Papers

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Article Tier 2

Impact of Urbanization on Antibiotic Resistome in Different Microplastics: Evidence from a Large-Scale Whole River Analysis

Researchers conducted a large-scale river survey across urbanization gradients and characterized antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics from each zone, finding that urbanization level strongly predicted the diversity and abundance of resistance genes on plastic surfaces.

2021 Environmental Science & Technology 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinct profile of bacterial community and antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics in Ganjiang River at the watershed level

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution and associated bacterial communities, human pathogenic bacteria, and antibiotic resistance genes across the Ganjiang River watershed. They found microplastics were widely distributed with an average of 407 particles per cubic meter, and that microplastic surfaces harbored significantly higher bacterial diversity and more antibiotic resistance genes than surrounding water or sediment.

2021 Environmental Research 92 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Journal of Water Process Engineering 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Metagenomic insights into ecological risk of antibiotic resistome and mobilome in riverine plastisphere under impact of urbanization

This study used advanced genetic sequencing to examine antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics found in an urban river. Microplastics harbored more antibiotic resistance genes and mobile genetic elements than natural materials like rocks and wood, and the problem was worse in more urbanized areas. The findings suggest that microplastics in waterways can act as hotspots for spreading antibiotic resistance, which is a growing public health threat.

2024 Environment International 11 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Microplastics on Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Estuarine Sediments].

Researchers investigated the effects of three types of microplastics on antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in estuarine sediment microcosms, finding that microplastic presence altered the persistence, abundance, and diversity of ARGs as measured by high-throughput quantitative PCR.

2019 PubMed 20 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Scientific Reports
Article Tier 2

Evidence of selective enrichment of bacterial assemblages and antibiotic resistant genes by microplastics in urban rivers

Researchers sampled microplastics from two urban rivers in China and found that the bacterial communities colonizing plastic particles were distinctly different from those in the surrounding water. The microplastic-associated bacteria had lower diversity but higher proportions of biofilm-forming species and functions linked to human disease. Notably, the study found that microplastics selectively enriched antibiotic resistance genes, raising concerns about plastics serving as reservoirs for drug-resistant bacteria.

2020 Water Research 313 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 30 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Water Research 63 citations
Article Tier 2

Selectively enrichment of antibiotics and ARGs by microplastics in river, estuary and marine waters

Researchers investigated how microplastics interact with antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes across river, estuary, and marine environments of varying salinity. They found that microplastics can concentrate both antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes from surrounding water, with this enrichment effect being strongest in freshwater and decreasing as salinity increases. The study raises concerns that microplastics may serve as vehicles for spreading antibiotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 210 citations
Article Tier 2

Size 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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 17 citations
Article Tier 2

[Microplastic-Induced Alterations to Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Seawater].

Microplastics added to seawater were found to increase the diversity and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) over a 49-day period, with different plastics having different effects. This suggests that microplastics in coastal waters may contribute to the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, posing a risk to public health.

2021 Huan jing ke xue= Huanjing kexue 2 citations
Article Tier 2

[Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics and Metal Elements in the Surface Water of Huangpu River and Their Associations with Metal Resistance Genes].

This Chinese study analyzed microplastic concentrations and metal elements in surface water samples from the Huangpu River, also examining their associations with metal resistance genes in microbial communities. Microplastics in urban rivers can carry both heavy metals and antibiotic resistance genes, amplifying public health risks.

2023 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the mechanisms shaping the plastisphere antibiotic resistome on riverine microplastics

Researchers found that microplastics in China's Huangpu River selectively enrich antibiotic resistance genes for Rifamycin and Vancomycin, creating unique bacterial niches that favor horizontal gene transfer and dissemination of resistance through stochastic assembly processes.

2022 Water Research 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Dynamic evolution of antibiotic resistance genes in plastisphere in the vertical profile of urban rivers

This study found that microplastics floating at different depths in urban rivers act as hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes, which help bacteria survive antibiotic treatment. The type of plastic matters: biodegradable plastics like PLA harbored more resistance genes than conventional PET plastic. This is concerning because microplastics in waterways could help spread drug-resistant bacteria that eventually reach human water supplies.

2023 Water Research 35 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastisphere may induce the enrichment of antibiotic resistance genes on microplastics in aquatic environments: A review

This first meta-analysis of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) enrichment on microplastics found that ARGs were more abundant on microplastic surfaces than on inorganic substrates or in surrounding water, but less abundant than on natural organic substrates. Freshwater microplastics showed a higher degree of ARG enrichment than those in saline water or sewage.

2022 Environmental Pollution 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the role of microplastics in antibiotic resistance: Insights from long-read metagenomics on ARG mobility and host dynamics

Researchers used long-read metagenomics to investigate how microplastics serve as vectors for antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic environments. They found that plasmid-encoded resistance genes varied significantly between microplastic biofilms and surrounding water, highlighting horizontal gene transfer as a key mechanism for resistance gene enrichment on plastic surfaces. The study identified specific bacterial taxa driving this enrichment and revealed that enhanced cell adhesion and transporter activity on microplastics facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying health risks of plastisphere antibiotic resistome and deciphering driving mechanisms in an urbanizing watershed

This study measured the health risks posed by antibiotic resistance genes found on microplastic surfaces in a watershed affected by urbanization. Polyethylene microplastics carried the highest risk, and urban development increased the danger by promoting the spread of resistance genes among bacteria living on plastic surfaces. The findings show that microplastics in waterways act as vehicles for antibiotic resistance, which could make infections harder to treat in communities downstream.

2023 Water Research 36 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Scientific Reports 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics can selectively enrich intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistant genes and shape different microbial communities in aquatic systems

Researchers examined how microplastics of different types selectively capture antibiotic resistance genes and shape microbial communities in aquatic systems. They found that microplastics enriched both intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes, with the enrichment patterns varying by plastic type. The study suggests that microplastics may serve as hotspots for the spread of antimicrobial resistance in wastewater and natural water environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Fibrous and FragmentedMicroplastics Discharged fromSewage Amplify Health Risks Associated with Antibiotic ResistanceGenes in Aquatic Environments

Researchers used metagenomic sequencing and high-throughput qPCR to characterize antibiotic resistance genes in sewage discharge-receiving waters, finding that fibrous and fragmented microplastics selectively enriched and transported resistance genes — amplifying antibiotic resistance risks beyond the genes' direct aquatic transfer.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Figshare
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

Spread performance and underlying mechanisms of pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes adhered on microplastics in the sediments of different urban water bodies

Researchers studied how microplastics in the sediments of three types of urban water bodies in China harbor pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. They found that polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics were dominant, and these particles enriched harmful bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa on their surfaces. The study suggests that microplastics in urban waterways may serve as vehicles for spreading antibiotic-resistant pathogens, posing potential risks to public health.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations