Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Polyvinyl chloride microplastics facilitated the transmission of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from surrounding water to Litopenaeus vannamei

Researchers investigated how PVC microplastics colonized by a harmful bacterium called Vibrio parahaemolyticus affect farmed shrimp. They found that the microplastics facilitated the transfer of the pathogen from the surrounding water into the shrimp, causing severe damage to the hepatopancreas and 100% mortality within 96 hours. The study reveals that microplastics in aquaculture environments can act as vehicles for disease-causing bacteria, posing serious risks to shrimp farming.

2025 Food Microbiology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of microplastics in mediating the transmission of antibiotic resistance gene tet from antibiotic-resistant bacteria to Litopenaeus vannamei

Researchers investigated whether microplastics can carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria into shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), facilitating the transfer of resistance genes. They found that PVC microplastics carrying tetracycline-resistant bacteria altered the distribution of the resistance gene tet in shrimp tissues and caused changes in tissue structure and gene expression, suggesting microplastics may pose indirect risks to food safety.

2026 Journal of Environmental Management
Article Tier 2

Buoyant polyethylene rope fragments may enhance pathogenic bacteria dispersion in aquaculture water

Researchers examined how pathogenic bacteria colonize polyethylene rope fragments preconditioned with biofilms in marine aquaculture systems. The study found that Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio alginolyticus, and Pseudomonas plecoglossicida readily colonized the microplastic surfaces and expressed virulence genes, suggesting that buoyant rope fragments may enhance pathogen dispersal in aquaculture waters.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Vibrio Colonization Is Highly Dynamic in Early Microplastic-Associated Biofilms as Well as on Field-Collected Microplastics

Researchers found that Vibrio colonization on polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics is highly dynamic during the first 10 hours of biofilm formation, with Vibrio abundance and species composition varying irregularly both in laboratory incubations and on field-collected Baltic Sea microplastics, complicating assessments of microplastics as vectors for pathogenic bacteria.

2020 Microorganisms 90 citations
Article Tier 2

The Occurrence of Microplastics and the Formation of Biofilms by Pathogenic and Opportunistic Bacteria as Threats in Aquaculture

This review examines how microplastics in aquaculture environments serve as habitats and transport vehicles for pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria, with more than 30 taxa of pathogens detected on plastic-associated biofilms. The study suggests that the combination of plastic persistence, closed aquaculture conditions, and pathogen affinity for plastic surfaces creates a significant threat to aquaculture production and food safety.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential impact of marine-derived plastisphere as a Vibrio carrier on marine ecosystems: Current status and future perspectives

This review examines how microplastics in the ocean serve as floating platforms for Vibrio bacteria, which are significant pathogens threatening aquaculture and marine ecosystem health. Researchers found that the so-called plastisphere, the microbial community that colonizes plastic surfaces, can enhance the survival and spread of these harmful bacteria. The study highlights a concerning link between plastic pollution and the potential amplification of waterborne disease risks.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Pathogenic Hitchhikers on Microplastics: Ecological Risks and Gaps Gleaned from Two Decades of Research

This review examined two decades of research on pathogenic microorganisms associated with microplastics, identifying only 57 published studies on the topic. The most commonly reported pathogens found on microplastic surfaces were Vibrio species, with polyethylene and polypropylene being the polymer types most frequently associated with pathogen colonization, confirming that microplastics can serve as vectors for spreading disease-causing organisms in the environment.

2026 Journal of Engineering Environment and Agriculture Research
Article Tier 2

Dangerous hitchhikers? Evidence for potentially pathogenic Vibrio spp. on microplastic particles

Researchers tested whether marine microplastics carry potentially pathogenic Vibrio bacteria, finding Vibrio species on microplastic surfaces in seawater, raising concerns about plastics as vehicles for transporting harmful bacteria in marine environments.

2016 Marine Environmental Research 888 citations
Article Tier 2

A preliminary study of the association between colonization of microorganism on microplastics and intestinal microbiota in shrimp under natural conditions

Microplastics were detected in shrimp pond sediment (5,129 ± 1,176 items/kg) and in Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp tissue (14.08 ± 5.70 items/g), with MP abundance positively correlated between sediments and shrimp, and the microbiome on plastic surfaces differing from the shrimps' intestinal microbiota.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis of Microplastic Contamination in Vaname Shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei) with Different Cultivation Methods

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination across three different vaname shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) cultivation methods, sampling water, sediment, commercial feed, and shrimp tissues over three months. The study aimed to identify which cultivation system introduces more microplastics into the production environment and assess potential contamination routes for farmed shrimp.

2025 International Journal of Marine Engineering Innovation and Research
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Microplastic Ingestion on Survival of the Grass Shrimp Palaemonetes pugio (Holthuis, 1949) Challenged with Vibrio campbellii

Grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) that had ingested microplastics showed increased mortality when subsequently challenged with the marine pathogen Vibrio campbellii compared to shrimp that had not ingested plastics. This finding suggests that microplastic ingestion can compromise immune defenses in marine crustaceans, making them more vulnerable to bacterial infections.

2019 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on microbial diversity and pathogen distribution in aquaculture ecosystems: A seasonal analysis

Researchers studied bacteria growing on microplastics in fish farming waters and found that in summer, these plastic-attached communities became more connected and harbored several disease-causing species including Vibrio. Microplastics in aquaculture act as floating habitats for harmful bacteria, and seasonal warming makes this worse, raising concerns about seafood safety and the spread of infections to humans.

