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Investigating microplastic occurrences in coastal surface seawaters and their potential role as transport vectors for multidrug-resistant E. coli
Summary
Researchers investigated microplastic occurrences in coastal surface seawaters and examined whether microplastics serve as transport vectors for multidrug-resistant E. coli, addressing a gap in comparable long-term data on microplastic contamination in aquatic systems. The thesis found that microplastics in coastal environments can carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria, raising concerns about their role in spreading antimicrobial resistance.
The pervasive nature of microplastics (synthetic items of less than 5 mm) throughout aquatic environments has been found to impart upon these habitats a myriad of negative effects. The work described in this thesis aims to address the existing need for comparable, long-term data on MP occurrences in aquatic systems as well as to investigate their role as transport vectors for multidrug-resistant E. coli.
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