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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Mechanism of microplastics promoting sulfamethoxazole biodegradation in activated sludge as revealed by DNA-stable isotope probing
ClearDissecting the effects of co-exposure to microplastics and sulfamethoxazole on anaerobic digestion
Researchers examined how microplastics combined with the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole affect the anaerobic digestion process used in wastewater treatment. They found that the combination reduced methane production and altered microbial communities, while also promoting widespread antibiotic resistance among the microorganisms. The study highlights concerns about how co-occurring microplastics and antibiotics in sewage could undermine wastewater treatment efficiency.
Microplastics accelerate nitrification, shape the microbial community, and alter antibiotic resistance during the nitrifying process
Researchers found that adding microplastics to wastewater treatment systems actually sped up nitrification (a key step in processing sewage) but also promoted the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Even biodegradable PLA plastics, often considered more environmentally friendly, significantly increased antibiotic resistance genes. This study warns that microplastics in wastewater systems could be accelerating the spread of antibiotic resistance, a major public health threat.
Co-exposure of microplastics and sulfamethoxazole propagated antibiotic resistance genes in sediments by regulating the microbial carbon metabolism
This study found that when microplastics and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole are present together in river sediments, certain types of microplastics amplify the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria. Biodegradable PLA plastic promoted more resistance gene spread than conventional polyethylene, likely by altering how bacteria metabolize carbon. This means microplastic pollution in waterways could be helping create antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing an indirect but serious threat to human health.
Antibiotic-driven shifts in bacterial dynamics of the polyethylene terephthalate and low density polyethylene plastisphere in wastewater treatment systems
Researchers studied how antibiotic exposure shifts the bacterial communities colonizing PET and LDPE microplastic surfaces in activated sludge from wastewater treatment plants, finding that antibiotics altered plastisphere microbial composition and increased antibiotic resistance gene prevalence.
Impact of sulfamethoxazole on a riverine microbiome
Scientists studied how the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole affects the microbial community in a river, finding that even low concentrations shifted the balance of bacteria and promoted antibiotic resistance genes. This is relevant to the microplastic field because both antibiotics and microplastics promote antibiotic resistance when they co-occur in aquatic environments.
Microplastics as hubs enriching antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pathogens in municipal activated sludge
Researchers demonstrated that microplastics in municipal wastewater treatment plants act as "hubs," selectively concentrating antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pathogens in their surface biofilms, with antibiotic-resistance genes enriched up to 4.5-fold compared to sand particles — raising concerns about microplastics spreading drug-resistant microbes into the environment.
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.
Fates of extracellular and intracellular antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge and plastisphere under sulfadiazine pressure
Researchers found that microplastics in wastewater treatment systems act as reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes, with the plastic surfaces (plastisphere) harboring more resistance genes than the surrounding sludge. When exposed to the antibiotic sulfadiazine, the spread of resistance genes on microplastic surfaces increased, and DNA from potential pathogens was detected. This suggests that microplastics leaving wastewater treatment plants could carry drug-resistant bacteria into waterways, posing a risk to public health.
Stable isotopes and nanoSIMS single-cell imaging reveals soil plastisphere colonizers able to assimilate sulfamethoxazole
Researchers used stable isotope labeling and nanoSIMS single-cell imaging to identify soil bacteria capable of colonizing plastic surfaces (the plastisphere) and assimilating 13C-labeled sulfamethoxazole antibiotic, revealing how plastic-antibiotic combinations in soil influence microbial metabolism and potential antibiotic resistance propagation.
From wastewater to sludge: The role of microplastics in shaping anaerobic digestion performance and antibiotic resistance gene dynamics
This review examines how microplastics in wastewater treatment plants affect the anaerobic digestion process used to break down sewage sludge, finding that certain plastic types can either boost or reduce biogas production depending on conditions. Importantly, microplastics increased the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes by up to 514%, raising serious concerns that wastewater treatment -- meant to protect public health -- may instead become a breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria when microplastics are present.
