Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics promote the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and diversify their bacterial hosts in soil

Nanoplastics in soil were found to promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes far more than larger microplastics, even at very low concentrations. The nanoplastics changed which bacteria carried resistance genes and enabled some bacteria to develop resistance to multiple antibiotics simultaneously. This is a significant concern for human health because nanoplastics in agricultural soil could accelerate the spread of drug-resistant bacteria that make infections harder to treat.

2023 Eco-Environment & Health 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyvinyl chloride microplastics disseminate antibiotic resistance genes in Chinese soil: A metagenomic analysis

Researchers used metagenomic analysis to investigate how polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in Chinese soils. They found that PVC microplastics significantly influenced soil bacterial community composition and increased the abundance of certain antibiotic resistance genes. The study raises concerns that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may accelerate the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of polyethylene microplastics on antibiotic resistance genes: A comparison based on different soil types and plant types

This study compared how polyethylene microplastics affect antibiotic resistance genes across different soil types and found that contaminated soils and the presence of certain plants influenced which resistance genes proliferated. The results suggest that microplastics in agricultural soil can help spread antibiotic resistance, which is a serious concern for human health because resistant bacteria can enter the food supply through crops.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable microplastics induced the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in soil: A metagenomic perspective

Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics promoted the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors in soil at levels comparable to conventional microplastics, challenging assumptions about their environmental safety.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 101 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction of Microbes with Microplastics and Nanoplastics in the Agroecosystems—Impact on Antimicrobial Resistance

This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics in agricultural soil serve as hotspots for spreading antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. The plastic particles provide surfaces where bacteria exchange genetic material, potentially accelerating the spread of drug-resistant microbes. This is a public health concern because resistant bacteria from farm soil can enter the food chain and make infections harder to treat.

2023 Pathogens 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into PET-Microplastics effect on pathogenic bacteria

Researchers exposed four common disease-causing bacteria to PET microplastics and found that the bacteria responded differently depending on the species and plastic concentration, with some growing faster in the presence of plastics. Notably, bacteria exposed to higher concentrations of PET microplastics developed increased resistance to multiple antibiotics, raising concerns about how environmental plastic pollution could contribute to the growing antibiotic resistance problem.

2025 World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the Effects of Biodegradable and NonbiodegradableMicroplastics Combined with Pesticides on the Soil Microbiota

This study investigated how biodegradable (PLA) and non-biodegradable (PET) microplastics interact with glyphosate and imidacloprid pesticides in soil, finding that PLA increased microbial diversity while both microplastic types amplified the spread of antibiotic resistance genes when combined with pesticides.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Varying characteristics and driving mechanisms of antibiotic resistance genes in farmland soil amended with high-density polyethylene microplastics

A 60-day soil experiment found that high-density polyethylene microplastics containing phthalate additives significantly enhanced antibiotic resistance gene abundance in farmland soil compared to plastics without phthalates, identifying phthalate release as a key driver of microplastic-associated ARG enrichment.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic pollution drives quorum sensing-mediated enrichment of rhizosphere pathogens, resistance genes, and virulence factors genes

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics in soil affect the root-associated microbiome of a medicinal plant and found dose-dependent increases in antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors, and human pathogens. The microplastics appeared to promote quorum sensing, a bacterial communication system that helps coordinate these harmful traits. The findings suggest that microplastic soil pollution could amplify microbial risks in agricultural settings.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects and mechanisms of polystyrene micro- and nano-plastics on the spread of antibiotic resistance genes from soil to lettuce

Researchers investigated how polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics affect the spread of antibiotic resistance genes from soil into lettuce plants. They found that these plastic particles significantly increased the transfer of resistance genes by damaging root cell membranes and altering the microbial community in the soil around the roots. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could make it easier for antibiotic-resistant bacteria to reach the food we eat.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Tracking antibiotic resistance genes in microplastic-contaminated soil

Researchers used metagenomics to track antibiotic resistance genes in agricultural soils with long histories of plastic mulch use across eight Chinese provinces, identifying 204 subtypes of resistance genes alongside thousands of mobile genetic elements, demonstrating that microplastic-contaminated soils are significant reservoirs for antibiotic resistance spread.

