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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Biodegradation and bioaugmentation of the co-contamination of chloramphenicol and microplastics by Exiguobacterium sp. CAP4 isolated from a contaminated plastisphere
ClearCharacterization of microplastics and their interaction with antibiotics in wastewater
Researchers characterized microplastics in wastewater and investigated their interactions with antibiotics, examining how microplastic surfaces adsorb antibiotic compounds and the implications for antibiotic transport and dissemination in wastewater treatment systems.
Complex behavior between microplastic and antibiotic and their effect on phosphorus-removing Shewanella strain during wastewater treatment
Researchers examined how microplastics and antibiotics interact in wastewater treatment, finding that their combined stress disrupted phosphorus removal by Shewanella bacteria through altered adsorption behavior and metabolic interference.
Effects of co-loading of polyethylene microplastics and ciprofloxacin on the antibiotic degradation efficiency and microbial community structure in soil
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin together affect soil microbial communities and antibiotic degradation. The study found that co-loading of microplastics with antibiotics altered microbial community structure and affected the rate of antibiotic degradation in soil, suggesting microplastic contamination may influence how soils process pharmaceutical pollutants.
Biocatalytic strategies for the degradation of emerging micropollutants: From nanoplastics to pharmaceuticals
Researchers demonstrated that specific bacteria can break down both nanoplastics and common pharmaceuticals such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, which frequently contaminate waterways. Encasing these bacteria in alginate beads improved their stability and reusability, pointing toward practical bioremediation tools for tackling multiple classes of emerging pollutants simultaneously.
Biocatalytic strategies for the degradation of emerging micropollutants: From nanoplastics to pharmaceuticals
Researchers demonstrated that specific bacteria can break down both nanoplastics and common pharmaceuticals such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, which frequently contaminate waterways. Encasing these bacteria in alginate beads improved their stability and reusability, pointing toward practical bioremediation tools for tackling multiple classes of emerging pollutants simultaneously.
The combined effect of microplastics and tetracycline on soil microbial communities and ARGs
Researchers studied how simultaneous exposure to microplastics and tetracycline affects soil microbial communities, finding that the combination disrupted microbial diversity, altered functional gene expression, and promoted horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes beyond the effects of either pollutant alone.
Aged microplastics enhance their interaction with ciprofloxacin and joint toxicity on Escherichia coli
Researchers found that aged microplastics showed enhanced adsorption of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin compared to pristine particles, and that their combined exposure produced greater toxicity to E. coli at the molecular level than either pollutant alone.
Synergistic functional activity of a landfill microbial consortium in a microplastic-enriched environment
Scientists studied soil bacteria from a decades-old landfill to understand how microbes adapt to high concentrations of polyethylene and PET microplastics. They found that multiple bacterial species work together to break down these plastics, with different roles for bacteria floating freely versus those attached to plastic surfaces. While biodegradation of microplastics is possible, it is slow, and understanding these natural processes could eventually help with cleanup efforts.
Bacterial dynamics of the plastisphere microbiome exposed to sub-lethal antibiotic pollution.
This study investigated how sub-lethal antibiotic concentrations in water interact with microplastic-associated biofilm communities (the plastisphere), finding that combined pollution alters bacterial dynamics and may contribute to antibiotic resistance selection in aquatic environments.
Hidden threats in the plastisphere: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales colonizing microplastics in river water
Researchers placed microplastics in a river near a wastewater treatment plant and found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including dangerous carbapenem-resistant strains, colonized the plastic surfaces. These bacteria carried multiple drug-resistance genes and virulence traits, making them potential threats to human health. The study demonstrates that microplastics in waterways can serve as floating platforms that help spread antibiotic-resistant superbugs from wastewater into the broader environment.
