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Brander SM, Senathirajah K, Fernandez MO, Weis JS, Kumar E, Jahnke A, Hartmann NB, Alava JJ, Farrelly T, Almroth BC, Groh KJ, Syberg K, Buerkert JS, Abeynayaka A, Booth AM, Cousin X, Herzke D, Monclús L, Morales-Caselles C, Bonisoli-Alquati A, Al-Jaibachi R, Wagner M. The time for ambitious action is now: Science-based recommendations for plastic chemicals to inform an effective global plastic treaty. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:174881. [PMID: 39047828 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The ubiquitous and global ecological footprint arising from the rapidly increasing rates of plastic production, use, and release into the environment is an important modern environmental issue. Of increasing concern are the risks associated with at least 16,000 chemicals present in plastics, some of which are known to be toxic, and which may leach out both during use and once exposed to environmental conditions, leading to environmental and human exposure. In response, the United Nations member states agreed to establish an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, the global plastics treaty. The resolution acknowledges that the treaty should prevent plastic pollution and its related impacts, that effective prevention requires consideration of the transboundary nature of plastic production, use and pollution, and that the full life cycle of plastics must be addressed. As a group of scientific experts and members of the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty, we concur that there are six essential "pillars" necessary to truly reduce plastic pollution and allow for chemical detoxification across the full life cycle of plastics. These include a plastic chemical reduction and simplification, safe and sustainable design of plastic chemicals, incentives for change, holistic approaches for alternatives, just transition and equitable interventions, and centering human rights. There is a critical need for scientifically informed and globally harmonized information, transparency, and traceability criteria to protect the environment and public health. The right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment must be upheld, and thus it is crucial that scientists, industry, and policy makers work in concert to create a future free from hazardous plastic contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne M Brander
- Oregon State University, Dept. Fisheries, Wildlife, Conservation Sciences; Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, Newport, OR, USA.
| | - Kala Senathirajah
- School of Engineering, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
| | - Marina O Fernandez
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Argentina
| | - Judith S Weis
- Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Eva Kumar
- Department of Health Security, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Annika Jahnke
- Department of Exposure Science, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University, Germany
| | - Nanna B Hartmann
- Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Juan José Alava
- Ocean Pollution Research Unit, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Trisia Farrelly
- School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, New Zealand
| | - Bethanie Carney Almroth
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Ksenia J Groh
- Eawag - Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Toxicology, Duebendorf, Switzerland
| | - Kristian Syberg
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Johanna Sophie Buerkert
- Centre for Climate Change Law and Governance, Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amila Abeynayaka
- Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet, Lyngby, Denmark; Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research, Long Beach, CA, USA
| | | | - Xavier Cousin
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, INRAE, Palavas, France
| | - Dorte Herzke
- NILU & Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Oslo, Norway
| | - Laura Monclús
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Rana Al-Jaibachi
- Department of Bioscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Wagner
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
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Shen D, Yu Q, Xing X, Ding H, Long Y, Hui C. Distribution and survival of pathogens from different waste components and bioaerosol traceability analysis in household garbage room. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 252:119016. [PMID: 38677405 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Household garbage rooms release abundant bioaerosols and are an important source of pathogens; however, information on the distribution and survival patterns of pathogens in different waste components is limited. In this study, a culture method and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing were used to determine bacterial communities, culturable pathogens, and human bacterial pathogens (HBPs). The results showed that abundant culturable bacteria were detected in all waste types, and a large number of S. aureus was detected on the surface of recyclable wastes, whereas S. aureus, total coliforms, Salmonella, Enterococcus, and hemolytic bacteria were detected in food waste and other waste. The activities of these detected pathogenic bacteria decreased after 24 h of storage but re-activated within one week. Factors affecting the emergence of pathogens varied with different waste components. Sequencing results showed that Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Burkholderia were abundant in the waste samples, whereas Achromobacter, Exiguobacteriums, Bordetella, and Corynebacterium were the primary pathogens in the bioaerosol and wall attachment. The results of traceability analysis showed that bioaerosol microbes were mainly derived from raw kitchen waste (5.98%) and plastic and paper contaminated with food waste (19.93%) in garbage rooms. In addition, bioaerosols were the main source of microflora in the wall attachment, which possessed high HBP diversity and required more attention. These findings will help in understanding the microbial hazards in different waste components and provide guidance for the control and risk reduction of bioaerosols during waste management and recycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongsheng Shen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-Ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Qiang Yu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-Ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Xiaojing Xing
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-Ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Hening Ding
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-Ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Yuyang Long
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-Ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China
| | - Cai Hui
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Recycling, Zhejiang Engineering Research Center of Non-Ferrous Metal Waste Recycling, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, 310012, China.
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Ferheen I, Spurio R, Marcheggiani S. Emerging Issues on Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Colonizing Plastic Waste in Aquatic Ecosystems. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:339. [PMID: 38667014 PMCID: PMC11047579 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13040339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) adhesion onto plastic substrates is a potential threat to environmental and human health. This current research investigates the prevalence of two relevant human pathogens, Staphylococcus spp. and Klebsiella spp., and their sophisticated equipment of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs), retrieved from plastic substrates submerged into an inland water body. The results of microbiological analysis on selective and chromogenic media revealed the presence of colonies with distinctive phenotypes, which were identified using biochemical and molecular methods. 16S rDNA sequencing and BLAST analysis confirmed the presence of Klebsiella spp., while in the case of Staphylococcus spp., 63.6% of strains were found to be members of Lysinibacillus spp., and the remaining 36.3% were identified as Exiguobacterium acetylicum. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assay was performed to test the susceptibility of the isolates to nine commercially available antibiotics, while the genotypic resistant profile was determined for two genes of class 1 integrons and eighteen ARGs belonging to different classes of antibiotics. All isolated bacteria displayed a high prevalence of resistance against all tested antibiotics. These findings provide insights into the emerging risks linked to colonization by potential human opportunistic pathogens on plastic waste commonly found in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifra Ferheen
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (I.F.); (R.S.)
| | - Roberto Spurio
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (I.F.); (R.S.)
| | - Stefania Marcheggiani
- Department of Environment and Primary Prevention, National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Metcalf R, Messer LF, White HL, Ormsby MJ, Matallana-Surget S, Quilliam RS. Evidence of interspecific plasmid uptake by pathogenic strains of Klebsiella isolated from microplastic pollution on public beaches. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 461:132567. [PMID: 37741206 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic beads are becoming a common feature on beaches, and there is increasing evidence that such microplastics can become colonised by potential human pathogens. However, whether the concentrations and pathogenicity of these pathogens pose a public health risk are still unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine realistic environmental concentrations of potential pathogens colonising microplastic beads, and quantify the expression of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Microplastic beads were collected from beaches and a culture-dependent approach was used to determine the concentrations of seven target bacteria (Campylobacter spp.; E. coli; intestinal enterococci; Klebsiella spp.; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Salmonella spp.; Vibrio spp.). All seven target bacteria were detected without the need for a pre-enrichment step; urban sites had higher bacterial concentrations, whilst polymer type had no influence on bacterial concentrations. Klebsiella was the most abundant target bacteria and possessed virulence and ARGs, some of which were present on plasmids from other species, and showed pathogenicity in a Galleria melonella infection model. Our findings demonstrate how pathogen colonised microplastic beads can pose a heightened public health risk at the beach, and highlights the urgency for improved monitoring and enforcement of regulations on the release of microplastics into the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Metcalf
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - Lauren F Messer
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Hannah L White
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Michael J Ormsby
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Sabine Matallana-Surget
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Richard S Quilliam
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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Guo Z, Liu M, Zhang D. Potential of phage depolymerase for the treatment of bacterial biofilms. Virulence 2023; 14:2273567. [PMID: 37872768 PMCID: PMC10621286 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2273567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is a major concern in medicine and veterinary science. The bacterial biofilm structures not only prevent the penetration of drugs into cells within the biofilm's interior but also aid in evasion of the host immune system. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapeutic approaches against bacterial biofilms. One potential strategy to counter biofilms is to use phage depolymerases that degrade the matrix structure of the bacteria and enable access to bacterial cells. This review mainly discusses the methods by which phage depolymerases enhance the efficacy of the human immune system and the therapeutic applications of some phage depolymerases, such as single phage depolymerase application, combined therapy with phage depolymerase and antibiotics, and phage depolymerase cocktails, for treating bacterial biofilms. This review also summarizes the relationship between bacterial biofilms and antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Guo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Pathogen Biology Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Mengmeng Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Department of Hepatological Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Priya AK, Muruganandam M, Imran M, Gill R, Vasudeva Reddy MR, Shkir M, Sayed MA, AlAbdulaal TH, Algarni H, Arif M, Jha NK, Sehgal SS. A study on managing plastic waste to tackle the worldwide plastic contamination and environmental remediation. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 341:139979. [PMID: 37659517 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 50 years, the emergence of plastic waste as one of the most urgent environmental problems in the world has given rise to several proposals to address the rising levels of contaminants associated with plastic debris. Worldwide plastic production has increased significantly over the last 70 years, reaching a record high of 359 million tonnes in 2020. China is currently the world's largest plastic producer, with a share of 17.5%. Of the total marine waste, microplastics account for 75%, while land-based pollution accounts for responsible for 80-90%, and ocean-based pollution 10-20% only in overall pollution problems. Even at small dosages (10 μg/mL), microplastics have been found to cause toxic effects on human and animal health. This review examines the sources of microplastic contamination, the prevalent reaches of microplastics, their impacts, and the remediation methods for microplastic contamination. This review explains the relationship between the community composition and the presence of microplastic particulate matter in aquatic ecosystems. The interaction between microplastics and emerging pollutants, including heavy metals, has been linked to enhanced toxicity. The review article provided a comprehensive overview of microplastic, including its fate, environmental toxicity, and possible remediation strategies. The results of our study are of great value as they illustrate a current perspective and provide an in-depth analysis of the current status of microplastics in development, their test requirements, and remediation technologies suitable for various environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- A K Priya
- Department of Chemical Engineering, KPR Institute of Engineering and Technology, Tamilnadu, India; Project Prioritization, Monitoring & Evaluation and Knowledge Management Unit, ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil & Water Conservation (ICAR-IISWC), Dehradun, India.
| | - M Muruganandam
- Project Prioritization, Monitoring & Evaluation and Knowledge Management Unit, ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil & Water Conservation (ICAR-IISWC), Dehradun, India
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) Technology and Innovation Center, Riyadh 11551, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rana Gill
- University Centre for Research & Development, Electronics & Communication Department Chandigarh University Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | | | - Mohd Shkir
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia.
| | - M A Sayed
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - T H AlAbdulaal
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - H Algarni
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohd Arif
- Applied Science and Humanities Section, University Polytechnic, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025, India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, India.
| | - Satbir S Sehgal
- Division of Research Innovation, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
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Stevenson EM, Buckling A, Cole M, Lindeque PK, Murray AK. Culturing the Plastisphere: comparing methods to isolate culturable bacteria colonising microplastics. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1259287. [PMID: 37854340 PMCID: PMC10579789 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1259287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Microplastics quickly become colonised by diverse microbial communities, known as the Plastisphere. There is growing concern that microplastics may support the enrichment and spread of pathogenic or antimicrobial resistant microorganisms, although research to support the unique role of microplastics in comparison to control particles remains inconclusive. Limitations to this research include the microbiological methods available for isolating adhered microbes. Culture-based methods provide some of the most established, accessible and cost-effective microbiological protocols, which could be extremely useful in helping to address some of the remaining key questions in Plastisphere research. Previous works have successfully cultured bacteria from plastics, but these have not yet been reviewed, nor compared in efficiency. In this study, we compared four common biofilm extraction methods (swabbing, sonication, vortexing, sonication followed by vortexing) to extract and culture a mixed community of bacteria from both microplastic (polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene) and control (wood and glass) particles. Biofilm extraction efficiency and viability of bacterial suspension was determined by comparing CFU/mL of four different groups of bacteria. This was verified against optical density and 16S rRNA qPCR. Overall, we found that all tested methods were able to remove biofilms, but to varying efficiencies. Sonicating particles with glass beads for 15 min, followed by vortexing for a further minute, generated the highest yield and therefore greatest removal efficiency of culturable, biofilm-forming bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M. Stevenson
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter Medical School, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United Kingdom
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Angus Buckling
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Cole
- Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Penelope K. Lindeque
- Marine Ecology and Biodiversity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Aimee K. Murray
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, European Centre for Environment and Human Health, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter Medical School, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
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Ormsby MJ, Akinbobola A, Quilliam RS. Plastic pollution and fungal, protozoan, and helminth pathogens - A neglected environmental and public health issue? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 882:163093. [PMID: 36996975 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Plastic waste is ubiquitous in the environment and can become colonised by distinct microbial biofilm communities, known collectively as the 'plastisphere.' The plastisphere can facilitate the increased survival and dissemination of human pathogenic prokaryotes (e.g., bacteria); however, our understanding of the potential for plastics to harbour and disseminate eukaryotic pathogens is lacking. Eukaryotic microorganisms are abundant in natural environments and represent some of the most important disease-causing agents, collectively responsible for tens of millions of infections, and millions of deaths worldwide. While prokaryotic plastisphere communities in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments are relatively well characterised, such biofilms will also contain eukaryotic species. Here, we critically review the potential for fungal, protozoan, and helminth pathogens to associate with the plastisphere, and consider the regulation and mechanisms of this interaction. As the volume of plastics in the environment continues to rise there is an urgent need to understand the role of the plastisphere for the survival, virulence, dissemination, and transfer of eukaryotic pathogens, and the effect this can have on environmental and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Ormsby
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - Ayorinde Akinbobola
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Richard S Quilliam
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
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Landrigan PJ, Raps H, Cropper M, Bald C, Brunner M, Canonizado EM, Charles D, Chiles TC, Donohue MJ, Enck J, Fenichel P, Fleming LE, Ferrier-Pages C, Fordham R, Gozt A, Griffin C, Hahn ME, Haryanto B, Hixson R, Ianelli H, James BD, Kumar P, Laborde A, Law KL, Martin K, Mu J, Mulders Y, Mustapha A, Niu J, Pahl S, Park Y, Pedrotti ML, Pitt JA, Ruchirawat M, Seewoo BJ, Spring M, Stegeman JJ, Suk W, Symeonides C, Takada H, Thompson RC, Vicini A, Wang Z, Whitman E, Wirth D, Wolff M, Yousuf AK, Dunlop S. The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health. Ann Glob Health 2023; 89:23. [PMID: 36969097 PMCID: PMC10038118 DOI: 10.5334/aogh.4056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Plastics have conveyed great benefits to humanity and made possible some of the most significant advances of modern civilization in fields as diverse as medicine, electronics, aerospace, construction, food packaging, and sports. It is now clear, however, that plastics are also responsible for significant harms to human health, the economy, and the earth's environment. These harms occur at every stage of the plastic life cycle, from extraction of the coal, oil, and gas that are its main feedstocks through to ultimate disposal into the environment. The extent of these harms not been systematically assessed, their magnitude not fully quantified, and their economic costs not comprehensively counted. Goals The goals of this Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health are to