We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastic Categories Distinctively Impact Wastewater Bacterial Taxonomic Composition and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how five manufactured microplastic pellet types affected bacterial communities and antimicrobial resistance genes in wastewater from treatment plants in Norway and South Africa. Different MP types had distinct effects on taxonomic composition and ARG abundance after one week, with UV and hydrogen peroxide aging altering these interactions—suggesting MPs in wastewater contribute to divergent AMR dissemination risks.
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) may serve as hotspots for pathogens and promote antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Plastic debris in wastewater could further contribute to AMR dissemination. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of various microplastic types on bacterial communities and AMR gene abundance in wastewater that were obtained from two WWTPs, one in Tromsø, Norway, and the other one in Potchefstroom, South Africa. The microcosm experiments were designed as follows: Five manufactured microplastic pellet types were used for testing, and two rock aggregate types were used as controls. In addition, each material type was subjected to artificial aging treatments using either ultra-violet light or hydrogen peroxide. Each material was incubated in flasks containing inlet/outlet wastewater obtained from these two WWTPs. Nucleic acids were extracted after a one-week incubation period. The detection of the blaFOXand blaMOX genes was performed using quantitative PCR. Extracted DNA was sequenced using a MinION device. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling plot on full-length 16S sequencing data at the species level showed that samples were clustered into distinct material groups, which were in line with the ANOSIM test. The Indicator Species Analysis showed a strong association between many Acinetobacter species with the plastic group than the rock group. Aging treatment using hydrogen peroxide showed some effects on microbial composition in the outlet wastewater. The abundance of blaFOX and blaMOX genes in the Norwegian wastewater outlet were generally lower compared to those in the inlet, though the results were contrary in South African wastewater samples. The relative abundance of AMR genes seemed to be increased on several plastic types (PET, PE, and PLA) but decreased on PVC-A. WWTP treatments in this study did not effectively reduce the abundance of AMR genes. An in-depth understanding the role of specific microplastic type on bacterial communities and AMR profiles is, therefore, needed to combat AMR threat.
More Papers Like This
The impact of various microplastics on bacterial community and antimicrobial resistance genes in Norwegian and South African wastewater
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how various microplastic types affect bacterial community composition and antimicrobial resistance gene prevalence in wastewater treatment plants in Norway and South Africa, examining whether plastic debris promotes antimicrobial resistance dissemination.
Microplastics can selectively enrich intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistant genes and shape different microbial communities in aquatic systems
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how microplastics of different types selectively capture antibiotic resistance genes and shape microbial communities in aquatic systems. They found that microplastics enriched both intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes, with the enrichment patterns varying by plastic type. The study suggests that microplastics may serve as hotspots for the spread of antimicrobial resistance in wastewater and natural water environments.
Biodegradable and conventional microplastics as vectors of extracellular ARGs in WWTP effluents: Mechanistic and differential global health risk
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers characterized extracellular antibiotic resistance genes bound to biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics in wastewater treatment plant effluents, finding mechanistic differences in how each plastic type associates with resistance gene-carrying DNA and estimating resulting global health risks.
Distinct accumulation and dissemination of intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in nitrifying sludge under different microplastic stresses
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that different types of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants can boost antibiotic-resistant bacteria in different ways, some plastics helped resistant genes spread more easily between bacteria, making the problem harder to contain. This matters because wastewater treatment plants are supposed to help protect us from pollution, but these findings suggest the type of plastic contamination present could affect how much antibiotic resistance ends up back in our environment, potentially making infections harder to treat down the line.
Contribution of microplastic particles to the spread of resistances and pathogenic bacteria in treated wastewaters
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied microplastic particles collected from treated wastewater effluents and found that MPs harbored significantly higher loads of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenic bacteria compared to surrounding water, suggesting MPs facilitate their environmental spread.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.