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Antimicrobial activity of model microplastics loaded with a toxic polycation
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This study tested whether microplastic particles coated with a toxic antibacterial polymer retain the ability to kill bacteria, finding that the plastic-polymer complexes were as effective at killing both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as the free polymer alone. The microplastic beads alone had no antimicrobial effect, but once loaded with the toxic polymer they became potent carriers of bacterial toxicity. This demonstrates that microplastics can act as vectors for antimicrobial agents in aquatic environments, with implications for disrupting microbial communities essential to ecosystem function.
A comparative investigation of the antimicrobial activity of a cationic polymer [poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride)], model microplastics consisting of anionic butadiene-α-methylstyrene copolymer microspheres, and electrostatic polymer-microsphere complexes was undertaken. The polymer demonstrates a high antimicrobial activity towards gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and gram-negative bacteria E. coli, the microspheres being practically inert, while the activity of complexes is comparable with the activity of polycation at the same concentration. This means that microplastic particles loaded with toxic substances have a significant negative impact on microorganisms in aquatic environment.
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This systematic review found that microplastics can act as vectors for triclosan (an antibacterial agent) in aquatic environments, transporting it across trophic levels through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic forces. The co-occurrence of microplastics and triclosan amplifies their combined toxicity to aquatic organisms beyond their individual effects.
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Researchers examined whether antibiotics adsorbed onto microplastics retain their biological activity against bacteria in water environments. They found that tetracycline bound to microplastic surfaces remained bioavailable enough to promote the activation of antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic bacteria. The study suggests that microplastics carrying adsorbed antibiotics may contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance in water systems rather than simply immobilizing the drugs.
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This review examines how microplastics interact with microorganisms in aquatic environments, highlighting risks to microbial communities and the potential for microplastics to disrupt ecosystem functions. Microplastics may alter microbial diversity and promote the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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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.