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Prevalence of microplastics, antibiotic resistant genes and microplastic associated biofilms in estuary - A review
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This review examined evidence for microplastics, antibiotic resistance genes, and microplastic-associated biofilms in estuarine ecosystems. Microplastics in estuaries serve as substrates for diverse microbial biofilms including pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and estuaries are identified as important reservoirs for microplastic-facilitated horizontal gene transfer.
The estuarine ecosystem is under threat due to the addition of different anthropogenic pollutants. Among the various pollutants, microplastics(MPs), and antibiotics play a significant role in affecting estuarine organisms and human health by transport through the food chain. In the estuaries, microorganisms, including pathogens, colonise microplastics by the development of biofilms. Estuaries have long been home to MPs, served as novel hubs for the transmission of Antibiotic Resistance Genes (ARGs). As a result of their continual interactions with a variety of aquatic creatures, MP-associated bacterial communities will eventually present a transfer opportunity to organisms that consume MPs. To comprehend the presence of microplastics and ARGs in the estuaries, a thorough review is necessary. This review discusses the various sources of MPs and antibiotic pollution, as well as the transport of ARGs via biofilm formed on MPs. Furthermore, the factors affecting biofilm formation in estuaries are reviewed. In addition, the transport of ARGs by microbial populations within biofilm is discussed. The ARGs are transported into the food chain, which will be a threat to human health. Hence, the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant genes in fish is discussed.
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[Research progress on the effect of estuary microplastics on antibiotic resistance genes].
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This review summarizes research on how microplastics in estuarine environments influence the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), focusing on the role of biofilms that form on plastic surfaces. Microplastic biofilms selectively enrich ARG-carrying bacteria and facilitate horizontal gene transfer, increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance dissemination in ecologically and humanly important estuarine zones.
Microplastic biofilms promote the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in estuarine environments
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Researchers compared how effectively antibiotic resistance genes transfer between bacteria floating freely in water versus bacteria living in biofilms on microplastic surfaces. They found that microplastic biofilms significantly enhanced the transfer of resistance genes compared to free-floating bacteria, with factors like extracellular DNA and cell membrane permeability playing key roles. The study suggests that microplastics in estuaries may act as hotspots for spreading antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Microplastics and Their Role in the Maintenance and Spread of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Marine Ecosystems
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This review examines the role of microplastics in maintaining and spreading antibiotic resistance genes in marine ecosystems, synthesizing evidence that plastic pollution in aquatic environments creates reservoirs for antimicrobial resistant bacteria and facilitates horizontal gene transfer.
Microplastics pollution in the ocean: Potential carrier of resistant bacteria and resistance genes
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This review examined microplastics in marine environments as carriers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes, finding that plastic surfaces selectively enrich resistance genes through horizontal gene transfer and co-selection pressure, making ocean microplastics a vector for resistance dissemination across ecosystems.
[Distribution of Microplastic and Antibiotic Resistance Gene Pollution in Jiulong River Estuary].
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This Chinese-language study characterized microplastic distribution in water and sediment from the Jiulong River estuary in China and measured antibiotic resistance gene abundance at the same sites. The researchers found that microplastic-rich areas tended to have higher concentrations of antibiotic resistance genes, consistent with the hypothesis that microplastics can harbor and spread resistant bacteria. The co-occurrence of these two types of pollution in estuaries poses combined ecological and public health risks.
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