Vector transport of antibiotics by microplastics in water

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 an Ecological Vector Transport for Pharmaceuticals: Insights into the Interaction Mechanisms

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Researchers investigated the capacity of microplastics to act as ecological vectors for pharmaceutical compounds, reviewing the adsorption mechanisms between hydrophilic drug molecules and plastic particle surfaces. The findings suggest microplastics may concentrate and transport pharmaceuticals into ecosystems and food chains beyond what water chemistry alone would predict.

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.

Antibiotic desorption from microplastics in brackish water and the effect on microbial communities

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.