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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Plastic pollution and human pathogens: Towards a conceptual shift in risk management at bathing water and beach environments.
ClearMicrobial 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.
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.
Impacts of a Changing Earth on Microbial Dynamics and Human Health Risks in the Continuum between Beach Water and Sand
This review examines how climate and environmental changes affect microbial pathogens at recreational beaches, where people are exposed through water contact, sand, and aerosols. Some microplastics entering beaches carry biofilm communities including potentially pathogenic bacteria, adding a health dimension to beach plastic pollution.
Plastics and Microplastics as Vectors for Bacteria and Human Pathogens
This study reviewed how marine plastic debris serves as a surface for bacterial colonization, including human pathogens, and examined the novel communities forming on plastic surfaces. The research raises public health concerns about microplastics acting as rafts that transport harmful bacteria to new locations, including to seafood and coastal recreational areas.
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.
Quantifying the importance of plastic pollution for the dissemination of human pathogens: The challenges of choosing an appropriate ‘control’ material
Researchers reviewed published studies that detected human pathogens on environmental plastic pollution and critically examined the challenge of selecting appropriate control materials for plastisphere experiments. They found that no single control material is ideal for all studies, making it difficult to determine whether plastics promote pathogen survival more than natural substrates. The study calls for standardized experimental approaches to better quantify the role of plastic pollution in spreading human pathogens.
Potential 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.
Microplastics as carriers of pathogenic microbes in coastal ecosystems: A review Study
This review examined microplastics as carriers of pathogenic microbes in coastal ecosystems, with a focus on Iran's Hormozgan Province where densities exceeding 3,000 particles/m² have been recorded. Microplastics create specialized 'plastisphere' communities that can harbor and transport pathogens, posing risks to both ecosystem integrity and public health.
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.
Plastics as vectors for pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic systems.
This review examined how plastics in aquatic systems act as vectors for pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, summarizing attachment mechanisms, transport dynamics, and the implications for water quality and public health.
Rethinking the Environmental Quality of Brazilian Beaches: The Incidence of Microplastics as Indicator for Sea Water and Sand Quality
This paper proposes using microplastic levels in beach sand and seawater as indicators of beach environmental quality, arguing that current assessments in Brazil focus too narrowly on microbial contamination. The authors present evidence that microplastic contamination poses health risks to swimmers and coastal communities that should be incorporated into beach quality standards.
Colonisation of plastic pellets (nurdles) by E. coli at public bathing beaches
Researchers mapped the distribution of plastic resin pellets (nurdles) at five public bathing beaches and found that all sites harbored pellets colonized by E. coli and Vibrio bacteria, suggesting that the plastisphere — the biofilm community on plastic surfaces — could serve as a dispersal vector for pathogenic and fecal indicator organisms in coastal environments.
Bacterial colonisation dynamics of household plastics in a coastal environment
This study tracked how quickly and what kinds of bacteria colonized common household plastics (including bottles, bags, and packaging) placed in a coastal estuary environment. Bacteria colonized all plastic types within days, and the communities that formed included potential human pathogens. Plastic-associated bacterial communities in coastal environments could pose public health risks through seafood contamination or contact with polluted water.
The hidden risk of microplastic-associated pathogens in aquatic environments
This review examines the overlooked risk that microplastics in water can serve as vehicles for disease-causing bacteria and other pathogens. Microplastics provide a surface where harmful microorganisms can grow, survive longer, and travel farther than they would on their own. This means microplastic pollution in lakes, rivers, and oceans could increase the risk of waterborne infections in people who swim in, drink from, or eat seafood from contaminated water.
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 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.
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.
Viral diversity and potential environmental risk in microplastic at watershed scale: Evidence from metagenomic analysis of plastisphere
Metagenomic analysis of plastisphere communities on microplastics collected from five freshwater sites revealed diverse viral communities including phages and potential animal pathogens, with plastic-associated viromes differing from those in surrounding water. The study identifies microplastics as previously overlooked carriers of viral diversity and potential environmental health risks in aquatic ecosystems.
Beach wracks microbiome and its putative function in plastic polluted Mediterranean marine ecosystem
This study examined the microbial communities living on beach debris, including seagrass and plastic waste, along Mediterranean coastlines. Researchers found that while the bacterial communities on plastics were shaped more by beach conditions than by the type of plastic, these biofilms contained both plastic-degrading bacteria and potential human pathogens.
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.
From rivers to marine environments: A constantly evolving microbial community within the plastisphere
Researchers sampled 107 plastic pieces across four aquatic ecosystems in southern France and found that the sampling location and polymer chemistry were the strongest drivers of plastisphere microbial community composition, while only 11% of samples showed elevated Vibrio pathogen levels compared to surrounding water.
Potentially pathogenic bacteria in the plastisphere from water, sediments, and commercial fish in a tropical coastal lagoon: An assessment and management proposal
Researchers examined the types of potentially harmful bacteria living on microplastics found in water, sediments, and commercial fish in a tropical coastal lagoon. They identified several pathogenic species colonizing the microplastic surfaces, which could pose risks when contaminated fish are consumed by humans. The study proposes management strategies to reduce the public health threat of microplastic-associated pathogens in fisheries.
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.
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.