comprehensively examine plastics' impacts across their life cycle on: (1) human health and well-being; (2) the global environment, especially the ocean; (3) the economy; and (4) vulnerable populations-the poor, minorities, and the world's children. On the basis of this examination, the Commission offers science-based recommendations designed to support development of a Global Plastics Treaty, protect human health, and save lives. Report Structure This Commission report contains seven Sections. Following an Introduction, Section 2 presents a narrative review of the processes involved in plastic production, use, and disposal and notes the hazards to human health and the environment associated with each of these stages. Section 3 describes plastics' impacts on the ocean and notes the potential for plastic in the ocean to enter the marine food web and result in human exposure. Section 4 details plastics' impacts on human health. Section 5 presents a first-order estimate of plastics' health-related economic costs. Section 6 examines the intersection between plastic, social inequity, and environmental injustice. Section 7 presents the Commission's findings and recommendations. Plastics Plastics are complex, highly heterogeneous, synthetic chemical materials. Over 98% of plastics are produced from fossil carbon- coal, oil and gas. Plastics are comprised of a carbon-based polymer backbone and thousands of additional chemicals that are incorporated into polymers to convey specific properties such as color, flexibility, stability, water repellence, flame retardation, and ultraviolet resistance. Many of these added chemicals are highly toxic. They include carcinogens, neurotoxicants and endocrine disruptors such as phthalates, bisphenols, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), brominated flame retardants, and organophosphate flame retardants. They are integral components of plastic and are responsible for many of plastics' harms to human health and the environment.Global plastic production has increased almost exponentially since World War II, and in this time more than 8,300 megatons (Mt) of plastic have been manufactured. Annual production volume has grown from under 2 Mt in 1950 to 460 Mt in 2019, a 230-fold increase, and is on track to triple by 2060. More than half of all plastic ever made has been produced since 2002. Single-use plastics account for 35-40% of current plastic production and represent the most rapidly growing segment of plastic manufacture.Explosive recent growth in plastics production reflects a deliberate pivot by the integrated multinational fossil-carbon corporations that produce coal, oil and gas and that also manufacture plastics. These corporations are reducing their production of fossil fuels and increasing plastics manufacture. The two principal factors responsible for this pivot are decreasing global demand for carbon-based fuels due to increases in 'green' energy, and massive expansion of oil and gas production due to fracking.Plastic manufacture is energy-intensive and contributes significantly to climate change. At present, plastic production is responsible for an estimated 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the contribution of Brazil. This fraction is projected to increase to 4.5% by 2060 if current trends continue unchecked. Plastic Life Cycle The plastic life cycle has three phases: production, use, and disposal. In production, carbon feedstocks-coal, gas, and oil-are transformed through energy-intensive, catalytic processes into a vast array of products. Plastic use occurs in every aspect of modern life and results in widespread human exposure to the chemicals contained in plastic. Single-use plastics constitute the largest portion of current use, followed by synthetic fibers and construction.Plastic disposal is highly inefficient, with recovery and recycling rates below 10% globally. The result is that an estimated 22 Mt of plastic waste enters the environment each year, much of it single-use plastic and are added to the more than 6 gigatons of plastic waste that have accumulated since 1950. Strategies for disposal of plastic waste include controlled and uncontrolled landfilling, open burning, thermal conversion, and export. Vast quantities of plastic waste are exported each year from high-income to low-income countries, where it accumulates in landfills, pollutes air and water, degrades vital ecosystems, befouls beaches and estuaries, and harms human health-environmental injustice on a global scale. Plastic-laden e-waste is particularly problematic. Environmental Findings Plastics and plastic-associated chemicals are responsible for widespread pollution. They contaminate aquatic (marine and freshwater), terrestrial, and atmospheric environments globally. The ocean is the ultimate destination for much plastic, and plastics are found throughout the ocean, including coastal regions, the sea surface, the deep sea, and polar sea ice. Many plastics appear to resist breakdown in the ocean and could persist in the global environment for decades. Macro- and micro-plastic particles have been identified in hundreds of marine species in all major taxa, including species consumed by humans. Trophic transfer of microplastic particles and the chemicals within them has been demonstrated. Although microplastic particles themselves (>10 µm) appear not to undergo biomagnification, hydrophobic plastic-associated chemicals bioaccumulate in marine animals and biomagnify in marine food webs. The amounts and fates of smaller microplastic and nanoplastic particles (MNPs <10 µm) in aquatic environments are poorly understood, but the potential for harm is worrying given their mobility in biological systems. Adverse environmental impacts of plastic pollution occur at multiple levels from molecular and biochemical to population and ecosystem. MNP contamination of seafood results in direct, though not well quantified, human exposure to plastics and plastic-associated chemicals. Marine plastic pollution endangers the ocean ecosystems upon which all humanity depends for food, oxygen, livelihood, and well-being. Human Health Findings Coal miners, oil workers and gas field workers who extract fossil carbon feedstocks for plastic production suffer increased mortality from traumatic injury, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, silicosis, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer. Plastic production workers are at increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma, hepatic angiosarcoma, brain cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, neurotoxic injury, and decreased fertility. Workers producing plastic textiles die of bladder cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and interstitial lung disease at increased rates. Plastic recycling workers have increased rates of cardiovascular disease, toxic metal poisoning, neuropathy, and lung cancer. Residents of "fenceline" communities adjacent to plastic production and waste disposal sites experience increased risks of premature birth, low birth weight, asthma, childhood leukemia, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer.During use and also in disposal, plastics release toxic chemicals including additives and residual monomers into the environment and into people. National biomonitoring surveys in the USA document population-wide exposures to these chemicals. Plastic additives disrupt endocrine function and increase risk for premature births, neurodevelopmental disorders, male reproductive birth defects, infertility, obesity, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and cancers. Chemical-laden MNPs formed through the environmental degradation of plastic waste can enter living organisms, including humans. Emerging, albeit still incomplete evidence indicates that MNPs may cause toxicity due to their physical and toxicological effects as well as by acting as vectors that transport toxic chemicals and bacterial pathogens into tissues and cells.Infants in the womb and young children are two populations at particularly high risk of plastic-related health effects. Because of the exquisite sensitivity of early development to hazardous chemicals and children's unique patterns of exposure, plastic-associated exposures are linked to increased risks of prematurity, stillbirth, low birth weight, birth defects of the reproductive organs, neurodevelopmental impairment, impaired lung growth, and childhood cancer. Early-life exposures to plastic-associated chemicals also increase the risk of multiple non-communicable diseases later in life. Economic Findings Plastic's harms to human health result in significant economic costs. We estimate that in 2015 the health-related costs of plastic production exceeded $250 billion (2015 Int$) globally, and that in the USA alone the health costs of disease and disability caused by the plastic-associated chemicals PBDE, BPA and DEHP exceeded $920 billion (2015 Int$). Plastic production results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalent to 1.96 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2e) annually. Using the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) social cost of carbon metric, we estimate the annual costs of these GHG emissions to be $341 billion (2015 Int$).These costs, large as they are, almost certainly underestimate the full economic losses resulting from plastics' negative impacts on human health and the global environment. All of plastics' economic costs-and also its social costs-are externalized by the petrochemical and plastic manufacturing industry and are borne by citizens, taxpayers, and governments in countries around the world without compensation. Social Justice Findings The adverse effects of plastics and plastic pollution on human health, the economy and the environment are not evenly distributed. They disproportionately affect poor, disempowered, and marginalized populations such as workers, racial and ethnic minorities, "fenceline" communities, Indigenous groups, women, and children, all of whom had little to do with creating the current plastics crisis and lack the political influence or the resources to address it. Plastics' harmful impacts across its life cycle are most keenly felt in the Global South, in small island states, and in disenfranchised areas in the Global North. Social and environmental justice (SEJ) principles require reversal of these inequitable burdens to ensure that no group bears a disproportionate share of plastics' negative impacts and that those who benefit economically from plastic bear their fair share of its currently externalized costs. Conclusions It is now clear that current patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal are not sustainable and are responsible for significant harms to human health, the environment, and the economy as well as for deep societal injustices.The main driver of these worsening harms is an almost exponential and still accelerating increase in global plastic production. Plastics' harms are further magnified by low rates of recovery and recycling and by the long persistence of plastic waste in the environment.The thousands of chemicals in plastics-monomers, additives, processing agents, and non-intentionally added substances-include amongst their number known human carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxicants, and persistent organic pollutants. These chemicals are responsible for many of plastics' known harms to human and planetary health. The chemicals leach out of plastics, enter the environment, cause pollution, and result in human exposure and disease. All efforts to reduce plastics' hazards must address the hazards of plastic-associated chemicals. Recommendations To protect human and planetary health, especially the health of vulnerable and at-risk populations, and put the world on track to end plastic pollution by 2040, this Commission supports urgent adoption by the world's nations of a strong and comprehensive Global Plastics Treaty in accord with the mandate set forth in the March 2022 resolution of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).International measures such as a Global Plastics Treaty are needed to curb plastic production and pollution, because the harms to human health and the environment caused by plastics, plastic-associated chemicals and plastic waste transcend national boundaries, are planetary in their scale, and have disproportionate impacts on the health and well-being of people in the world's poorest nations. Effective implementation of the Global Plastics Treaty will require that international action be coordinated and complemented by interventions at the national, regional, and local levels.This Commission urges that a cap on global plastic production with targets, timetables, and national contributions be a central provision of the Global Plastics Treaty. We recommend inclusion of the following additional provisions:The Treaty needs to extend beyond microplastics and marine litter to include all of the many thousands of chemicals incorporated into plastics.The Treaty needs to include a provision banning or severely restricting manufacture and use of unnecessary, avoidable, and problematic plastic items, especially single-use items such as manufactured plastic microbeads.The Treaty needs to include requirements on extended producer responsibility (EPR) that make fossil carbon producers, plastic producers, and the manufacturers of plastic products legally and financially responsible for the safety and end-of-life management of all the materials they produce and sell.The Treaty needs to mandate reductions in the chemical complexity of plastic products; health-protective standards for plastics and plastic additives; a requirement for use of sustainable non-toxic materials; full disclosure of all components; and traceability of components. International cooperation will be essential to implementing and enforcing these standards.The Treaty needs to include SEJ remedies at each stage of the plastic life cycle designed to fill gaps in community knowledge and advance both distributional and procedural equity.This Commission encourages inclusion in the Global Plastic Treaty of a provision calling for exploration of listing at least some plastic polymers as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention.This Commission encourages a strong interface between the Global Plastics Treaty and the Basel and London Conventions to enhance management of hazardous plastic waste and slow current massive exports of plastic waste into the world's least-developed countries.This Commission recommends the creation of a Permanent Science Policy Advisory Body to guide the Treaty's implementation. The main priorities of this Body would be to guide Member States and other stakeholders in evaluating which solutions are most effective in reducing plastic consumption, enhancing plastic waste recovery and recycling, and curbing the generation of plastic waste. This Body could also assess trade-offs among these solutions and evaluate safer alternatives to current plastics. It could monitor the transnational export of plastic waste. It could coordinate robust oceanic-, land-, and air-based MNP monitoring programs.This Commission recommends urgent investment by national governments in research into solutions to the global plastic crisis. This research will need to determine which solutions are most effective and cost-effective in the context of particular countries and assess the risks and benefits of proposed solutions. Oceanographic and environmental research is needed to better measure concentrations and impacts of plastics <10 µm and understand their distribution and fate in the global environment. Biomedical research is needed to elucidate the human health impacts of plastics, especially MNPs. Summary This Commission finds that plastics are both a boon to humanity and a stealth threat to human and planetary health. Plastics convey enormous benefits, but current linear patterns of plastic production, use, and disposal that pay little attention to sustainable design or safe materials and a near absence of recovery, reuse, and recycling are responsible for grave harms to health, widespread environmental damage, great economic costs, and deep societal injustices. These harms are rapidly worsening.While there remain gaps in knowledge about plastics' harms and uncertainties about their full magnitude, the evidence available today demonstrates unequivocally that these impacts are great and that they will increase in severity in the absence of urgent and effective intervention at global scale. Manufacture and use of essential plastics may continue. However, reckless increases in plastic production, and especially increases in the manufacture of an ever-increasing array of unnecessary single-use plastic products, need to be curbed.Global intervention against the plastic crisis is needed now because the costs of failure to act will be immense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J. Landrigan
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Medical Biology Department, MC
| | - Hervé Raps
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, Medical Biology Department, MC
| | - Maureen Cropper
- Economics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, US
| | - Caroline Bald
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Patrick Fenichel
- Université Côte d’Azur
- Centre Hospitalier, Universitaire de Nice, FR
| | - Lora E. Fleming
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, UK
| | | | | | | | - Carly Griffin
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Mark E. Hahn
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
- Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, US
| | - Budi Haryanto
- Department of Environmental Health, Universitas Indonesia, ID
- Research Center for Climate Change, Universitas Indonesia, ID
| | - Richard Hixson
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Hannah Ianelli
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Bryan D. James
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | | | - Amalia Laborde
- Department of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of the Republic, UY
| | | | - Keith Martin
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health, US
| | - Jenna Mu
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | - Adetoun Mustapha
- Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria
- Lead City University, NG
| | - Jia Niu
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, US
| | - Sabine Pahl
- University of Vienna, Austria
- University of Plymouth, UK
| | | | - Maria-Luiza Pedrotti
- Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche sur mer (LOV), Sorbonne Université, FR
| | | | | | - Bhedita Jaya Seewoo
- Minderoo Foundation, AU
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, AU
| | | | - John J. Stegeman
- Biology Department and Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, US
| | - William Suk
- Superfund Research Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, US
| | | | - Hideshige Takada
- Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry (LOG), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, JP
| | | | | | - Zhanyun Wang
- Technology and Society Laboratory, WEmpa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials and Technology, CH
| | - Ella Whitman
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | | | | | - Aroub K. Yousuf
- Global Observatory on Planetary Health, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, US
| | - Sarah Dunlop
- Minderoo Foundation, AU
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, AU
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10
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Weideman EA, Perold V, Donnarumma V, Suaria G, Ryan PG. Proximity to coast and major rivers influence the density of floating microplastics and other litter in east African coastal waters. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 188:114644. [PMID: 36764144 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Floating anthropogenic litter occurs in all ocean basins, yet little is known about their distribution and abundance in the coastal waters off east Africa. Neuston net and bulk water sampling shows that meso- and micro-litter (8567 ± 19,684 items∙km-2, 44 ± 195 g∙km-2) and microfibres (2.4 ± 2.6 fibres∙L-1) are pervasive pollutants off the coasts of Tanzania and northern Mozambique, with higher litter loads off Tanzania. Densities of meso- and micro-litter at the start of the rainy season were greater close to the coast and to major river mouths, suggesting that much litter likely originates on land. However, the mass of litter increased with distance from the six major coastal cities. By number, 95% of meso- and micro-litter was plastic, but only 6% of microfibres. Our results highlight the need to reduce plastic use and improve solid waste management in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor A Weideman
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
| | - Vonica Perold
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Vincenzo Donnarumma
- CNR-ISMAR (Institute of Marine Sciences - National Research Council), Lerici 19032, La Spezia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Suaria
- CNR-ISMAR (Institute of Marine Sciences - National Research Council), Lerici 19032, La Spezia, Italy
| | - Peter G Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
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11
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Complete Genome Sequences of Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Clinical Isolates from Danish Ulcerative Colitis Patients. Microbiol Resour Announc 2023; 12:e0118622. [PMID: 36715532 PMCID: PMC9933702 DOI: 10.1128/mra.01186-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is a potential factor in ulcerative colitis etiology. We report here the complete genome and plasmid sequences of three Escherichia coli isolates, C 237-04 (p7), C 236-04A (p10A), and C 691-04A (p19A), obtained from fecal samples from ulcerative colitis patients in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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12
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Zhi Xiang JK, Bairoliya S, Cho ZT, Cao B. Plastic-microbe interaction in the marine environment: Research methods and opportunities. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 171:107716. [PMID: 36587499 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Approximately 9 million metric tons of plastics enters the ocean annually, and once in the marine environment, plastic surfaces can be quickly colonised by marine microorganisms, forming a biofilm. Studies on plastic debris-biofilm associations, known as plastisphere, have increased exponentially within the last few years. In this review, we first briefly summarise methods and techniques used in exploring plastic-microbe interactions. Then we highlight research gaps and provide future research opportunities for marine plastisphere studies, especially, on plastic characterisation and standardised biodegradation tests, the fate of "environmentally friendly" plastics, and plastisphere of coastal habitats. Located in the tropics, Southeast Asian (SEA) countries are significant contributors to marine plastic debris. However, plastisphere studies in this region are lacking and therefore, we discuss how the unique environmental conditions in the SEA seas may affect plastic-microbe interaction and why there is an imperative need to conduct plastisphere studies in SEA marine environments. Finally, we also highlight the lack of understanding of the pathogenicity and ecotoxicological effects of plastisphere on marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Koh Zhi Xiang
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Sakcham Bairoliya
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Zin Thida Cho
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Bin Cao
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
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13
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Pathogens transported by plastic debris: does this vector pose a risk to aquatic organisms? Emerg Top Life Sci 2022; 6:349-358. [PMID: 36205551 DOI: 10.1042/etls20220022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Microplastics are small (<5 mm) plastic particles of varying shapes and polymer types that are now widespread global contaminants of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Various estimates suggest that several trillions of microplastic particles are present in our global oceanic system, and that these are readily ingested by a wide range of marine and freshwater species across feeding modes and ecological niches. Here, we present some of the key and pressing issues associated with these globally important contaminants from a microbiological perspective. We discuss the potential mechanisms of pathogen attachment to plastic surfaces. We then describe the ability of pathogens (both human and animal) to form biofilms on microplastics, as well as dispersal of these bacteria, which might lead to their uptake into aquatic species ingesting microplastic particles. Finally, we discuss the role of a changing oceanic system on the potential of microplastic-associated pathogens to cause various disease outcomes using numerous case studies. We set out some key and imperative research questions regarding this globally important issue and present a methodological framework to study how and why plastic-associated pathogens should be addressed.
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14
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Lear L, Padfield D, Dowsett T, Jones M, Kay S, Hayward A, Vos M. Bacterial colonisation dynamics of household plastics in a coastal environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156199. [PMID: 35636543 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Accumulation of plastics in the marine environment has widespread detrimental consequences for ecosystems and wildlife. Marine plastics are rapidly colonised by a wide diversity of bacteria, including human pathogens, posing potential risks to health. Here, we investigate the effect of polymer type, residence time and estuarine location on bacterial colonisation of common household plastics, including pathogenic bacteria. We submerged five main household plastic types: low-density PE (LDPE), high-density PE (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) at an estuarine site in Cornwall (U.K.) and tracked bacterial colonisation dynamics. Using both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches, we found that bacteria rapidly colonised plastics irrespective of polymer type, reaching culturable densities of up to 1000 cells cm3 after 7 weeks. Community composition of the biofilms changed over time, but not among polymer types. The presence of pathogenic bacteria, quantified using the insect model Galleria mellonella, increased dramatically over a five-week period, with Galleria mortality increasing from 4% in week one to 65% in week five. No consistent differences in virulence were observed between polymer types. Pathogens isolated from plastic biofilms using Galleria enrichment included Serratia and Enterococcus species and they harboured a wide range of antimicrobial resistance genes. Our findings show that plastics in coastal waters are rapidly colonised by a wide diversity of bacteria independent of polymer type. Further, our results show that marine plastic biofilms become increasingly associated with virulent bacteria over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Lear
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Padfield
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom.
| | - Tirion Dowsett
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Maia Jones
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Suzanne Kay
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Hayward
- Department of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Michiel Vos
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
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15
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Complete Genome Sequence of a Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Environmental Isolate from Zanzibar, Tanzania, Harboring Novel Insertion Elements and Two
bla
CTX-M-15
Genes. Microbiol Resour Announc 2022; 11:e0026322. [PMID: 35862907 PMCID: PMC9387273 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00263-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we report the annotated whole-genome sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae strain KP_3b, isolated in Zanzibar, Tanzania, from plastic litter. The strain is extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing and multidrug resistant, encoding 17 resistance genes, most of which are located on a 230,544-bp plasmid. The isolate contains two copies of the blaCTX-M-15 gene and novel insertion elements.
