We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere
Summary
This study examined the planetary health implications of the airborne plastisphere—microbial communities colonizing airborne microplastic particles—noting that these communities harbor pathogens, antibiotic resistance genes, and other hazardous organisms. The airborne plastisphere may facilitate the long-distance dispersal of microbial threats across ecosystems.
Microplastics are a ubiquitous yet long-overlooked component of airborne particulate matter. The surface of these plastic particles provides a unique niche for microorganisms, collectively known as the plastisphere. The plastisphere in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems harbors microbial communities with distinct compositions, structures, and functional profiles, posing potential planetary health risks. The characteristics, fate, and impacts of the microbiome associated with airborne microplastics, however, remain largely unknown. In this review, we fill the knowledge gaps by exploring how airborne microplastics serve as key habitats for microorganisms and the potential planetary health implications. We show that microplastics are expected to carry and sustain microorganisms over long distances and timescales in air, potentially dispersing pathogens, antibiotic-resistance genes, and other bioactive agents across ecosystems. These interactions may perturb ecological processes and biological health on a planetary scale. Interdisciplinary research and innovative methodologies are urgently required to better understand and mitigate the airborne plastisphere risks.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere
Researchers reviewed emerging evidence that airborne microplastics can carry and transport living microorganisms — including potential pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria — across long distances through the atmosphere, identifying this as an overlooked global health threat that bridges pollution and infectious disease.
New insights into the microbial succession and health risks of atmospheric plastispheres
Researchers conducted a two-month outdoor experiment to study how bacteria colonize atmospheric microplastics and found that while initial colonization was polymer-specific, communities gradually converged over time. Seven pathogenic species were specifically enriched on plastic surfaces, with some appearing only in later stages of biofilm development, suggesting that airborne microplastics may serve as carriers that accumulate and potentially transmit harmful bacteria.
Plastisphere - a new habitat of microbial community: Composition, structure and ecological consequences
This review examines the plastisphere — microbial communities colonizing microplastics — covering the composition and structure of plastisphere microbiomes across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments and discussing ecological consequences including pathogen dispersal.
Plastisphere as a Vector for Pathogenic Microbes and Antibiotic Resistance
This review examines how the plastisphere, the microbial community that colonizes plastic surfaces, serves as a vector for pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. Researchers found that microplastics can adsorb antibiotics and facilitate higher rates of plasmid transfer among bacteria, with potentially pathogenic species carrying multi-drug resistance genes identified on plastic surfaces.
It’s a matter of microbes: a perspective on the microbiological aspects of micro- and nanoplastics in human health
Researchers highlighted an often-overlooked aspect of micro- and nanoplastic pollution: the microorganisms that colonize plastic particles and how they might affect human health. The study suggests that the microbial communities living on plastic surfaces, known as the plastisphere, could carry harmful bacteria into the human body through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact, representing an additional health risk beyond the plastics themselves.