2022 Chemosphere 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics of tetracycline antibiotic resistance gene enrichment and migration in soil–plant system

This review examines how tetracycline antibiotic resistance genes spread through soil and into plants, with microplastics identified as one of the factors that accelerate this process. Resistance genes can transfer from soil bacteria into plant tissues through root absorption, ultimately accumulating in edible parts like leaves and fruits. This means microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil could help spread antibiotic resistance to humans through the food they eat.

2024 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 13 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Sources, interactions, influencing factors and ecological risks of microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes in soil: A review

Microplastics in soil serve as hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes, with the plastisphere — the microbial community colonizing plastic surfaces — facilitating horizontal gene transfer of resistance markers. Key factors driving this interaction include microplastic properties, soil chemistry, and agricultural practices, though research in soil environments is still at an early stage compared to aquatic systems.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Antibiotic sorption onto MPs in terrestrial environment: a critical review of the transport, bioaccumulation, ecotoxicological effects and prospects

This review examines how microplastics in soil absorb and transport antibiotics, creating complex pollutants that can spread antibiotic resistance genes through the environment. When antibiotic-carrying microplastics are taken up by plants or soil organisms, the resistance genes can eventually reach humans through the food chain. The authors highlight the need for better strategies to reduce microplastic contamination in soil to help slow the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance.

2024 Drug and Chemical Toxicology 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Size-specific effects of polyethylene microplastics (100–10,000 nm) on the soil resistome and pathogens revealed via metagenomics and machine learning

Researchers incubated polyethylene microplastics of three different sizes in antibiotic-resistant soils and found that smaller particles had the strongest effect on spreading antibiotic resistance genes and increasing pathogen abundance. The microplastics altered soil chemistry, reduced beneficial enzyme activity, and promoted the growth of potentially harmful bacteria while decreasing beneficial species. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in soils may worsen the spread of antibiotic resistance, with particle size playing a key role.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyvinyl chloride microplastics disseminate antibiotic resistance genes in soil: A metagenomic analysis

This study used metagenomic analysis to show that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in soil, acting as a vehicle that transfers resistance between different soil bacteria. This is alarming because it links plastic pollution directly to the antibiotic resistance crisis — one of the greatest threats to modern medicine.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Polyvinyl chloride microplastics disseminate antibiotic resistance genes in soil: A metagenomic analysis

This study used metagenomic analysis to show that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in soil, acting as a vehicle that transfers resistance between different soil bacteria. This is alarming because it links plastic pollution directly to the antibiotic resistance crisis — one of the greatest threats to modern medicine.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Dual roles of polystyrene nanoplastics in reshaping antibiotic resistance genes dynamics in soil–plant systems: Highlighting shifts in specific hosts and functions

Researchers found that polystyrene nanoplastics elevated antibiotic resistance gene abundance in soil by 11–18% while simultaneously hindering ARG transfer into plant root tissues, and stimulated the proliferation of key pathogenic ARG-carrying bacteria including Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Impacts of non-spherical polyethylene nanoplastics on microbial communities and antibiotic resistance genes in the rhizosphere of pea (Pisum sativum L.): An integrated metagenomic and metabolomic analysis

Researchers exposed pea plants to non-spherical polyethylene nanoplastics at 0, 20, and 200 mg/kg, finding that high doses significantly inhibited plant growth, restructured rhizosphere microbial communities, and elevated antibiotic resistance gene abundance via integrated metagenomics and metabolomics.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Effects of long-term microplastic pollution on soil heavy metals and metal resistance genes: Distribution patterns and synergistic effects

Using metagenomics on cropland soils with long-term plastic film residues, researchers found that microplastic pollution alters heavy metal distribution and promotes the enrichment of metal resistance genes in soil microbial communities, with implications for food security.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 26 citations