Papers

20 results
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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

Combating antimicrobial resistance: the silent war

This review examines the growing global crisis of antimicrobial resistance, where bacteria become immune to antibiotics due to overuse in medicine and agriculture. Although focused on drug resistance, the paper is relevant to microplastic research because microplastics have been shown to harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria and facilitate the transfer of resistance genes in the environment, potentially making this public health crisis worse.

2024 Frontiers in Pharmacology 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Imperative implication of microplastics as vital agent for salmonellosis inducing biofilms, antibiotic resistance, and health risk

This review examines how microplastics serve as reservoirs and vectors for Salmonella, promoting biofilm formation, environmental persistence, and the spread of antibiotic resistance. Researchers summarized evidence that weathered, hydrophobic microplastic surfaces create stable microhabitats that enhance bacterial adhesion and virulence. The findings suggest that microplastics may play a significant role in amplifying foodborne disease risks and accelerating the evolution of drug-resistant pathogens.

2026 Environmental Research
Article Tier 2

Correlation appraisal of antibiotic resistance with fecal, metal and microplastic contamination in a tropical Indian river, lakes and sewage

Researchers sampled water from Indian urban rivers, lakes, and sewage plants and found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria correlated with fecal contamination and microplastic presence, especially for certain antibiotics, while fluoroquinolone resistance appeared more linked to seasonal temperature. The study suggests microplastics may help spread antibiotic resistance in urban waterways, adding a new dimension to concerns about plastic pollution.

2020 npj Clean Water 125 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Bacterial Isolates Associated with Microplastics and their Resistance to Antibiotics from Rivers Ureje, Emirin, Ogbese, Odo-Ayo and Elemi in Ado- Ekiti, Ekiti- State, Nigeria

Researchers isolated bacteria from five rivers in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria associated with microplastic surfaces and tested their antibiotic resistance profiles, finding that microplastics harbored pathogenic bacteria including E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Salmonella typhi with multi-drug resistance patterns.

2025 Journal of applied science and environmental management
Article Tier 2

Antibiotic resistant bacteria colonising microplastics in the aquatic environment: An emerging challenge

Researchers reviewed how microplastics in aquatic environments act as surfaces where antibiotic-resistant bacteria can grow and swap resistance genes with each other, raising concern that contaminated seafood and water could transfer these hard-to-treat bacteria to humans.

2024 Discover Sustainability 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics accumulate priority antibiotic-resistant pathogens: Evidence from the riverine plastisphere

Researchers placed microplastics in river water and found they accumulated more antibiotic-resistant bacteria than natural sand particles, including dangerous pathogens like E. coli and Klebsiella. Most of the bacteria isolated from the plastic surfaces were multi-drug resistant and carried virulence traits like biofilm formation. This suggests microplastics in waterways may act as rafts for spreading antibiotic resistance through the environment.

2023 Environmental Pollution 58 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
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

Investigating microplastic occurrences in coastal surface seawaters and their potential role as transport vectors for multidrug-resistant E. coli

Researchers investigated microplastic occurrences in coastal surface seawaters and examined whether microplastics serve as transport vectors for multidrug-resistant E. coli, addressing a gap in comparable long-term data on microplastic contamination in aquatic systems. The thesis found that microplastics in coastal environments can carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria, raising concerns about their role in spreading antimicrobial resistance.

2024 Swinburne Research Bank (Swinburne University of Technology)
Article Tier 2

High-throughput metagenomic profiling of functional and resistome features in estuarine microplastic microbiomes

Scientists studied tiny plastic particles (microplastics) floating in coastal waters in India and found that harmful bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant germs, were growing on their surfaces. These plastic particles act like floating taxis that can carry dangerous microbes from place to place in the water. This matters because people who swim, fish, or eat seafood from these waters could be exposed to these harmful bacteria.

2026 Environmental Research
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

Exploring the Diversity and Antibiogram of the Soil around a Tertiary Care Hospital and a University Precinct in Southern India: A Pilot Study

This paper is not relevant to microplastics research — it profiles bacterial diversity and antibiotic resistance in soils around a hospital and university campus in southern India.

2023 Soil Systems
Article Tier 2

New insight into the effect of microplastics on antibiotic resistance and bacterial community of biofilm

Researchers found that different types of microplastics promote distinct biofilm communities and enhance antibiotic resistance gene proliferation compared to natural substrates, suggesting microplastics serve as unique platforms for the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

2023 Chemosphere 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential risks of microplastics combined with superbugs: Enrichment of antibiotic resistant bacteria on the surface of microplastics in mariculture system

Microplastics in a mariculture (sea farming) system were found to selectively enrich antibiotic-resistant bacteria on their surfaces compared to surrounding water, creating hotspots of antibiotic resistance in food production environments. This dual threat - microplastics acting as both pollutants and carriers of resistant pathogens - has significant implications for seafood safety.

2019 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 325 citations
Article Tier 2

Detection of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. Originated from cultivated oysters and estuarine waters

This study detected antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in oysters and estuarine waters, raising concerns about how aquatic environments serve as reservoirs for antibiotic resistance that can reach humans through seafood consumption. The findings are relevant to microplastic research because microplastics are known to harbor and concentrate antibiotic resistance genes on their surfaces.

2021
Article Tier 2

Dissemination of antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with microplastics collected from Monastir and Mahdia coasts (Tunisia)

Microplastic particles collected from Tunisian beaches harbored 66 bacterial strains, the majority of which belong to Gamma-proteobacteria including known pathogens like Acinetobacter and Vibrio. Antibiotic resistance was widespread, with 97% of isolates resistant to penicillin and some strains showing resistance to 14 of 21 antibiotics tested. This confirms that coastal microplastics serve as hotspots for antibiotic-resistant bacteria — a significant public health concern as these particles and their microbial passengers can reach beaches, seafood, and swimmers.

2024 Microbial Pathogenesis 3 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

The Travelling Particles: Investigating microplastics as possible transport vectors for multidrug resistant E. coli in the Weser estuary (Germany)

Scientists tested whether microplastics in the Weser estuary in Germany carry multidrug-resistant ESBL-producing E. coli, finding resistant bacteria on plastic surfaces at concentrations above surrounding water, confirming that microplastics can serve as vectors for antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 89 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