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Evaluating the role of microplastics and wastewater in shaping Vibrio spp. and antibiotic resistance gene abundance in urban freshwaters
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Researchers sampled water and microplastic biofilms from urban South African rivers and found that microplastics disproportionately enriched Vibrio spp. and tetracycline resistance genes relative to the surrounding water, suggesting microplastics selectively concentrate pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes.
Urban rivers in Sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly affected by microbial pathogens, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and microplastic (MP) pollution. This study assessed the abundance of Vibrio spp. and their tetracycline gene (tetB) relative to the total bacterial community in water and MP biofilms collected from ten sites along the Swartkops and Kat rivers, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The aim is to explore whether MPs disproportionately associate with Vibrio spp. or tetB, relative to the surrounding water, by comparing gene abundance normalised to total bacterial 16 S rRNA. The physicochemical water quality was assessed, and quantitative PCR targeting the Vibrio-specific 16 S rRNA gene and tetB gene was performed. Mean relative abundance of Vibrio-specific 16 S rRNA gene was 0.18 copies per 16 S rRNA in water and 0.13 in MP biofilms, while tetB abundance was 1.78 × 10⁻⁵ and 5.32 × 10⁻⁵ copies per 16 S rRNA in water and MP biofilms. There was no statistically significant difference between water and MP biofilms. Vibrio 16 S rRNA and tetB gene abundance did not significantly correlate with MP concentrations. Higher tetB values downstream of wastewater treatment works (WWTWs) and in industrial zones suggest site-specific environmental influences, but overall patterns pointed to WWTW discharge, not MP, as the dominant driver. tetB abundance correlated with dissolved oxygen and turbidity, suggesting conditions favouring ARG persistence. A strong correlation between Vibrio and tetB suggests shared sources or co-occurrence. MPs may not be active reservoirs or persistence enhancers for Vibrio spp. and tetB in this setting. This study underscores the importance of improving wastewater infrastructure to mitigate ARG-associated health risks.
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Researchers conducted a large-scale river survey across urbanization gradients and characterized antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics from each zone, finding that urbanization level strongly predicted the diversity and abundance of resistance genes on plastic surfaces.
Evidence of selective enrichment of bacterial assemblages and antibiotic resistant genes by microplastics in urban rivers
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Researchers sampled microplastics from two urban rivers in China and found that the bacterial communities colonizing plastic particles were distinctly different from those in the surrounding water. The microplastic-associated bacteria had lower diversity but higher proportions of biofilm-forming species and functions linked to human disease. Notably, the study found that microplastics selectively enriched antibiotic resistance genes, raising concerns about plastics serving as reservoirs for drug-resistant bacteria.
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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.
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Metagenomic analysis of microplastics sampled along an urban river watershed revealed that MP-associated microbial communities carried antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors at higher levels than surrounding water, with composition shifting along the river gradient. The findings confirm microplastics as environmental vectors for spreading antimicrobial resistance.
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Scientists found that microplastics in an urban river serve as platforms for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and dangerous pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Legionella pneumophila. Larger microplastic particles harbored more antibiotic resistance genes, and the concentrations of these genes were much higher on plastic surfaces than in the surrounding water. This research raises concerns that microplastics in waterways could spread drug-resistant infections by providing a surface where dangerous bacteria thrive and share resistance genes.
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