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Sensitivity of Legionella pneumophila to phthalates and their substitutes
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Researchers tested how phthalates — plastic-softening chemicals used in manufacturing — affect the behavior of Legionella pneumophila, the bacterium that causes Legionnaires' disease, finding that two compounds altered the microbe's movement, biofilm formation, and antibiotic response at environmentally realistic concentrations. The findings suggest plastic-derived chemicals in water systems could influence how dangerous waterborne pathogens behave.
Phthalates constitute a family of anthropogenic chemicals developed to be used in the manufacture of plastics, solvents, and personal care products. Their dispersion and accumulation in many environments can occur at all stages of their use (from synthesis to recycling). However, many phthalates together with other accumulated engineered chemicals have been shown to interfere with hormone activities. These compounds are also in close contact with microorganisms that are free-living, in biofilms or in microbiota, within multicellular organisms. Herein, the activity of several phthalates and their substitutes were investigated on the opportunistic pathogen Legionella pneumophila, an aquatic microbe that can infect humans. Beside showing the toxicity of some phthalates, data suggested that Acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) and DBP (Di-n-butyl phthalate) at environmental doses (i.e. 10-6 M and 10-8 M) can modulate Legionella behavior in terms of motility, biofilm formation and response to antibiotics. A dose of 10-6 M mostly induced adverse effects for the bacteria, in contrast to a dose of 10-8 M. No perturbation of virulence towards Acanthamoeba castellanii was recorded. These behavioral alterations suggest that L. pneumophila is able to sense ATBC and DBP, in a cross-talk that either mimics the response to a native ligand, or dysregulates its physiology.
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The ecological security risks of phthalates: A focus on antibiotic resistance gene dissemination in aquatic environments
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Researchers investigated whether phthalates, common plastic additives found in waterways, can promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. They found that at low concentrations, dibutyl phthalate significantly increased the transfer of resistance genes by boosting bacterial membrane permeability and energy production. The study reveals a previously overlooked way that plastic-related chemicals could contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments.
The resistance change and stress response mechanisms of chlorine-resistant bacteria under microplastic stress in drinking water distribution system
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Researchers found that microplastics in drinking water pipes can make chlorine-resistant bacteria even more dangerous by boosting their resistance to both antibiotics and disinfectants. Bacteria attached to microplastic surfaces changed their outer coatings and activated stress responses that increased their survival against water treatment chemicals. This is concerning because it means microplastics in water distribution systems could help create superbugs that standard water treatment cannot eliminate.
Microplastics and chemical leachates from plastic pipes are associated with increased virulence and antimicrobial resistance potential of drinking water microbial communities
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Researchers found that microplastics and chemical leachates released from polypropylene drinking water pipes can promote antimicrobial resistance and virulence in the microbial communities that form inside the pipes. Exposure to chlorination, heating, and freeze-thaw cycles accelerated microplastic generation and chemical leaching from the pipes. The findings suggest that plastic plumbing materials may be an underappreciated factor in drinking water safety.
Salinity-dependent effects of erythromycin on biofilm development and conjugative plasmid transfer on poly(vinyl chloride) microplastics.
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A lab study tested how water salinity affects the antibiotic erythromycin's impact on bacterial biofilms growing on PVC microplastics. Salinity changed how bacteria stuck together and how easily resistance genes spread between them, and erythromycin's effect on this spread switched from promoting to blocking it depending on salinity level.
Microplastic-affected pathogens in drinking water supply systems: Survival mechanisms, ecological impacts and control challenges
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This review synthesized evidence on how microplastics in drinking water supply systems affect pathogen behavior, focusing on opportunistic pathogens. Microplastics were found to enhance pathogen survival, promote antibiotic resistance gene transfer, and facilitate biofilm formation, with implications for the safety of treated drinking water.
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