Selective colonization of microplastics, wood and glass by antimicrobial-resistant and pathogenic bacteria.

ABSTRACT: The Plastisphere is a novel niche whereby microbial communities attach to plastic debris, including microplastics. These communities can be distinct from those found in the surrounding environment or those attached to natural substrates and may serve as a reservoir of both pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. Owing to the frequent omission of appropriate comparator particles (e.g. natural substrates) in previous studies, there is a lack of empirical evidence supporting the unique risks posed by microplastics in terms of enrichment and spread of AMR pathogens. This study investigated selective colonization by a sewage community on environmentally sampled microplastics with three different polymers, sources and morphologies, alongside natural substrate (wood), inert substra

SUBMITTER: Stevenson EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11477370 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature