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Microplastics, Nanoplastics and Nanoparticles: Emerging Dynamic Carriers of Extracellular DNA Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Environment
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics, nanoplastics, and engineered nanoparticles can carry extracellular DNA containing antibiotic resistance genes, potentially spreading antimicrobial resistance through aquatic environments, and called for improved wastewater treatment and agricultural chemical regulation to reduce this underappreciated public health risk.
Antibiotics and heavy metals contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) selection and propagation, but it has not been well examined how microplastics (MPs), nanoplastics (NPs), and engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) contribute to antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) spread via extracellular DNA (eDNA) in the environment. An increasing body of research, however, suggests that MPs, NPs, and ENPs could play a more significant role in propagating extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) via eDNA. The fate of eDNA may be affected by MPs/NPs and ENPs detected in aquatic environments. As a result, MPs/NPs and ENPs can serve as carriers of ARGs, allowing them to be transported between bacteria, and they can act as vehicles for eDNA transfer. With the coexistence of intracellular DNA (iDNA) and intracellular ARGs (iARGs) and eDNA/eARGs with MPs/NPs and ENPs, it is more critical now than ever to understand how these pollutants influence ARG environmental fate. In this review, we discuss how MPs/NPs, their biofilms, and ENPs spread ARGs via eDNA in the environment and their potential impacts over time. Additionally, the main mechanisms by which eDNA interacts with MPs/NPs and ENPs in ARG evolution were discussed. The gap in knowledge in this particular area was proposed as a prospective research topic for understanding AMR spread through emerging pollutants. Furthermore, the review emphasizes that by aligning with one health perspective, MPs/NPs and ENPs may potentially contribute to the spread of environmental antibiotic resistance. Therefore, developing mitigation strategies to reduce the release of MPs, NPs, and ENPs into the environment is crucial. This can help minimize the dissemination of ARGs via eDNA. Some examples of such strategies include improving wastewater treatment systems, controlling sewage release, and regulating the use of agricultural chemicals.
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Microplastics as a Carrier of Antibiotic Resistance Genes: A Revision of Literature
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Researchers review evidence that microplastics act as carriers and hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes, influencing bacterial community composition in the environment and potentially accelerating the spread of antibiotic resistance — a dual threat to ecosystem and human health.
Effects and mechanism of microplastics on abundance and transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment - A critical review
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Tiny plastic particles polluting our water, soil, and even the air don't just sit there, this review of existing research shows they can act like rafts that help bacteria pick up antibiotic-resistance genes and spread them more easily, including in our gut environments. That's concerning because it means microplastic pollution could be quietly fueling the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant infections, making it harder to treat illnesses in the future. The researchers reviewed how this happens but say scientists still don't fully understand all the mechanisms behind it, so more research is needed to address the risk.
The Impact of Microplastics on the Dissemination, Persistence, and Ecotoxicological Effects of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Terrestrial Ecosystems
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This review examined a decade of research on microplastics as carriers of antibiotic resistance genes in terrestrial ecosystems, showing that plastic surfaces enhance gene transmission and soil abundance while exerting toxic effects on microorganisms, plants, and animals. The coupling of microplastic pollution with antibiotic resistance spread represents a compounding public health threat with implications for food safety and the global antimicrobial resistance crisis.
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Researchers found that microplastics act as surfaces where antibiotic-resistant bacteria can form biofilms and share resistance genes, potentially helping dangerous superbugs spread through ecosystems. This connection between plastic pollution and antibiotic resistance poses a compounding threat to both environmental and human health.
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