastisphere:Lower Risks of Nonbiodegradable vs Higher Risks of Biodegradable Microplastics
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Researchers determined the prevalence and diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes in the plastisphere (biofilm on microplastics) compared to surrounding water and sediment, finding that non-biodegradable plastics hosted distinct resistance gene profiles with lower overall resistance risk than biodegradable plastic surfaces.
DeterminingAntimicrobial Resistance in the Plastisphere:Lower Risks of Nonbiodegradable vs Higher Risks of Biodegradable Microplastics
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This companion study further characterizes antimicrobial resistance in the plastisphere across different plastic types, confirming that polymer biodegradability influences bacterial community composition and the enrichment of resistance determinants on plastic surfaces in aquatic environments.
Selective enrichment of high-risk antibiotic resistance genes and priority pathogens in freshwater plastisphere: Unique role of biodegradable microplastics
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This study found that biodegradable microplastics like polylactic acid (PLA) -- often marketed as eco-friendly -- actually attracted more dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria than conventional plastics in freshwater. The biodegradable plastics selectively enriched high-priority pathogens carrying multiple resistance genes, meaning they could help spread antibiotic resistance through water systems that ultimately affect human health.
Biodegradable Microplastics Increase the Health Risks of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Eutrophic Urban Lake
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Researchers conducted an in-situ experiment in an urban lake comparing how biodegradable and conventional plastics accumulate antibiotic resistance genes on their surfaces. They found that biodegradable polymers like PBS and PLA harbored significantly more resistance genes than conventional polystyrene, and that bacterial communities on all plastics differed markedly from those in the surrounding water. The study suggests that biodegradable microplastics may actually pose higher health risks by serving as hotspots for antibiotic resistance in polluted freshwater environments.
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