Researchers from the New Jersey Institute of Technology have proven that microplastics can become a hub and
In an article published in the Journalof Hazardous Materials Letters, researchers described that some strains of bacteria, when living on microplastic biofilms, increase their resistance to antibiotics by up to 30 times.
“We have devoted several new studiesthe negative impact that millions of tons of microplastic waste per year have on our freshwater and ocean environments. But until now, the role of microplastics in wastewater treatment processes in our cities and towns was largely unknown, said Mengyang Li, associate professor of chemistry and environmental sciences. “These wastewater treatment plants can be places where a variety of chemicals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pathogens converge, and our research shows that microplastics can serve as a carrier for them.”
New method breaks down microplastics right at the source of pollution
During the study, the team collected sediment samplesfrom three treatment plants in northern New Jersey. They found them in two common types of microplastics - polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS). The team used a combination of quantitative PCR and next-generation sequencing techniques to identify the types of bacteria that tend to grow on microplastics, tracking the genetic changes in bacteria along the way.
The analysis showed that the three genes that were found on microplastic biofilms were 30 times greater than in control tests conducted in the laboratory using sand biofilms.
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