Scientists have found that discarded polystyrene, used for takeout cheeseburgers and other food containers like coffee cups, is contributing to the growing resistance of bacteria.
The Styrofoam container provides a cozy home not only for microbes but also chemical contaminants which can provide breeding grounds where genetic materials are transferred into any organism including antibiotic-resistant ones!
A study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials describes how these UV-aged plastic particles make them a perfect medium for antibiotic resistance. Microplastics are apt platforms to harbor antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs), which can spread this gene mutation and lower our ability to fight against infections.
Our study found that the plastic chemicals leaching from a container as it ages increases its susceptibility to horizontal gene transfer, through which resistance spreads. This is especially dangerous for organisms living in or near water bodies because they are at risk of acquiring new abilities that could be harmful if introduced into their population
A recently published article by Pedro Alvarez along with other researchers shows how environmental pollution can impact both humans and animals alike.
Microplastics (100 nanometers to five micrometers in diameter) are tiny pieces of plastic that can be found all over the planet. They have high surface areas and trap microbes when degraded, but these same qualities also allow ARGs – or antimicrobial-resistant bacteria- like MRSA ( methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus )-to breach their membranes with depolymerization chemicals leaching out into our waterways.
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In this study, researchers have noted that microplastic surfaces may serve as an important location for bacteria to aggregate and transfer genes. The synergy between these three entities could lead them into environments where antibiotics are difficult or not present at all–a situation that would make it easier for antimicrobial resistance to spread through the environment unchecked by human activity
Bacteria often get stuck on our toothbrushes when we use them in public places like buses without proper handwashing afterward; however, they can also end up being trapped within other types of personal care items such as hair brushes if you don’t clean out hairspray bits quickly enough after application because some people leave those.
More information
Qingbin Yuan et al, UV-aging of microplastics increases proximal ARG donor-recipient adsorption and leaching of chemicals that synergistically enhance antibiotic resistance propagation, Journal of Hazardous Materials (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127895