Study suggests microplastics accumulate antibiotic-resistant bacteria in aquatic systems
The research, carried out at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC), suggests that microplastics accumulate more antibiotic-resistant bacteria on natural substrates, such as sand, in aquatic systems.
Isabel Silva, autora do estudo "Microplastics accumulate priority antibiotic-resistant pathogens: Evidence from the riverine plastisphere"
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Abridged version in English: Diana Taborda
A research study conducted by the Department of Life Sciences of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (DCV/FCTUC) suggests that antibiotic-resistant bacteria colonizing microplastics in rivers tend to be higher in natural substrates, such as sand particles, a concerning issue with potential implications for human and environmental health.
Isabel Silva, author of the study and PhD student in Bioscience, reveals that the type of plastic also influences the number and characteristics of the bacteria that adhere to these particles, further adding that “the main concern is the serious infection hazards these bacteria present”.
According to the author, during the research it was possible to identify “potentially pathogenic bacteria included in the World Health Organization (WHO) global priority list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are multi-resistant, i.e., resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics, and with concerning virulence characteristics. Most of these bacteria were found in microplastics exposed to wastewater discharges, which further demonstrates the impact of these discharges on the alarming evolution of antibiotic resistance”.
“Although wastewater treatment plants contribute significantly to reducing the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the final effluent, the available treatment processes are not effective enough to eliminate the impact observed in this study”.
The results, published in the journal Environmental Pollution, prove the utmost importance of supporting measures that may mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance.
The study was coordinated by Isabel Henriques, professor at DCV and researcher at the Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE), FCTUC, and Marta Tacão, assistant researcher at the Centre for Environment and Sea Studies of the University of Aveiro, and included the participation of CFE researcher Elsa Rodrigues.
The scientific article “Microplastics accumulate priority antibiotic-resistant pathogens: Evidence from the riverine plastisphere” is available here.