We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Wastewater discharges and polymer type modulate the riverine plastisphere and set the role of microplastics as vectors of pathogens and antibiotic resistance
Summary
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.
A limited understanding of the factors shaping microbial communities in microplastics (MPs) hinders effective risk assessment and mitigation. This study investigated how wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges and polymer type shape the riverine plastisphere in situ by analyzing microbial community composition, pathogens, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and a polymer mixture (Mix) were incubated upstream and downstream of a WWTP discharge. High-throughput sequencing revealed that MPs harbored significantly higher microbial diversity and richness compared to the surrounding water and sand. The plastisphere communities were distinct before and after the WWTP discharge, sharing only <8 % of ASVs. Quantitative PCR data showed that WWTP discharges led to a 2.3-fold increase in ARGs abundance on MPs (vs. pre-WWTP MPs), with clinically relevant genes such as bla CTX-M , bla VIM , and bla IMP enriched in the plastisphere compared to water. Polymer type also influenced the microbial community's composition, resistome, and mobilome. The Mix, PET, and PP communities harbored 14 %, 10 %, and 14 % unique ASVs, respectively. Mix MPs were enriched in potential pathogens, PP biofilms exhibited the highest abundance of sulfonamide resistance genes, MGEs, and integrases, while PET biofilms had the highest abundance of multidrug resistance genes. This study enhances our understanding of the freshwater plastisphere under realistic conditions, emphasizing the crucial role of WWTP discharges and polymer type in shaping these communities and their associated risks. • WWTPs and polymer type influence on riverine plastisphere were investigated in situ. • WWTP effluent shaped plastisphere communities, with <8 % ASVs shared between sites. • WWTP effluent increased pathogens and ARGs in MPs, with ARGs rising ≈1.2-fold. • Exclusive ASVs were found in Mix (14 %), PET (10 %), and PP (14 %). • Mix, PET, and PP communities showed distinct resistomes and mobilomes.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Assessment of Emerging Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Biofilm of Microplastics Incubated Under a Wastewater Discharge Simulation
Researchers incubated common plastic types in flowing water that simulated wastewater discharge conditions for 10 weeks and studied the bacteria that colonized the plastic surfaces. They found that microplastics exposed to treated wastewater developed distinct bacterial communities compared to those in clean river water, including emerging pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes. The study suggests that microplastics in waterways receiving wastewater may serve as mobile platforms for spreading harmful bacteria and antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Metagenomic insights into environmental risk of field microplastics in an urban river
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.
Increased inheritance of structure and function of bacterial communities and pathogen propagation in plastisphere along a river with increasing antibiotics pollution gradient.
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.
Antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in the plastisphere in wastewater treatment plant effluent: Health risk quantification and driving mechanism interpretation
Researchers found that microplastics in treated wastewater carry significantly more disease-causing bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors on their surfaces compared to the surrounding water. This means microplastics released from wastewater treatment plants into rivers and lakes could spread antibiotic-resistant infections, posing a direct risk to communities that rely on these water sources.
Longitudinal patterns of microplastic concentration and bacterial assemblages in surface and benthic habitats of an urban river
This study measured microplastic concentrations and microbial communities in a river from source to mouth, finding that both plastic levels and unique plastisphere bacterial communities increased downstream of wastewater treatment plant outflows. The results identify wastewater discharge as a key driver of both microplastic loading and microbial community shifts in rivers.