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Microplastics accumulation in mangroves increasing the resistance of its colonization Vibrio and Shewanella
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Researchers found that microplastics accumulating in mangrove sediments harbored antibiotic-resistant bacteria, predominantly Vibrio parahemolyticus, Vibrio alginolyticus, and Shewanella, with 100% of mangrove isolates showing elevated resistance. The study highlights microplastics as ecological colonization sites that may amplify antibiotic resistance risks in coastal ecosystems.
The enrichment of various pollutants in mangrove has attracted widespread attention. Especially, microplastics accumulation in mangrove may provide a more challenging ecological colonization site by enriching pollutants, thus affecting the change of microplastics antibiotic resistance and increasing the risk of antibiotic failure. Herein, the antibiotic-resistant of microplastics and sediment from mangrove were investigated. The results show that isolates are mainly colonized by Vibrio parahemolyticus (V. parahemolyticus), Vibrio alginolyticus (V. alginolyticus), and Shewanella. 100% mangrove microplastics isolates are resistant to chloramphenicol, cefazolin, and tetracycline, especially amoxicillin clavulanate and ampicillin. Meanwhile, the multiple antibiotics resistance (MAR) indexes of V. parahaemolyticus, Shewanella, and V. alginolyticus in mangrove microplastics are 0.72, 0.77, and 0.77, respectively, which are far higher than the MAR index standard (0.2) and that of mangrove sediment isolates. Furthermore, compared with V. parahaemolyticus isolated from the same mangrove microplastics, Shewanella and V. alginolyticus show stronger drug resistance. It should be noted that there is a closely related relationship between the type of microplastics and the antibiotics resistance of isolated bacteria. For the antibiotics sensitivity test of norfloxacin, streptomycin, amoxicillin, and chloramphenicol, V. parahaemolyticus have the lower antibiotics resistance than that of V. alginolyticus isolated from the same mangrove microplastics. However, Vibrio isolated from PE has stronger antibiotics resistance. Results reveal that mangrove may be one of the potential risks for emergence and spread of bacterial antibiotics-resistant and multidrug-resistant, and microplastic biofilms may act as promoters of bacterial antibiotic resistance.
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This study found that microplastics in mangrove ecosystems serve as hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes and disease-causing bacteria. Polyethylene, polystyrene, and PVC surfaces incubated in mangrove sediments harbored significantly more high-risk resistance genes than the surrounding environment. This is concerning because mangroves are important coastal habitats, and microplastics there could help spread drug-resistant infections to wildlife and potentially to humans.
Impact of the surrounding environment on antibiotic resistance genes carried by microplastics in mangroves
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Researchers buried five plastic types in mangrove ecosystems with different surrounding environments and used qPCR to quantify antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) on the plastic surfaces, finding higher ARG abundance in urban mangroves than in protected or aquaculture areas. Polypropylene and HDPE were preferred substrates for ARG-carrying bacteria, and proximity to human activities was the main driver of ARG distribution.
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Scientists characterized bacterial biofilms colonizing plastic debris in estuarine waters, finding that plastics host distinct communities including Vibrio species with elevated antibiotic resistance compared to surrounding water.
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Researchers studied microplastics placed in mangrove and sandy-beach sediments, comparing rural and urban areas. Bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance genes differed by habitat and urbanization, with urban mangrove microplastics showing the highest diversity of resistance genes and the strongest links between specific bacteria and these genes.
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