2025 Environmental Pollution 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Bacterial community succession and the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics in an oyster farm

Researchers placed different types of microplastics in an oyster farm for 30 days and found that the plastics quickly became coated with bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains and potential human pathogens. The bacterial communities on plastic surfaces were distinct from those in the surrounding water and varied by plastic type. This means microplastics in seafood farming areas could serve as vehicles for spreading dangerous bacteria to humans through the food chain.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics and Microplastics as Vectors for Bacteria and Human Pathogens

This study reviewed how marine plastic debris serves as a surface for bacterial colonization, including human pathogens, and examined the novel communities forming on plastic surfaces. The research raises public health concerns about microplastics acting as rafts that transport harmful bacteria to new locations, including to seafood and coastal recreational areas.

2018 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Microplastic Contamination of Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Cultivation in North Lombok, Indonesia

Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in farmed whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), measuring particle abundance, size distribution, polymer types, and potential human dietary exposure through shrimp consumption. Microplastics were found throughout shrimp tissues, with implications for seafood safety.

2024 Journal of Fish Health 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastic Exposure against White Spot Syndrome Virus Infection in Pacific White Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei)

Researchers tested whether microplastic exposure worsens viral infections in Pacific white shrimp. The study found that shrimp exposed to both microplastics and white spot syndrome virus experienced 50% mortality, while those exposed to just the virus alone survived, suggesting that microplastic contamination may compromise the immune defenses of farmed shrimp.

2024 Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolation and Analysis of Microplastics in Vaname Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei Boone, 1931) at Tanjung Luar Fish Landing Base, East Lombok Regency

Researchers isolated and analyzed microplastics from vaname shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) collected at Tanjung Luar fish landing base in East Lombok, Indonesia. Microplastics were detected in shrimp digestive systems, raising food safety concerns given the direct pathway to human consumption through seafood.

2024 JURNAL BIOLOGI TROPIS
Article Tier 2

Study of the impact of ocean warming on the expression of virulence factors in Vibrio parahaemolyticus and the response of the host Exaiptasia pallida to infection

Rising ocean temperatures are making the foodborne pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus more virulent, and this study shows that microplastics may be amplifying the threat by serving as surfaces on which these bacteria colonize and spread. Using a sea anemone model, the researchers explored how ocean warming and microplastic-associated pathogens together stress marine organisms. This is significant because microplastics acting as 'pathogen vectors' could increase the risk of seafood-borne illness for humans as ocean conditions change.

2023 theses.fr (ABES)
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Risks of Potential Bacterial Pathogens Attaching to Different Microplastics during the Summer–Autumn Period in a Mariculture Cage

Researchers conducted an in situ incubation experiment in a mariculture cage and found that polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics accumulated distinct bacterial pathogen communities during summer and autumn. The findings indicate that microplastics in aquaculture environments can act as reservoirs for potential pathogens, raising concerns for seafood safety.

2021 Microorganisms 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources and contamination routes of seafood with human pathogenic Vibrio spp.: A Farm‐to‐Fork approach

This review examines how Vibrio bacteria, which cause food poisoning, contaminate seafood from farm to table, emphasizing the role of environmental factors like climate change and pollution. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because microplastic surfaces in water can harbor and transport pathogenic bacteria like Vibrio. Understanding these contamination pathways is important for ensuring the safety of seafood that people consume.

2023 Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Vibrio and nanoplastics stress promotes nanoplastic accumulation while reducing bacterial lethality in shrimp

Researchers discovered that Vibrio bacteria act as carriers for nanoplastics in shrimp, ferrying the tiny particles through the gut wall and concentrating them in organs, but interestingly the nanoplastics also weakened the bacteria's ability to cause infection, showing that plastic-pathogen interactions in seafood are complex and two-directional.

2026 npj Science of Food
Article Tier 2

Impact of mariculture-derived microplastics on bacterial biofilm formation and their potential threat to mariculture: A case in situ study on the Sungo Bay, China

Scientists examined biofilm colonization on mariculture-derived microplastics (fishing nets, foams, floats) in Sanggou Bay, China over 21 days and found distinct microbial communities including potential fish pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, raising concerns for mariculture safety.

2020 Environmental Pollution 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing biofilm formation and resistance of vibrio parahaemolyticus on UV-aged microplastics in aquatic environments

Researchers found that UV-weathered microplastics in seawater promote more bacterial biofilm growth than fresh microplastics, and that the food-poisoning bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus becomes more resistant to common disinfection methods when growing on these aged plastics. Bacteria on the UV-aged microplastics showed increased resistance to chlorine, heat, and even the harsh conditions of the human stomach. This means that microplastics weathered by sunlight in the ocean could make seafood-borne pathogens harder to kill, increasing food safety risks.

2024 Water Research 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic study on (litopenaeus vannamei) cultivation enterprises on the east coast of aceh

Researchers sampled vannamei shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) from three cultivation stations on Aceh's east coast (Pidie, Pidie Jaya, and Bireuen) and analyzed microplastic content using H2O2/H2SO4 digestion and microscopy at 40x magnification. They found fiber and film microplastics in all shrimp samples, with the highest count (13 particles) at the Pidie station, indicating microplastic contamination has entered commercial aquaculture supply chains.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences