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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Plastics and Microplastics as Vectors for Bacteria and Human Pathogens
ClearPotential impact of marine-derived plastisphere as a Vibrio carrier on marine ecosystems: Current status and future perspectives
This review examines how microplastics in the ocean serve as floating platforms for Vibrio bacteria, which are significant pathogens threatening aquaculture and marine ecosystem health. Researchers found that the so-called plastisphere, the microbial community that colonizes plastic surfaces, can enhance the survival and spread of these harmful bacteria. The study highlights a concerning link between plastic pollution and the potential amplification of waterborne disease risks.
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.
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.
Microbial hitchhikers on marine plastic debris: Human exposure risks at bathing waters and beach environments.
This review examines how marine plastic debris serves as a habitat for microbial communities including potential pathogens, a phenomenon called the Plastisphere, and assesses the human health risks when plastic-associated microbes reach bathing waters and beaches. The authors conclude that plastic litter can amplify microbial hazards to public health in coastal recreation areas.
Oceanic Hitchhikers – Assessing Pathogen Risks from Marine Microplastic
This review examines the emerging concern that microplastics in the ocean could serve as vehicles for transporting harmful bacteria, particularly into shellfish destined for human consumption. Researchers synthesized current knowledge about the distinct microbial communities that form on plastic debris and how microplastics are taken up by bivalves like mussels and oysters. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps around whether microplastic-associated pathogens represent a meaningful food safety risk.
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.
Bacterial pathogen assemblages on microplastic biofilms in coastal waters
Researchers incubated different types of microplastics in coastal waters for 21 days and analyzed the bacterial communities that colonized their surfaces. They found that while overall pathogen abundance was low, microplastic biofilms hosted a diverse array of potentially harmful bacteria whose composition varied by polymer type and water location. The study suggests that microplastics in coastal waters can serve as floating platforms for disease-causing microorganisms.
Enrichment and dissemination of bacterial pathogens by microplastics in the aquatic environment
This review examines how microplastics serve as floating platforms for dangerous bacteria in waterways, harboring pathogens like Vibrio and Pseudomonas at higher densities than surrounding water. Researchers found that bacteria can transfer between microplastic surfaces and water through mechanisms like horizontal gene transfer and chemical signaling. The findings raise concerns that microplastic pollution may be accelerating the spread of waterborne pathogens that threaten both ecosystem and human health.
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.
An Exploratory Review of Microplastic Pollution, Associated Microbiomes and Pathogens in Water
This review analyzes over a decade of research on microplastic pollution in surface waters across five continents, focusing on the microorganisms that colonize plastic surfaces. Researchers found that microplastics serve as floating habitats for bacteria, including potential human pathogens and antibiotic-resistant strains. The study highlights that microplastic pollution poses a dual threat by both contaminating water and providing a vehicle for harmful microbes to spread.
Plastisphere as a Vector for Pathogenic Microbes and Antibiotic Resistance
This review examines how the plastisphere, the microbial community that colonizes plastic surfaces, serves as a vector for pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes. Researchers found that microplastics can adsorb antibiotics and facilitate higher rates of plasmid transfer among bacteria, with potentially pathogenic species carrying multi-drug resistance genes identified on plastic surfaces.
Marine Plastic Debris: A New Surface for Microbial Colonization
This review examines the "Plastisphere" -- the community of microbes that rapidly colonizes plastic debris in the ocean -- covering biofilm development, potential biodegradation, and the hitchhiking of harmful bacteria. Researchers found that microbial communities on plastics do not dramatically differ from those on other inert surfaces, especially in mature biofilms. The study identifies key knowledge gaps and calls for more environmentally realistic research into how these plastic-associated microbes interact with marine ecosystems.
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.
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.
Role of traveling microplastics as bacterial carriers based on spatial and temporal dynamics of bacterial communities
Researchers tracked how the bacterial communities on traveling microplastics gradually shift to match the communities on local microplastics, a process called localization, finding that spatial and temporal dynamics of bacterial colonization determine microplastics' role as vectors for bacteria across environments.
Exploring changes in microplastic-associated bacterial communities with time, location, and polymer type in Liusha Bay, China
Researchers tracked how bacterial communities colonizing different types of microplastics changed over time in an aquaculture bay in China. They found that both exposure duration and plastic type significantly influenced which bacteria grew on the surfaces, with hydrocarbon-degrading species becoming notably abundant. Concerning from a health perspective, the pathogenic bacterium Vibrio was detected on all microplastic samples, suggesting that floating plastics may serve as rafts for disease-causing organisms.
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.
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.
Microbial diversity and potential pathogens associated with the plastisphere on beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Researchers analyzed the microbes living on plastic debris collected from beaches in Rio de Janeiro, finding that both polypropylene and polyethylene plastics harbored communities containing potential human and marine pathogens as well as bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes. The study confirms that ocean plastics can transport dangerous microorganisms across long distances, posing risks to human health and marine biodiversity.
Dangerous Hitchhikers? Evidence for Potentially Pathogenic Vibrio Spp. on Microplastic Particles
Researchers collected microplastic particles from the North and Baltic Seas and found potentially pathogenic Vibrio bacteria growing on their surfaces, raising the possibility that microplastics could transport dangerous human pathogens to new areas. Vibrio species can cause serious intestinal illness in humans through contaminated water or raw seafood consumption.
Dynamics and implications of biofilm formation and community succession on floating marine plastic debris
Researchers examined how biofilms form on plastic debris in aquatic environments and how the resulting microbial communities evolve over time, finding that the plastisphere hosts distinct microbial assemblages including potential pathogens. The study has implications for understanding plastic debris as a vector for microbial dispersal.
Marine Microbial Assemblages on Microplastics: Diversity, Adaptation, and Role in Degradation
This review examines microbial communities that colonize microplastics in the ocean, collectively known as the plastisphere. Researchers found that these biofilms differ significantly from those on natural surfaces and may include pathogenic bacteria and species capable of partially degrading plastics. The study highlights both the ecological risks of microplastics as vectors for harmful microbes and the potential for harnessing plastic-degrading organisms.
Foodborne pathogens in the plastisphere: Can microplastics in the food chain threaten microbial food safety?
This review examines whether microplastics in the food chain can serve as carriers for dangerous foodborne bacteria, potentially threatening food safety. Researchers found that pathogenic bacteria can colonize microplastic surfaces and that these "plastisphere" communities may survive food processing steps that would normally eliminate them. The study raises concerns that microplastic contamination in food and water could introduce a new route for foodborne illness transmission.
Microplastics as a vector for the transport of the bacterial fish pathogen species Aeromonas salmonicida
Researchers analyzed bacterial communities living on microplastics collected from the North Adriatic Sea surface and identified 28 bacterial species, including the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida. They also found hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria colonizing the plastic surfaces. The study provides evidence that microplastics can serve as vectors for transporting pathogenic bacteria through marine environments, potentially spreading disease to fish populations.