Association of microplastics with heavy metals and antibiotic resistance bacteria/genes in natural ecosystems - A perspective through science mapping approach

Effects and mechanism of microplastics on abundance and transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in the environment - A critical review

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Tiny plastic particles polluting our water, soil, and even the air don't just sit there, this review of existing research shows they can act like rafts that help bacteria pick up antibiotic-resistance genes and spread them more easily, including in our gut environments. That's concerning because it means microplastic pollution could be quietly fueling the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant infections, making it harder to treat illnesses in the future. The researchers reviewed how this happens but say scientists still don't fully understand all the mechanisms behind it, so more research is needed to address the risk.

The Impact of Microplastics on the Dissemination, Persistence, and Ecotoxicological Effects of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Terrestrial Ecosystems

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This review examined a decade of research on microplastics as carriers of antibiotic resistance genes in terrestrial ecosystems, showing that plastic surfaces enhance gene transmission and soil abundance while exerting toxic effects on microorganisms, plants, and animals. The coupling of microplastic pollution with antibiotic resistance spread represents a compounding public health threat with implications for food safety and the global antimicrobial resistance crisis.

Microplastics enhance the enrichment and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic environments: A meta-analysis

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Tiny plastic particles in water aren't just pollution, this analysis of multiple studies found they nearly double the amount of antibiotic-resistant bacteria genes in aquatic environments, essentially acting as gathering spots where these genes multiply and spread more easily. This matters because antibiotic resistance is already a major public health threat, and if microplastics in our waterways are helping resistant bacteria thrive and share their resistance traits, that could make infections harder to treat down the line, especially since smaller plastic particles seemed to make the problem worse.

Combined pollution of microplastics and antibiotics in agricultural ecosystems: occurrence, mechanisms, and risks

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This study investigated biomagnification of microplastics through marine food webs using non-invasive methods, analyzing fecal samples or other accessible biological materials from predators at multiple trophic levels. The approach demonstrates that trophic transfer can be assessed without requiring lethal sampling, enabling broader biodiversity inclusion in biomagnification studies.

Antibiotic desorption from microplastics in brackish water and the effect on microbial communities