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Quantifying health risks of plastisphere antibiotic resistome and deciphering driving mechanisms in an urbanizing watershed

Water Research 2023 36 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Ruilong Li, Ruilong Li, Ruilong Li, Ruilong Li, Qian Sun, Cui Li, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Kai Yang, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Longji Zhu, Yong‐Guan Zhu Ruilong Li, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Ruilong Li, Ruilong Li, Ruilong Li, Qing‐Lin Chen, Fei Xu, Dong Zhu, Yong‐Guan Zhu Kai Yang, Kai Yang, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Chenshuo Lin, Ruilong Li, Ruilong Li, Longji Zhu, Longji Zhu, Qing‐Lin Chen, Longji Zhu, Qing‐Lin Chen, Dong Zhu, Kai Yang, Kai Yang, Kai Yang, Qian Sun, Dong Zhu, Ruilong Li, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Qing‐Lin Chen, Cui Li, Longji Zhu, Qing‐Lin Chen, Kai Yang, Kai Yang, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Ruilong Li, Fei Xu, Fei Xu, Dong Zhu, Qing‐Lin Chen, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Fei Xu, Ruilong Li, Qing‐Lin Chen, Kai Yang, Ruilong Li, Dong Zhu, Ruilong Li, Ruilong Li, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Yong‐Guan Zhu Chenshuo Lin, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Qing‐Lin Chen, Qing‐Lin Chen, Qing‐Lin Chen, Qing‐Lin Chen, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Ruilong Li, Ruilong Li, Ruilong Li, Chenshuo Lin, Yong‐Guan Zhu Cui Li, Ruilong Li, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Ruilong Li, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Cui Li, Cui Li, Dong Zhu, Kai Yang, Dong Zhu, Yong‐Guan Zhu Cui Li, Longji Zhu, Qing‐Lin Chen, Longji Zhu, Yong‐Guan Zhu Ruilong Li, Qing‐Lin Chen, Ruilong Li, Dong Zhu, Cui Li, Dong Zhu, Ruilong Li, Yong‐Guan Zhu Cui Li, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Qian Sun, Dong Zhu, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Ruilong Li, Yong‐Guan Zhu Ruilong Li, Yong‐Guan Zhu Qian Sun, Cui Li, Ruilong Li, Dong Zhu, Ruilong Li, Kai Yang, Yong‐Guan Zhu Dong Zhu, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Qian Sun, Ruilong Li, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Ruilong Li, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Dong Zhu, Yong‐Guan Zhu Cui Li, Yong‐Guan Zhu Ruilong Li, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Qing‐Lin Chen, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Cui Li, Yong‐Guan Zhu Dong Zhu, Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu Yong‐Guan Zhu

Summary

This study measured the health risks posed by antibiotic resistance genes found on microplastic surfaces in a watershed affected by urbanization. Polyethylene microplastics carried the highest risk, and urban development increased the danger by promoting the spread of resistance genes among bacteria living on plastic surfaces. The findings show that microplastics in waterways act as vehicles for antibiotic resistance, which could make infections harder to treat in communities downstream.

Polymers

Microplastics (MPs) ubiquitous in environments promote the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), threatening ecosystem safety and human health. However, quantitative assessments of the health risks of ARGs (HRA) in plastisphere and an in-depth exploration of their driving mechanisms are still lacking. Here, the microbiomes, ARGs, and community assembly processes of five types of MPs in an urbanizing watershed were systematically investigated. By fully considering the abundance, clinical availability, human pathogenicity, human accessibility, and mobility of 660 ARGs in plastisphere, the HRA on MPs were quantified and compared. Polyethylene had the highest HRA among the five MP types, and urbanization further increased its risk index. In addition to abiotic factors, more complex biotic factors have been shown to drive HRA in plastisphere. Specifically, dispersal limitation accounted for the increasing diversity and interaction of bacteria that determined HRA in plastisphere. Further analysis of metabolic functions indicated that a higher HRA was accompanied by decreased normal metabolic functions of plastisphere microbiota due to the higher fitness costs of ARGs. This study advances the quantitative surveillance of HRA in plastisphere and understanding of its driving mechanisms. This will be helpful for the management of both MPs and ARGs treatments for human health.

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