Microplastics and Antibiotic Resistance: The Magnitude of the Problem and the Emerging Role of Hospital Wastewater

Abstract

The role of microplastics (MPs) in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is increasingly attracting global research attention due to their unique ecological and environmental effects. The ubiquitous use of plastics and their release into the environment by anthropic/industrial activities are the main sources for MP contamination, especially of water bodies. Because of their physical and chemical characteristics, MPs represent an ideal substrate for microbial colonization and formation of biofilm, where horizontal gene transfer is facilitated. In addition, the widespread and often injudicious use of antibiotics in various human activities leads to their release into the environment, mainly through wastewater. For these reasons, wastewater treatment plants, in particular hospital plants, are considered hotspots for the selection of ARGs and their diffusion in the environment. As a result, the interaction of MPs with drug-resistant bacteria and ARGs make them vectors for the transport and spread of ARGs and harmful microorganisms. Microplastic-associated antimicrobial resistance is an emerging threat to the environment and consequently for human health. More studies are required to better understand the interaction of these pollutants with the environment as well as to identify effective management systems to reduce the related risk.

Unseen Weapons: Bacterial Extracellular Vesicles and the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance in Aquatic Environments

“…The widespread use of plastics also leads to the presence of ARGs in water bodies. Microplastics provide a perfect vector for microbes to colonize and exchange ARGs through a process called horizontal gene transfer (HGT) [ 45 ]. A previous study mentioned that aquatic environments serve as reservoirs for diverse bacterial populations, creating ideal conditions for the exchange and transfer of genetic material containing resistance genes through selective pressure that occurs when antibiotics are present in the environment [ 46 ].…”

Emerging Issues on Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Colonizing Plastic Waste in Aquatic Ecosystems

“…However, they may exhibit a high probability of yielding false-negative or false-positive results when used against environmental bacterial strains [14]. Thus, while preliminary screening and identification can be conducted via biochemical methods, the validation of results necessitates molecular-based techniques [15,16]. Consequently, strains biochemically identified as various species of Staphylococci were reclassified as Exiguobacterium and Lysinibacillus species, underscoring the importance of 16S rDNA sequencing in mitigating any potential false-positive outcome.…”

Microplastics as an emerging contaminant of concern to our environment: a brief overview of the sources and implications

“…Biofilms containing a high concentration of microbial cells can form on the surface of microplastics [ 105 ]. The long exposure of these bacterial communities to antibiotics increase the chance for some microbial cells to develop a resistance to the antibiotic [ 106 ]. Bacteria that are then resistant to the antibiotic survives and multiplies, eventually creating a bacterial community that now has a high antibiotic resistance.…”