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Bioaccessibility of Microplastic-Associated Antibiotics in Freshwater Organisms: Highlighting the Impacts of Biofilm Colonization via an In Vitro Protocol
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Researchers found that biofilm colonization on microplastics significantly alters the bioaccessibility of associated antibiotics in freshwater organisms, with biofilms acting as reactive coatings that change how pollutants are released and taken up by aquatic life.
Microplastics in the environment can be colonized by microbes capable of forming biofilms, which may act as reactive coatings to affect the bioaccessibility of pollutants in organisms. This study investigated the dynamic evolution of biofilm colonization on microplastics and its impacts and mechanisms on the bioaccessibility of microplastic-associated sulfamethazine (SMT) via microcosm incubation in surface water and sediment. After 60 days of incubation, the microbial communities formed in microplastics were distinct and more diverse than those untethered in surroundings, and photoaging treatment decreased the affinity of biofilms on microplastics due to decreased hydrophobicity. Biofilm formation further enhanced the desorption and bioaccessibility of microplastic-sorbed SMT in organisms. In vitro experiments indicated that the critical effects were mainly related to the stronger interaction of gastrointestinal components (i.e., pepsin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and NaT) with biofilm components (e.g., extracellular polymer substances) than with the pure surface of microplastics, which competed for binding sites in microplastics for SMT more significantly. Photoaging decreased the enhancing effects of biofilms due to their lower accumulation in aged microplastics. This study is the first attempt to reveal the role of biofilms in the bioaccessibility of microplastics with associated antibiotics and provide insights into the combined risk of microplastics in the environment.
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This review examines how bacteria and other microorganisms form sticky films called biofilms on microplastic surfaces in water. These biofilms change how microplastics move through the environment and increase their ability to absorb pollutants like heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotics. Biofilm-coated microplastics may also carry harmful bacteria, making them a greater potential health risk than clean microplastic particles.
Adsorption of the antimicrobial triclosan to microplastics impacts biofilm and planktonic microbial communities in freshwater
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Researchers tested how triclosan—an antimicrobial compound—adsorbs to microplastics and what effect this has on microbial biofilm communities in freshwater. Triclosan-loaded microplastics shifted microbial community composition and increased abundance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in biofilms, demonstrating that microplastics acting as vectors for antimicrobials can restructure freshwater microbial ecosystems.
Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Fate and Potential Effects of Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment
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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.