Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Exposure and Health Intervention of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310015, China; School of Environment Science and Spatial Information, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; Shaoxing Research Institute of Zhejiang University of Technology, Shaoxing 312000, China.
Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Sep 20;944:173881. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173881. Epub 2024 Jun 12.
Plastic debris such as microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPTs), along with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), are pervasive in the environment and are recognized as significant global health and ecological concerns. Micro-/nano-plastics (MNPs) have been demonstrated to favor the spread of ARGs by enhancing the frequency of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) through various pathways. This paper comprehensively and systematically reviews the current study with focus on the influence of plastics on the HGT of ARGs. The critical role of MNPs in the HGT of ARGs has been well illustrated in sewage sludge, livestock farms, constructed wetlands and landfill leachate. A summary of the performed HGT assay and the underlying mechanism of plastic-mediated transfer of ARGs is presented in the paper. MNPs could facilitate or inhibit HGT of ARGs, and their effects depend on the type, size, and concentration. This review provides a comprehensive insight into the effects of MNPs on the HGT of ARGs, and offers suggestions for further study. Further research should attempt to develop a standard HGT assay and focus on investigating the impact of different plastics, including the oligomers they released, under real environmental conditions on the HGT of ARGs.
塑料碎片(如微塑料和纳米塑料)以及抗生素耐药基因(ARGs)在环境中广泛存在,被认为是对全球健康和生态的重大关注。微/纳米塑料(MNPs)已被证明通过多种途径增强水平基因转移(HGT)的频率,从而有利于 ARGs 的传播。本文全面系统地综述了当前的研究,重点关注塑料对 ARGs 水平基因转移的影响。MNPs 在污水污泥、养殖场、人工湿地和垃圾渗滤液中对 ARGs 的 HGT 具有重要作用。文中总结了已进行的 HGT 检测以及塑料介导 ARGs 转移的潜在机制。MNPs 可以促进或抑制 ARGs 的 HGT,其效果取决于类型、大小和浓度。本综述深入了解了 MNPs 对 ARGs 水平基因转移的影响,并为进一步的研究提供了建议。进一步的研究应尝试开发标准的 HGT 检测方法,并专注于在实际环境条件下研究不同塑料(包括其释放的低聚物)对 ARGs 水平基因转移的影响。