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Research progress on the origin, fate, impacts and harm of microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment plants
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This review explores how microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes interact in wastewater treatment plants, where they can survive treatment and enter the environment together. The concern for human health is that these contaminants can travel through the food chain, potentially increasing illness from antibiotic-resistant infections.
Previous studies reported microplastics (MPs), antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). There is still a lack of research progress on the origin, fate, impact and hazards of MPs and ARGs in WWTPs. This paper fills a gap in this regard. In our search, we used "microplastics", "antibiotic resistance genes", and "wastewater treatment plant" as topic terms in Web of Science, checking the returned results for relevance by examining paper titles and abstracts. This study mainly explores the following points: (1) the origins and fate of MPs, antibiotics and ARGs in WWTPs; (2) the mechanisms of action of MPs, antibiotics and ARGs in sludge biochemical pools; (3) the impacts of MPs in WWTPs and the spread of ARGs; (4) and the harm inflicted by MPs and ARGs on the environment and human body. Contaminants in sewage sludge such as MPs, ARGs, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria enter the soil and water. Contaminants can travel through the food chain and thus reach humans, leading to increased illness, hospitalization, and even mortality. This study will enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of action among MPs, antibiotics, ARGs, and the harm they inflict on the human body.
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Interactions of microplastics, antibiotics and antibiotic resistant genes within WWTPs
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This review examined the interactions between microplastics, antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes within wastewater treatment plants, analyzing how MPs serve as carriers for antimicrobial compounds and facilitate the spread of resistance in microbial communities.
Contribution of microplastic particles to the spread of resistances and pathogenic bacteria in treated wastewaters
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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.
Microplastics shape microbial interactions and affect the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in different full-scale wastewater treatment plants
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A study of three full-scale wastewater treatment plants found that microplastics were associated with increased spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), with microplastic surfaces appearing to facilitate microbial interactions that promote ARG transfer. This is a significant public health concern because wastewater plants that fail to fully remove microplastics may also be inadvertently accelerating the dissemination of antibiotic resistance into receiving waterways.
Microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes as rising threats: Their interaction represents an urgent environmental concern
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This review examines how microplastics interact with antibiotics and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment, creating a combined pollution threat. Microplastics can absorb antibiotics onto their surface and serve as platforms where bacteria exchange resistance genes. This interaction could accelerate the spread of antibiotic resistance, making infections harder to treat and posing a growing public health risk.
The interplay between antimicrobial resistance genes and emerging contaminants in wastewater treatment plants: Key players in One Health
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Researchers reviewed how wastewater treatment plants interact with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and emerging contaminants including microplastics, finding that microplastics and heavy metals help antibiotic resistance genes spread through microbial communities. This makes treatment plants hotspots for creating harder-to-treat bacterial strains, posing a broad public health risk that connects environmental pollution to human medicine.
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.