Papers

20 results
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Review Tier 2

Formation of biofilms on microplastics in the food chain and their role as vectors of transfer of foodborne pathogens (literature review, part 2)

This literature review (Part 2 of a series) examines how biofilms formed on micro- and nanoplastic surfaces in the food chain can serve as vectors for pathogenic bacteria, their toxins, and antibiotic resistance genes — potentially increasing foodborne disease risk beyond what bare microplastic particles would cause.

2025 Hygiene and Sanitation
Article Tier 2

Plasmid-mediated antimicrobial resistance in non-typhoidal Salmonella: serotype-specific mechanisms and ecological implications

This review examines how different Salmonella serotypes carry and spread antimicrobial resistance through plasmids, with implications for food safety along the farm-to-fork chain. The authors detail how plasmid interactions and recombination events create hybrid resistance elements that combine drug resistance with virulence factors. While not directly focused on microplastics, the study is relevant to understanding how environmental contaminants may interact with antimicrobial resistance spread in food systems.

2026 International Journal of Food Microbiology
Article Tier 2

A review focusing on mechanisms and ecological risks of enrichment and propagation of antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements by microplastic biofilms

This review examines how microplastics in water serve as surfaces for bacterial biofilms that harbor antibiotic resistance genes. The biofilms that form on microplastic surfaces can spread resistance genes to other bacteria and potentially to organisms that ingest them, including fish and ultimately humans. The authors highlight that microplastic-associated antibiotic resistance is an underappreciated public health risk that needs more research.

2024 Environmental Research 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm–microplastic interactions in food safety: mechanisms, risks, and control strategies

This review investigates how microplastics in the food industry serve as surfaces where bacterial biofilms can form, creating complexes that resist cleaning and disinfection. Researchers found that these biofilm-microplastic combinations can shield harmful bacteria and promote the spread of antibiotic-resistance genes. The study evaluates strategies for preventing and controlling this form of contamination in food systems.

2025 Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 3 citations
Article Tier 2

The Importance of Biofilms to the Fate and Effects of Microplastics

This review examines how biofilms — communities of microorganisms that form on microplastic surfaces — affect the fate and ecological effects of plastic pollution. Biofilm formation alters how microplastics are transported, ingested, and degraded in the environment, and the plastisphere can harbor pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria that may pose risks to human health.

2020 IntechOpen eBooks 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Foodborne pathogens in the plastisphere: Can microplastics in the food chain threaten microbial food safety?

This review examines the potential for microplastics to act as vectors for foodborne pathogens in the food chain, synthesizing current evidence on pathogen attachment to the plastisphere, the effects of microplastics on bacterial virulence and evolution, and the implications for simultaneous uptake of microplastics and pathogens in the human gut.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Environmental Health and Safety Implications of the Interplay Between Microplastics and the Residing Biofilm

This review examines the two-way relationship between microplastics and biofilms, the communities of microorganisms that quickly colonize plastic surfaces in the environment. Biofilms on microplastics can harbor harmful bacteria, concentrate toxic chemicals, and help spread antibiotic resistance genes through water systems. Understanding this interplay is important for human health because these contaminated biofilm-coated microplastics can enter drinking water and food supplies.

2024 Environment & Health 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in fresh- and wastewater are potential contributors to antibiotic resistance - A minireview

Researchers reviewed the link between microplastic pollution and the spread of antibiotic resistance in freshwater environments, finding that microplastic surfaces host unique bacterial communities enriched in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the resistance genes they can share with other microbes. The close packing of bacteria in these plastic-surface biofilms may accelerate the spread of drug-resistant pathogens through drinking water sources, though the full health implications remain poorly understood.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterization and tolerance of foodborne pathogenic bacteria in microplastic biofilm

Three foodborne pathogens -- Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria -- were shown to form biofilms on microplastic surfaces within two days, with smaller particles supporting more biofilm growth and Salmonella showing partial resistance to sodium hypochlorite disinfection even at 50 ppm.

2024 LWT 9 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

Microplastics-Assisted Campylobacter Persistence, Virulence, and Antimicrobial Resistance in the Food Chain: An Overview

This review examines how microplastics found throughout the food chain may help dangerous Campylobacter bacteria survive and spread. Researchers found that microplastic surfaces can support bacterial biofilm formation, potentially protecting the bacteria from disinfection and promoting antimicrobial resistance. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in food products could create new pathways for foodborne illness transmission.

2025 Foods 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The nexus of microplastics, food and antimicrobial resistance in the context of aquatic environment: Interdisciplinary linkages of pathways

This review examines how microplastics in aquatic environments serve as surfaces where bacteria can grow, share antibiotic resistance genes, and then enter the food chain through contaminated seafood. The combination of microplastic pollution and antimicrobial resistance creates a compounding threat, as resistant bacteria riding on plastic particles can survive water treatment and reach humans. The authors call for interdisciplinary research connecting environmental science and public health to address this growing risk.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-associated pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in environment

This review examines how microplastics in the environment act as surfaces for disease-causing bacteria and antibiotic-resistant microbes to colonize and spread. Researchers found that microplastics can carry pathogens and facilitate the transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes between bacteria in water systems. The findings raise concerns that microplastic pollution may be contributing to the growing global challenge of antibiotic resistance.

2021 Chemosphere 175 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm formation on microplastics and interactions with antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes and pathogens in aquatic environment

This review explains how microplastics in waterways develop bacterial biofilms on their surfaces that can harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria and help spread antibiotic resistance genes to new environments. This is concerning for human health because these resistant microbes could eventually reach people through drinking water or seafood consumption.

2024 Eco-Environment & Health 63 citations
Article Tier 2

A critical review of microbiological colonisation of nano- and microplastics (NMP) and their significance to the food chain

This review examined how nano- and microplastics become colonized by diverse microbial communities in aquatic and terrestrial environments, highlighting how these 'plastisphere' biofilms may harbor pathogens and facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance genes through the food chain.

2022 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Selective enrichment of antibiotic resistome and bacterial pathogens by aquatic microplastics

This review found that microplastics in aquatic environments selectively enrich antibiotic-resistant bacteria, resistance genes, and bacterial pathogens in their biofilms, making plastic debris a potential vector for spreading antimicrobial resistance.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: A Potential Vector for Pathogens in Aquatic Ecosystems

This review examines the evidence that microplastics act as vectors for pathogens in aquatic environments, summarizing how the large surface area and persistence of microplastics promote pathogen adhesion, biofilm formation, and transport of harmful microorganisms.

2025 Earth Environmental Sustainability
Article Tier 2

How microplastics and nanoplastics shape antibiotic resistance?

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics act as vectors for antibiotic resistance genes, facilitating their spread through environmental and biological systems by creating selective pressure and hosting microbial communities that exchange resistance determinants.

2022 Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of selected microplastics on the development and spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles (microplastics) can help dangerous bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, making infections harder to treat. The smaller plastic pieces were especially good at helping bacteria develop this resistance, and bacteria also formed protective films on the plastic surfaces. This matters because microplastics are everywhere in our environment and food, potentially making antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" more common and threatening our ability to fight bacterial infections.

2026 Folia Microbiologica
Systematic Review Tier 1

Food-Associated Stressors and Their Synergistic Roles in Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance across the Food Supply Chain

This review identifies microplastics as one of several food supply chain stressors that synergistically promote bacterial antibiotic resistance, alongside antibiotic residues, heavy metals, and pesticides. Microplastics can serve as carriers for resistant bacteria and resistance genes, creating a 'One Health' pathway from agriculture and environment through food processing to human exposure.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 1 citations