Microplastics and their micropassengers – a threat to the water environment and public health

Microplastic (MP) particles – plastic fines smaller than 5 mm in size – are a ubiquitous pollutant in waters around the world. In a recent review of the scientific literature, researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich (Dr. Paulina Cholewinska, Dr. Konrad Wojnarowski, Prof. Dusan Palić) and Wroclaw University of Life Sciences (Dr. Przemyslaw Pokorny), and Dr. Hanna Moniuszko from SGGW’s Climate Research Center, analyzed the distribution and types of MP detected in fresh and saline waters, as well as the microbiological implications of this pollution.

Polyethylene and polypropylene were the most frequently detected plastics, especially in estuaries, coastal zones and aquaculture areas. The authors point out the so-called plastisphere – a bacterial biofilm that develops on the surface of MP. This “floating ecosystem” is populated by both environmental bacteria and pathogens, including Vibrio, Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter.

Moreover, microplastics act as vectors carrying the aforementioned pathogens, as well as antibiotic resistance genes. This, in turn, promotes the horizontal transfer of these genes between bacteria, which has important epidemiological implications – both for the environment and public health in the context of the One Health approach.