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Nano- and microplastics as carriers for antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes
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Microplastics as Trojan Horses: Vectors of Pathogens, Pollutants, and Antimicrobial Resistance Genes
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This review examines how microplastics act as vectors—or Trojan horses—that adsorb and transport pathogens, chemical pollutants, and other contaminants through aquatic and terrestrial environments. The combined toxicological burden of microplastics and their associated cargo poses compounded risks to ecosystems and human health.
Microplastics as a Carrier of Antibiotic Resistance Genes: A Revision of Literature
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Researchers review evidence that microplastics act as carriers and hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes, influencing bacterial community composition in the environment and potentially accelerating the spread of antibiotic resistance — a dual threat to ecosystem and human health.
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.
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.
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics, nanoplastics, and engineered nanoparticles can carry extracellular DNA containing antibiotic resistance genes, potentially spreading antimicrobial resistance through aquatic environments, and called for improved wastewater treatment and agricultural chemical regulation to reduce this underappreciated public health risk.
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