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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics accumulate priority antibiotic-resistant pathogens: Evidence from the riverine plastisphere
ClearSize effects of microplastics on antibiotic resistome and core microbiome in an urban river
Scientists found that microplastics in an urban river serve as platforms for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and dangerous pathogens including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Legionella pneumophila. Larger microplastic particles harbored more antibiotic resistance genes, and the concentrations of these genes were much higher on plastic surfaces than in the surrounding water. This research raises concerns that microplastics in waterways could spread drug-resistant infections by providing a surface where dangerous bacteria thrive and share resistance genes.
Exploiting microplastics and the plastisphere for the surveillance of human pathogenic bacteria discharged into surface waters in wastewater effluent
Researchers placed small plastic particles in rivers upstream and downstream of a wastewater treatment plant and found that disease-causing bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella, quickly formed biofilms on them within 24 hours. These biofilms carried antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors, showing that microplastics in waterways can serve as floating platforms for dangerous bacteria that pose risks to human health.
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.
Presence of microplastic particles increased abundance of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance genes in microbial communities from the Oder river water and sediment
Researchers incubated microplastic particles in water from the Oder River and found that bacteria growing on the plastic surfaces had significantly higher levels of disease-causing organisms and antibiotic resistance genes compared to surrounding water. This suggests that microplastics in rivers and waterways serve as platforms that concentrate harmful bacteria and help spread drug resistance, posing risks to communities that depend on these water sources.
Selective enrichment of bacterial pathogens by microplastic biofilm
Researchers incubated biofilms on microplastics and natural substrates in freshwater and found that microplastic surfaces selectively enriched bacterial pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes compared to rock and leaf surfaces. The study suggests that microplastics in waterways may serve as hotspots for harmful bacteria and contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Microplastics Pose an Elevated Antimicrobial Resistance Risk Than Natural Surfaces via a Systematic Comparative Study of Surface Biofilms in Rivers
A systematic comparison of biofilms on microplastics versus natural surfaces like wood and rock in rivers found that microplastics harbor 10 times more antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The microplastics' water-repelling surface properties encourage the growth of drug-resistant pathogens and the accumulation of resistance genes. This finding is concerning because microplastics flowing through waterways could be spreading antibiotic resistance, which is a major threat to global public health.
Assessment of Emerging Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in the Biofilm of Microplastics Incubated Under a Wastewater Discharge Simulation
Researchers incubated common plastic types in flowing water that simulated wastewater discharge conditions for 10 weeks and studied the bacteria that colonized the plastic surfaces. They found that microplastics exposed to treated wastewater developed distinct bacterial communities compared to those in clean river water, including emerging pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes. The study suggests that microplastics in waterways receiving wastewater may serve as mobile platforms for spreading harmful bacteria and antibiotic resistance in the environment.
Hidden threats in the plastisphere: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales colonizing microplastics in river water
Researchers placed microplastics in a river near a wastewater treatment plant and found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including dangerous carbapenem-resistant strains, colonized the plastic surfaces. These bacteria carried multiple drug-resistance genes and virulence traits, making them potential threats to human health. The study demonstrates that microplastics in waterways can serve as floating platforms that help spread antibiotic-resistant superbugs from wastewater into the broader environment.
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.
Increasing microplastics pollution: An emerging vector for potentially pathogenic bacteria in the environment
Researchers collected microplastics from a river basin in Turkey and found that disease-causing bacteria, including Salmonella, E. coli, and Staphylococcus, readily form colonies on plastic particle surfaces. This means microplastics floating in water can act as tiny rafts carrying harmful bacteria, potentially increasing infection risks when contaminated water is used for drinking or recreation.
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.
Evaluating the role of microplastics and wastewater in shaping Vibrio spp. and antibiotic resistance gene abundance in urban freshwaters
Researchers sampled water and microplastic biofilms from urban South African rivers and found that microplastics disproportionately enriched Vibrio spp. and tetracycline resistance genes relative to the surrounding water, suggesting microplastics selectively concentrate pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes.
MicroplasticsPose an Elevated Antimicrobial ResistanceRisk Than Natural Surfaces via a Systematic Comparative Study of SurfaceBiofilms in Rivers
A systematic comparison of biofilms on microplastics and natural river surfaces found that microplastic biofilms carry significantly higher loads of antimicrobial resistance genes, suggesting that microplastics amplify antimicrobial resistance risks beyond what natural substrate biofilms produce.
Metagenomic insights into environmental risk of field microplastics in an urban river
Metagenomic analysis of microplastics sampled along an urban river watershed revealed that MP-associated microbial communities carried antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors at higher levels than surrounding water, with composition shifting along the river gradient. The findings confirm microplastics as environmental vectors for spreading antimicrobial resistance.
Regulation of ARGs abundance by biofilm colonization on microplastics under selective pressure of antibiotics in river water environment
Researchers investigated how biofilms forming on microplastics in river water affect the spread of antibiotic resistance genes under antibiotic pressure. They found that the presence of antibiotics accelerated biofilm colonization on microplastic surfaces and significantly increased the abundance of resistance genes compared to conditions without antibiotics. The study suggests that microplastics in waterways may serve as hotspots for the development and transfer of antibiotic resistance.
Do microplastics promote the attachment of antimicrobial resistant pathogens?
Researchers examined whether microplastics promote the attachment and persistence of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) pathogens, finding that microplastics in aquatic environments frequently co-occur with AMR bacteria and antimicrobial residues, and may facilitate the spread of resistant pathogens.
Emerging Issues on Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Colonizing Plastic Waste in Aquatic Ecosystems
Researchers found antibiotic-resistant bacteria colonizing plastic waste submerged in an inland water body, including species related to human pathogens like Klebsiella. All isolated bacteria showed high resistance to multiple antibiotics, and they carried numerous antibiotic resistance genes. This is concerning because plastic waste in waterways can serve as a platform for drug-resistant bacteria to multiply and potentially spread to humans through contaminated water.
Wastewater discharges and polymer type modulate the riverine plastisphere and set the role of microplastics as vectors of pathogens and antibiotic resistance
Researchers investigated how wastewater treatment plant discharges and polymer type shape microbial communities on microplastics in a river environment. They found that microplastics harbored significantly higher microbial diversity than surrounding water, and that wastewater discharges led to a 2.3-fold increase in antibiotic resistance gene abundance on the plastic surfaces. Different polymer types, including polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET, each attracted distinct microbial communities with varying levels of pathogens and resistance genes.
Increased inheritance of structure and function of bacterial communities and pathogen propagation in plastisphere along a river with increasing antibiotics pollution gradient.
This study examined how bacterial communities colonizing plastic debris in a river — the Plastisphere — change along a gradient of increasing antibiotic pollution. Plastic debris hosted distinct microbial communities compared to surrounding water, and areas with higher antibiotic levels showed greater inheritance of resistant bacterial structures on plastic surfaces, suggesting plastics facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance.
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.