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Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, micro-nanoplastics and cetaceans: A lot of food for evidence-based thoughts
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This editorial examines the complex interactions between micro-nanoplastics, persistent environmental pollutants, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in marine mammals (cetaceans), taking a One Health perspective. The authors argue that cetaceans serve as sentinel species for this multi-contaminant threat and call for integrated research linking marine pollution, microbial ecology, and zoonotic disease risk.
The present Editorial takes into consideration, from a "One Health, One Earth, One Ocean" perspective, the complex interplay between micro-nanoplastics (MNPs), persistent environmental pollutants (PEPs) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, representing a major concern not just for people but also for wildlife inhabiting terrestrial and marine ecosystems. This holds especially true for free-ranging cetaceans, with particular emphasis on whales, which due to their filter feeding activity may become highly susceptible to the toxic effects displayed by PEPs attracted and concentrated by MNPs.
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This review examines the interplay between antimicrobial resistance, microplastics, and xenobiotic contaminants in the environment, highlighting how microplastics can serve as vectors for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes, posing combined threats to ecosystem and human health.
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This review discusses how micro- and nanoplastics can serve as vectors for Toxoplasma gondii and other fecally transmitted pathogens in marine ecosystems, and argues that tsunamis and other extreme weather events may significantly amplify the offshore spread of these pathogens to cetacean populations.
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This review examines how microplastics in aquatic environments serve as surfaces where bacteria can grow, share antibiotic resistance genes, and then enter the food chain through contaminated seafood. The combination of microplastic pollution and antimicrobial resistance creates a compounding threat, as resistant bacteria riding on plastic particles can survive water treatment and reach humans. The authors call for interdisciplinary research connecting environmental science and public health to address this growing risk.
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This paper examines ocean microplastic pollution through a One Health framework, connecting marine ecosystem contamination to animal and human health impacts by tracing microplastic pathways from ocean sources through food webs to human exposure. The approach integrates ecological, veterinary, and public health perspectives to argue for a unified response to microplastic pollution as a cross-cutting environmental health challenge.
A whale of a plastic tale: A plea for interdisciplinary studies to tackle micro- and nanoplastic pollution in the marine realm
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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.