Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Identification of microplastic-associated microbial communities from various stages of wastewater treatment and recipient surface waters using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Researchers deployed six polymer types at different stages of wastewater treatment across three Hungarian plants and used MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to identify the bacteria colonizing microplastic surfaces, finding distinct microbial communities that may act as vectors for antibiotic resistance.

2025 Journal of Central European Green Innovation
Article Tier 2

Identification of microplastic pathways within a typical European urban wastewater system

Researchers used thermoextraction/desorption gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to trace microplastic pathways through a European urban wastewater system, identifying key sources and transfer points where microplastics enter and move through municipal treatment infrastructure.

2023 Applied Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization 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.

2025 e_Buah
Article Tier 2

Comparative analysis of microplastic and microbial communities in varied aquatic environments: Disparities in occurrence, interconnections, and ecological implications

Comparative surveys of microplastics and associated microbial communities across river, reservoir, and bay environments in the Dongjiang watershed found that MP abundance and microbial community composition differed significantly by water type, with MP surfaces hosting distinct microbial assemblages.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Water Research 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Analyse métabolomique des communautés microbiennes de la plastisphère dans le continuum fleuve-mer

This study applies metabolomic analysis to characterize the microbial communities of the plastisphere along a river-to-sea continuum, examining how the microbial metabolism associated with plastic-colonizing biofilms changes across the transition from freshwater to marine environments.

2024 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

The dangerous transporters: A study of microplastic-associated bacteria passing through municipal wastewater treatment

This study characterized bacterial communities attached to microplastics sampled from multiple stages of a municipal wastewater treatment plant, finding that diverse bacteria including potential pathogens and antibiotic-resistant strains remained attached to microplastics through all treatment steps. The results suggest microplastics could transport hazardous bacteria through wastewater treatment and into receiving environments.

2022 Environmental Pollution 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic biofilm in fresh- and wastewater as a function of microparticle type and size class

Researchers compared the biofilm communities that form on microplastics of different types and sizes in both freshwater and wastewater, finding that biofilm composition was influenced by particle type, size, and water source. These findings advance understanding of the plastisphere — the microbial community unique to plastic surfaces — and its potential role in spreading microorganism-associated risks.

2019 Environmental Science Water Research & Technology 184 citations
Article Tier 2

Contribution of microplastic particles to the spread of resistances and pathogenic bacteria in treated wastewaters

Researchers studied microplastic particles collected from treated wastewater effluents and found that MPs harbored significantly higher loads of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenic bacteria compared to surrounding water, suggesting MPs facilitate their environmental spread.

2021 Water Research 140 citations
Article Tier 2

Van microbioomverschuivingen tot plastizyme-ontdekking: Integratie van in situ-, in vitro- en in silico-benaderingen om microplasticvervuiling te bestuderen

This Dutch-language review examined freshwater ecosystem contamination by microplastics, covering sources from illegal dumping and wastewater treatment plant effluent, and discussed enzymatic degradation by plastizyme-producing microbes as a potential remediation approach. In situ microbiome analysis was identified as a key tool for discovering plastic-degrading microbial communities.

2025 Lirias (KU Leuven)