Biodegradation and bioaugmentation of the co-contamination of chloramphenicol and microplastics by Exiguobacterium sp. CAP4 isolated from a contaminated plastisphere
Scientists isolated a bacterium called Exiguobacterium sp. CAP4 that can break down both microplastics and the antibiotic chloramphenicol at the same time in contaminated wastewater. This is significant because microplastics and antibiotics often pollute water together, and finding organisms that can degrade both could help clean up water supplies that people depend on.
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.
Metagenomic and metabolomic insight into microplastic-derived inhibition of tetracycline degradation in sediments
Microplastics in aquatic sediments don't just sit there — this study found they actively interfere with the natural microbial processes that break down antibiotic compounds like tetracycline. By combining field sampling with lab experiments, researchers showed that microplastics disrupt the microbial communities responsible for tetracycline degradation, potentially allowing antibiotics to persist longer in the environment. This interaction between microplastics and antibiotic persistence is a concern for both ecosystem health and the spread of antibiotic resistance.
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.
Integration of metagenomic analysis and metabolic modeling reveals microbial interactions in activated sludge systems in response to nanoplastics and plasticizers
Researchers combined amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and metabolic modeling to show that PVC nanoplastics and the plasticizer DEHP alter microbial community interactions in activated sludge wastewater systems — with DEHP exposure promoting cooperative metabolic relationships and both pollutants shifting interspecies iron and antioxidant exchange pathways.
Metagenomic Analysis Reveals the Effects of Microplastics on Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Sludge Anaerobic Digestion
Researchers used metagenomic analysis to study how microplastics in sewage sludge affect the spread of antibiotic resistance genes during anaerobic digestion. They found that microplastics increased antibiotic resistance gene levels by up to 30 percent, with polyethylene having the strongest effect, and also boosted the mobile genetic elements that help resistance genes spread between bacteria. The findings raise concerns about microplastics facilitating the spread of antibiotic resistance through wastewater treatment systems.
Effects of polypropylene microplastics on digestion performance, microbial community, and antibiotic resistance during microbial anaerobic digestion
Researchers studied how polypropylene microplastics affect the anaerobic digestion process used to treat wastewater sludge. While small amounts of microplastics slightly increased methane production, they also promoted the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria in the digesters. This means microplastics in wastewater systems could contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which poses a serious threat to human health.
Interactions between microplastics and organic contaminants: The microbial mechanisms for priming effects of organic compounds on microplastic biodegradation
This study found that the antibiotic sulfadiazine, when present alongside polyethylene microplastics in the environment, actually boosted the growth of bacteria capable of breaking down both the antibiotic and the plastic. Other common organic pollutants had a similar effect, suggesting that chemical contamination can unexpectedly speed up microplastic biodegradation through a "priming effect" on microbial communities.
Different effects of bio/non-degradable microplastics on sewage sludge compost performance: Focusing on antibiotic resistance genes, virulence factors and key metabolic functions
Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics affect antibiotic resistance genes and microbial communities during sewage sludge composting. They found that both types of microplastics increased the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes, but non-biodegradable polypropylene had a stronger effect on promoting harmful virulence factors. The study raises concerns that microplastic contamination in composted sludge could spread antibiotic resistance when applied to agricultural land.
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.
Novel bacterial lineages assembled from wastewater-impacted river metagenomes unveil ecosystem functions and risk of antibiotic resistance spread in the community
Researchers assembled novel bacterial lineages from metagenomes of wastewater-impacted river sediments, identifying previously undescribed microbial taxa with metabolic capabilities for plastic degradation and emerging contaminant breakdown.
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.
The impact of microplastic and sulfanilamide co-exposure on soil microbiota
This study investigated what happens when microplastics and the antibiotic sulfanilamide are present together in soil, finding that the combination significantly altered soil microbial communities compared to either pollutant alone. Both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics interacted with the antibiotic to change bacterial diversity and soil chemistry. The results show that microplastics and antibiotics in agricultural soil can have compounding effects on soil health, potentially affecting the crops grown in it.
Metagenomic insight into the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge upon exposure to nanoplastics
Researchers used metagenomic analysis to show that polystyrene nanoplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations increased antibiotic resistance genes in activated sludge by up to 59%, primarily by promoting horizontal gene transfer and enriching Proteobacteria host populations — raising concerns about nanoplastic-driven spread of antibiotic resistance in wastewater treatment.