Mechanism of microplastics promoting sulfamethoxazole biodegradation in activated sludge as revealed by DNA-stable isotope probing
Researchers used isotope-labeling techniques to identify which bacteria in activated sludge actually degrade the common antibiotic sulfamethoxazole, discovering 13 previously unknown degrading bacterial genera. Adding microplastics to the sludge enhanced antibiotic breakdown by restructuring the microbial community, increasing the abundance of degrading bacteria, and promoting cooperative interactions between species. This finding is both promising — microplastics may inadvertently improve antibiotic removal in treatment plants — and concerning, as it reveals how plastic pollution reshapes the microbiology of wastewater systems in complex, unpredictable ways.
Microbial Isolates in Microplastic-Polluted Soil
Researchers isolated and characterized microbial communities from microplastic-polluted soil, identifying bacteria capable of colonizing plastic surfaces and assessing their potential roles in plastic degradation and soil nutrient cycling.
Plastic-Degrading Microbial Consortia from a Wastewater Treatment Plant
Researchers isolated bacteria from a wastewater treatment plant that can break down common plastics including polyethylene and polystyrene, some of the hardest plastics to recycle. The microbial communities worked together to degrade the plastics more effectively than individual bacterial strains. While biological plastic degradation is still slow compared to the scale of pollution, identifying these bacteria is a step toward developing biotechnology solutions for plastic waste cleanup.
Antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in the plastisphere in wastewater treatment plant effluent: Health risk quantification and driving mechanism interpretation
Researchers found that microplastics in treated wastewater carry significantly more disease-causing bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors on their surfaces compared to the surrounding water. This means microplastics released from wastewater treatment plants into rivers and lakes could spread antibiotic-resistant infections, posing a direct risk to communities that rely on these water sources.
Enhanced Co-degradation of chloramphenicol and polyvinyl chloride in water by bioelectrochemical systems
Researchers used microbial fuel cells — devices where bacteria break down pollutants and generate electricity — to simultaneously degrade the antibiotic chloramphenicol and PVC microplastics, finding that adding a bacterial communication molecule (quorum sensing signal 3OC8-HSL) increased antibiotic removal by 78% and power output by 81% by enriching specialized degrading bacteria.
Characterization of plastic degrading bacteria isolated from sewage wastewater
Researchers isolated bacteria from sewage wastewater that can degrade plastic, with two Pseudomonas strains achieving 25% weight loss of plastic pieces over 120 days. Chemical analysis confirmed the bacteria were breaking down and transforming the plastic polymer bonds. These plastic-eating bacteria could offer a green biotechnology approach to reducing microplastic pollution in wastewater systems.
Unraveling the combined impacts of pristine and aged polyethylene microplastics and the ciprofloxacin antibiotic on sediment microbial communities and ecological functions
Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics — both fresh and environmentally weathered — interact with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin to affect the microbial communities living in aquatic sediments. They found that microplastics, especially in combination with the antibiotic, disrupted microbial community structure and simplified the ecological networks that microbes rely on for stable functioning. This is concerning because healthy sediment microbe communities underpin nutrient cycling and ecosystem health, and their disruption by combined plastic-antibiotic pollution could have cascading effects.
Synergistic Pollution: Interactions Among Polyethylene, Surfactants, and Antibiotics in an Aquatic Environment
Researchers investigated synergistic pollution effects among polyethylene microplastics, surfactants, and antibiotics in aquatic systems, finding that co-presence enhanced the environmental persistence and bioavailability of antibiotics beyond what microplastics or surfactants caused individually.
The co-presence of polystyrene nanoplastics and ofloxacin demonstrates combined effects on the structure, assembly, and metabolic activities of marine microbial community
Researchers examined the combined effects of polystyrene nanoplastics and the antibiotic ofloxacin on marine microbial communities. They found that the two pollutants together had a greater impact on bacterial community structure and metabolic activity than either one alone. The study suggests that nanoplastics and antibiotics co-occurring in the ocean may work together to disrupt the microorganisms that support marine ecosystem health.
Metagenomics reveals combined effects of microplastics and antibiotics on microbial community structure and function in coastal sediments
A metagenomic study of coastal sediments exposed to combined microplastic and antibiotic pollution found that co-exposure altered microbial community composition and significantly elevated the abundance and diversity of antibiotic resistance genes compared to either pollutant alone.