Stenger K S, Wikmark O G, Bezuidenhout C C, Molale-Tom L G
Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management - Microbiology, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management - Microbiology, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa; GenØk - Centre for Biosafety, Tromsø, Norway.
Environ Pollut. 2021 Dec 15;291:118130. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118130. Epub 2021 Sep 8.
Microplastics pollution in marine environments is concerning. Microplastics persist and accumulate in various sections of the ocean where they present opportunity for micropollutant accumulation and microbial colonisation. Even though biofilm formation on plastics was first reported in the 1970's, it is only in recent years were plastic associated biofilms have gained research attention. Plastic surfaces pose a problem as they are a niche ready for colonisation by diverse biofilm assemblages, composed of specific bacterial communities and putative pathogens prone to acquiring ARGs and resistance in the biofilm. However, the nature of antibiotic resistance on aquatic plastic debris is not yet fully understood and remains a concern. Given the inevitable increase of plastic production and waste generation, microplastics released into the environment may prove to be problematic. This review explores microplastic waste in the ocean and possible concerns that may arise from the presence of microplastics in conjunction with favourable conditions for the development and dispersal of antibiotic resistance in the ocean and food web.
海洋环境中的微塑料污染令人担忧。微塑料在海洋的各个区域持续存在并积累，在这些区域它们为微污染物的积累和微生物定殖提供了机会。尽管塑料上生物膜的形成早在20世纪70年代就有报道，但直到近年来，与塑料相关的生物膜才受到研究关注。塑料表面存在一个问题，因为它们是一个适合各种生物膜群落定殖的生态位，这些生物膜群落由特定的细菌群落和可能在生物膜中获得抗生素抗性基因（ARGs）和耐药性的假定病原体组成。然而，水生塑料碎片上抗生素耐药性的本质尚未完全了解，仍然令人担忧。鉴于塑料产量和废物产生量不可避免地增加，释放到环境中的微塑料可能会成为问题。本综述探讨了海洋中的微塑料废物，以及微塑料的存在可能引发的问题，以及海洋和食物网中抗生素耐药性发展和传播的有利条件。
