We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Clinically important E. coli strains can persist, and retain their pathogenicity, on environmental plastic and fabric waste
ClearEnduring pathogenicity of African strains of Salmonella on plastics and glass in simulated peri-urban environmental waste piles
Researchers tested whether dangerous Salmonella bacteria can survive on discarded plastic and glass surfaces under conditions found in African urban waste piles. They found that multiple strains of Salmonella, including those that cause typhoid, remained alive and infectious on these surfaces for at least 28 days. The study highlights that plastic pollution in developing countries may serve as a reservoir for disease-causing bacteria.
Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae can cycle between environmental plastic waste and floodwater: Implications for environmental management of cholera
Researchers demonstrated that the cholera-causing bacterium Vibrio cholerae can survive on plastic waste in environments resembling urban dump sites and then transfer into floodwater. They found that toxin-producing strains persisted on plastic surfaces and remained infectious when released into simulated flood conditions. The findings suggest that plastic pollution in flood-prone areas may contribute to cholera outbreaks by serving as a reservoir for the pathogen.
From wastewater discharge to the beach: Survival of human pathogens bound to microplastics during transfer through the freshwater-marine continuum
Researchers investigated how human pathogens survive on microplastic surfaces as they travel from wastewater treatment plants through freshwater into marine environments. They found that the biofilm environment on plastic surfaces helped bacteria like E. coli and Enterococcus faecalis persist longer during transitions between water types compared to bacteria in the surrounding water. The study suggests that microplastics may facilitate the environmental spread of pathogens by providing a protective habitat during transport.
Survival of human pathogens bound to microplastics during transfer through the freshwater-marine continuum: from wastewater discharge to the beach
Researchers tracked survival of E. coli, E. faecalis, and P. aeruginosa colonizing polyethylene microplastics as particles were transferred through a series of mesocosms simulating downstream transport from wastewater effluent through freshwater, estuary, seawater, and beach sand. All three pathogens survived the full environmental transition sequence in the plastisphere, with higher bacterial concentrations on microplastics than on glass controls, though die-off rates did not differ by substrate, demonstrating microplastics' potential to extend pathogen persistence across environmental boundaries.
The plastisphere can protect Salmonella Typhimurium from UV stress under simulated environmental conditions
Researchers found that the microbial communities growing on plastic waste surfaces, called the plastisphere, can protect Salmonella bacteria from ultraviolet radiation that would normally kill them. The bacteria not only survived on plastic surfaces for up to 28 days but actually became more virulent after UV exposure. The study provides evidence that plastic pollution in the environment can serve as a reservoir for dangerous human pathogens, shielding them from natural disinfection.
Survival of human enteric and respiratory viruses on plastics in soil, freshwater, and marine environments
Researchers investigated the survival of human enteric and respiratory viruses on plastic surfaces in soil, freshwater, and marine environments. The study found that plastics and microplastics can harbor pathogenic viruses in addition to bacteria, suggesting that the so-called plastisphere may serve as a previously underappreciated pathway for the transmission of human pathogens in the environment.
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.
Nanoplastics-mediated physiologic and genomic responses in pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7
This study found that nanoplastics can change the behavior of a dangerous strain of E. coli bacteria, boosting the activity of toxin genes and encouraging the bacteria to form protective biofilms. This raises concern that plastic pollution in the environment could make disease-causing bacteria harder to fight, potentially increasing infection risks for people.
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.
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.
Plastic debris facilitates the survival of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens in an urban agricultural environment
Researchers investigating urban farms in Tanzania found that plastic debris in soil and water harbored significantly higher concentrations of dangerous bacteria — including E. coli and Salmonella — than the surrounding soil or water, and that 69% of those bacteria were resistant to multiple antibiotics. The findings show that plastic waste can act as a reservoir that concentrates drug-resistant pathogens, posing risks to both farmers and food consumers.
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.
Plastic leachate exposure drives antibiotic resistance and virulence in marine bacterial communities
This study found that chemicals leaching from plastic waste in seawater can promote antibiotic resistance and virulence in marine bacteria, even without direct contact with the plastic surface. Bacteria exposed to plastic leachate showed increased resistance to multiple antibiotics and enhanced ability to cause disease. The findings suggest that the chemical pollution from degrading plastics may pose broader risks to ocean ecosystems and potentially human health than previously recognized.
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.
Selective colonization of microplastics, wood and glass by antimicrobial-resistant and pathogenic bacteria
Researchers investigated whether antimicrobial-resistant and pathogenic bacteria selectively colonize microplastics compared to wood and glass surfaces, examining the plastisphere as a potential reservoir for dangerous microbes. Plastic surfaces were found to harbor distinct and enriched communities of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria compared to natural substrates.
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.
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.
Pathogens transported by plastic debris: does this vector pose a risk to aquatic organisms?
This review examined whether microplastics act as vectors for pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens in marine and freshwater ecosystems. Evidence indicates that diverse microorganisms including pathogens adhere to microplastic surfaces, and modeling suggested potential for long-range pathogen transport, though the scale of ecological and public health risk remains uncertain.
Insights into PET-Microplastics effect on pathogenic bacteria
Researchers exposed four common disease-causing bacteria to PET microplastics and found that the bacteria responded differently depending on the species and plastic concentration, with some growing faster in the presence of plastics. Notably, bacteria exposed to higher concentrations of PET microplastics developed increased resistance to multiple antibiotics, raising concerns about how environmental plastic pollution could contribute to the growing antibiotic resistance problem.
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.
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.
Marine plastisphere selectively enriches microbial assemblages and antibiotic resistance genes during long-term cultivation periods
Researchers placed four types of common microplastics in a marine environment for over 100 days and found that bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance genes accumulated on the plastic surfaces over time. PVC microplastics were particularly effective at concentrating resistance genes, and a key gene-transfer element was found on all plastic types. These results show that microplastics floating in the ocean act as hotspots for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which could eventually reach humans through seafood or water.
Total coliform and Escherichia coli in microplastic biofilms grown in wastewater and inactivation by peracetic acid
Researchers found that microplastics support the growth of fecal indicator bacteria including E. coli in biofilms, and that these biofilm communities are more resistant to disinfection by peracetic acid than free-floating cells. The findings support concerns that microplastics act as vectors for pathogens and complicate wastewater disinfection.
Are microplastics spreading infectious disease?
Researchers explored whether microplastics in the environment could serve as vehicles for spreading infectious disease-causing organisms. Evidence indicates that bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens can attach to microplastic surfaces and potentially be transported across aquatic environments. The study raises important questions about a previously underappreciated pathway through which plastic pollution could affect public health.