Microplastics have already damaged our environment. There’s a new problem though: Bacteria on microplastics seem to become drug resistant.
Protective Shield
When bacteria land on a surface, they create a protective shield around itself, called a biofilm. It protects the bacteria from potential dangers.
Researchers in the study tested the strength of E. coli’s biofilms on different materials.
It was found that the biofilms on microplastics were much more durable compared to other surfaces. The bacteria on microplastics were resistant to the drugs when tested.
One alarming thing is that when bacteria interact with microplastics, their biofilms seem to improve overall, even when they go back on non-plastic surfaces.
“We’re demonstrating that the presence of plastics is doing a whole lot more than just providing a surface for the bacteria to stick—they are actually leading to the development of resistant organisms.” -Muhammad Zaman, professor of Boston University College of Engineering
The researchers have grown concern over the topic, and are taking action currently by working to monitor places where microplastics are abundant, like refugee camps.
Why Plastic?
It’s not really known why bacteria have better biofilms on plastic. Here’s a few theories from the researchers:
- Plastics are hydrophobic, they repel water. This makes attaching to microplastics much easier.
- The microplastics absorb the antibiotics before it reaches the bacteria
Conclusion
Nearly 5 million people die annually because of drug-resistant infections. We should be aware of the dangers of microplastics, and, we should work towards a world without microplastics.
RELATED STORIES:
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.02282-24
https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/11/health/microplastics-antibiotic-resistance-wellness/index.html
TAKE ACTION:
- Let’s get rid of microplastics: https://www.change.org/topic/microplastics-en-us
