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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Microbial hitchhikers on marine plastic debris: Human exposure risks at bathing waters and beach environments.
ClearSurfing and dining on the “plastisphere”: Microbial life on plastic marine debris
This review examines the microbial communities — the "plastisphere" — that colonize floating plastic debris in the ocean, discussing how these biofilms form, who lives in them, and what risks they may pose to marine ecosystems and human health. The unique chemistry and buoyancy of plastic creates a novel habitat that can transport potentially harmful microbes across ocean basins.
Plastic pollution and human pathogens: Towards a conceptual shift in risk management at bathing water and beach environments.
This paper examines emerging evidence that plastic debris in coastal and bathing waters can harbor human pathogens — including bacteria and viruses — and argues that existing bathing water safety regulations do not adequately account for this plastic-associated microbial risk. The authors call for a conceptual shift in how regulators think about plastic pollution as a public health issue.
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.
Plastisphere - a new habitat of microbial community: Composition, structure and ecological consequences
This review examines the plastisphere — microbial communities colonizing microplastics — covering the composition and structure of plastisphere microbiomes across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments and discussing ecological consequences including pathogen dispersal.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A roadmap for a Plastisphere
This paper discusses the concept of the 'Plastisphere'—the total surface area of plastic debris in the environment that hosts unique microbial communities. The author reviews current knowledge and outlines a research roadmap for understanding how the Plastisphere affects ecosystem function and potentially human health through the spread of pathogens and antibiotic resistance.
Marine microplastic-associated biofilms – a review
This review synthesizes research on biofilm communities forming on marine microplastics, covering their composition, formation dynamics, and potential consequences for both plastic fate and ocean microbiology. The authors highlight that plastic-associated biofilms can include pathogens and toxin producers, and that the plastisphere community differs meaningfully from the surrounding seawater microbiome.
Biofilms on Plastic Debris and the Microbiome
This review synthesizes knowledge on biofilms that colonize plastic debris in the ocean, known as the plastisphere, covering how microbial communities are structured and how they interact with the surrounding environment. The authors discuss implications for nutrient cycling, pathogen transport, and polymer degradation.
Freshwater plastisphere: a review on biodiversity, risks, and biodegradation potential with implications for the aquatic ecosystem health
This review examines the communities of microbes that colonize plastic debris in freshwater environments, known as the "plastisphere." These microbial communities include potentially dangerous bacteria and organisms that can carry antibiotic resistance genes, meaning plastic pollution may serve as a vehicle for spreading pathogens and drug-resistant infections through water systems that people rely on.
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.
Plastisphere assemblages differ from the surrounding bacterial communities in transitional coastal environments
Researchers found that bacterial communities colonizing plastic particles (the plastisphere) in Portuguese estuarine and beach environments were significantly different from those in surrounding water and sediments, with plastic type and environmental conditions influencing microbial community composition.
Relative Influence of Plastic Debris Size and Shape, Chemical Composition and Phytoplankton-Bacteria Interactions in Driving Seawater Plastisphere Abundance, Diversity and Activity
This study evaluated the relative influence of plastic debris size, shape, chemical composition, and environmental conditions on the microbial communities colonizing ocean plastics (the plastisphere). Results showed that multiple plastic properties and environmental factors jointly shape which microorganisms colonize plastic surfaces in the marine environment.
Ecology of the plastisphere
This review explores the plastisphere, the diverse microbial community that colonizes plastic debris in the ocean, which now spans multiple biomes on Earth. Researchers examine how microplastics serve as novel substrates for microbial colonization and may facilitate the dispersal of microorganisms, including potentially harmful species, across aquatic ecosystems. The study highlights key questions about whether plastics harbor a unique core microbial community distinct from natural surfaces.
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.
The ecology of the plastisphere: Microbial composition, function, assembly, and network in the freshwater and seawater ecosystems
Researchers studied the communities of bacteria and fungi that colonize microplastic surfaces in freshwater and seawater, forming what scientists call the plastisphere. These microplastic-associated communities were distinctly different from those in surrounding water, and included a higher proportion of disease-causing organisms and species involved in pollutant degradation. The findings suggest that microplastics create new habitats that can harbor pathogens and alter natural microbial ecosystems in ways that may affect water quality and human health.