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Marine plastisphere selectively enriches microbial assemblages and antibiotic resistance genes during long-term cultivation periods
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Researchers placed four types of common microplastics in a marine environment for over 100 days and found that bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance genes accumulated on the plastic surfaces over time. PVC microplastics were particularly effective at concentrating resistance genes, and a key gene-transfer element was found on all plastic types. These results show that microplastics floating in the ocean act as hotspots for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which could eventually reach humans through seafood or water.
Several studies have focused on identifying and quantifying suspended plastics in surface and subsurface seawater. Microplastics (MPs) have attracted attention as carriers of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the marine environment. Plastispheres, specific biofilms on MP, can provide an ideal niche to spread more widely through horizontal gene transfer (HGT), thereby increasing risks to ecosystems and human health. However, the microbial communities formed on different plastic types and ARG abundances during exposure time in natural marine environments remain unclear. Four types of commonly used MPs (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) were periodically cultured (46, 63, and 102 d) in a field-based marine environment to study the co-selection of ARGs and microbial communities in marine plastispheres. After the first 63 d of incubation (p < 0.05), the initial 16S rRNA gene abundance of microorganisms in the plastisphere increased significantly, and the biomass subsequently decreased. These results suggest that MPs can serve as vehicles for various microorganisms to travel to different environments and eventually provide a niche for a variety of microorganisms. Additionally, the qPCR results showed that MPs selectively enriched ARGs. In particular, tetA, tetQ, sul1, and qnrS were selectively enriched in the PVC-MPs. The abundances of intl1, a mobile genetic element, was measured in all MP types for 46 d (5.22 × 10 ± 8.21 × 10 copies/16s rRNA gene copies), 63 d (5.90 × 10 ± 2.49 × 10 copies/16s rRNA gene copies), and 102 d (4.00 × 10 ± 5.11 × 10 copies/16s rRNA gene copies). Network analysis indicated that ARG profiles co-occurred with key biofilm-forming bacteria. This study suggests that the selection of ARGs and their co-occurring bacteria in MPs could potentially accelerate their transmission through HGT in natural marine plastics.
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Alteration of microbial mediated carbon cycle and antibiotic resistance genes during plastisphere formation in coastal area
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Researchers investigated how microplastic surfaces in coastal environments develop biofilm communities, known as the plastisphere, and whether these biofilms enrich antibiotic resistance genes. The study found that incubation time, habitat type, and microplastic aging state all significantly influenced biofilm composition, and that aged microplastics accumulated more antibiotic resistance genes than new ones, suggesting microplastics may serve as vectors for spreading resistant bacteria.
Microplastics host distinct microbial communities enriched in potentially pathogenic taxa and antibiotic resistance genes: evidence from environmental and experimentally aged plastics in a coastal marine environment
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Scientists found that tiny plastic bits floating in the sea aren't just pollution, they're also rafts for germs, hosting different (and sometimes riskier) bacteria than the surrounding water, including *Vibrio*, a group that can cause food poisoning and infections. These plastic-riding bacteria also carried more genes for antibiotic resistance, including some tied to hard-to-treat infections, suggesting microplastics could help spread drug-resistant germs through the ocean and potentially into seafood or coastal waters people come into contact with.
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Bacteria growing on floating plastic waste swap antibiotic-resistance genes almost 7 times faster than usual, with PVC plastic being the worst offender. This review of 53 studies suggests plastic pollution may be helping create drug-resistant germs in the environment, though it's not yet proof this directly makes people sick, more research is needed.
Bacterial community succession and the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics in an oyster farm
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Researchers placed different types of microplastics in an oyster farm for 30 days and found that the plastics quickly became coated with bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains and potential human pathogens. The bacterial communities on plastic surfaces were distinct from those in the surrounding water and varied by plastic type. This means microplastics in seafood farming areas could serve as vehicles for spreading dangerous bacteria to humans through the food chain.
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Researchers reviewed antibiotic resistance in the plastisphere — the microbial community colonizing plastic surfaces in aquatic environments — finding that plastic properties and aging influence the enrichment and horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes, and that aged microplastics pose elevated risks due to increased adsorption of resistant bacteria.
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