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Mutual Effects of Microplastics And Microbes: Tiny Things Have Big Impacts
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This review paper pulls together existing research showing that tiny plastic particles (microplastics) floating in water and soil act like magnets for bacteria, including harmful germs and antibiotic-resistant "superbugs", which stick to their surfaces more easily than they do to natural materials like rocks. This matters because these plastic particles could act as rafts that carry dangerous bacteria into our food and water supplies, potentially making infections harder to treat if we're exposed to them. More research is needed to understand exactly how much risk this poses to human health.
“Like pathogens, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and ARGs on MP surfaces are more abundant than those in the surrounding environment and on inorganic substrates such as rocks and ceramics.”Microplast...
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.