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16
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Metcalf R, Oliver DM, Moresco V, Quilliam RS. Quantifying the importance of plastic pollution for the dissemination of human pathogens: The challenges of choosing an appropriate 'control' material. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 810:152292. [PMID: 34896491 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Discarded plastic wastes in the environment are serious challenges for sustainable waste management and for the delivery of environmental and public health. Plastics in the environment become rapidly colonised by microbial biofilm, and importantly this so-called 'plastisphere' can also support, or even enrich human pathogens. The plastisphere provides a protective environment and could facilitate the increased survival, transport and dissemination of human pathogens and thus increase the likelihood of pathogens coming into contact with humans, e.g., through direct exposure at beaches or bathing waters. However, much of our understanding about the relative risks associated with human pathogens colonising environmental plastic pollution has been inferred from taxonomic identification of pathogens in the plastisphere, or laboratory experiments on the relative behaviour of plastics colonised by human pathogens. There is, therefore, a pressing need to understand whether plastics play a greater role in promoting the survival and dispersal of human pathogens within the environment compared to other substrates (either natural materials or other pollutants). In this paper, we consider all published studies that have detected human pathogenic bacteria on the surfaces of environmental plastic pollution and critically discuss the challenges of selecting an appropriate control material for plastisphere experiments. Whilst it is clear there is no 'perfect' control material for all plastisphere studies, understanding the context-specific role plastics play compared to other substrates for transferring human pathogens through the environment is important for quantifying the potential risk that colonised plastic pollution may have for environmental and public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Metcalf
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - David M Oliver
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Vanessa Moresco
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Richard S Quilliam
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
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17
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Singh A, Padmesh S, Dwivedi M, Kostova I. How Good are Bacteriophages as an Alternative Therapy to Mitigate Biofilms of Nosocomial Infections. Infect Drug Resist 2022; 15:503-532. [PMID: 35210792 PMCID: PMC8860455 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s348700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria survive on any surface through the generation of biofilms that provide a protective environment to grow as well as making them drug resistant. Extracellular polymeric matrix is a crucial component in biofilm formation. The presence of biofilms consisting of common opportunistic and nosocomial, drug-resistant pathogens has been reported on medical devices like catheters and prosthetics, leading to many complications. Several approaches are under investigation to combat drug-resistant bacteria. Deployment of bacteriophages is one of the promising approaches to invade biofilm that may expose bacteria to the conditions adverse for their growth. Penetration into these biofilms and their destruction by bacteriophages is brought about due to their small size and ability of their progeny to diffuse through the bacterial cell wall. The other mechanisms employed by phages to infect biofilms may include their relocation through water channels to embedded host cells, replication at local sites followed by infection to the neighboring cells and production of depolymerizing enzymes to decompose viscous biofilm matrix, etc. Various research groups are investigating intricacies involved in phage therapy to mitigate the bacterial infection and biofilm formation. Thus, bacteriophages represent a good control over different biofilms and further understanding of phage-biofilm interaction at molecular level may overcome the clinical challenges in phage therapy. The present review summarizes the comprehensive details on dynamic interaction of phages with bacterial biofilms and the role of phage-derived enzymes - endolysin and depolymerases in extenuating biofilms of clinical and medical concern. The methodology employed was an extensive literature search, using several keywords in important scientific databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, etc. The keywords were also used with Boolean operator "And". More than 250 relevant and recent articles were selected and reviewed to discuss the evidence-based data on the application of phage therapy with recent updates, and related potential challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Singh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, 226028, India
| | - Sudhakar Padmesh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, 226028, India
| | - Manish Dwivedi
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, 226028, India
| | - Irena Kostova
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University, Sofia, 1000, Bulgaria
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18
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Li N, Liu H, Cheng Z, Yan B, Chen G, Wang S. Conversion of plastic waste into fuels: A critical review. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 424:127460. [PMID: 34653868 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Plastic wastes have posed serious threats to the environment, including decrease of soil nutrient effectiveness and agricultural production as well as emerge of ecological instability. Fuel conversion from plastic waste is regarded as a promising strategy for its disposal and energy utilization. Plastic wastes can be converted into target fuels by adjusting cracking of chemical bonds. Currently, numerous technologies regarding fuel conversion from plastic wastes have been reported, including conventional pyrolysis, novel heat treatment and advanced oxidation. However, systematic summary and comparative analysis of different technologies are still scarcely reported. In this review, fuel conversion from plastic wastes was summarized comprehensively, highlighting novel heat treatment and advanced oxidation technologies reported in recent years. Furthermore, the superiority and drawbacks of each technology were analyzed, and future prospects of technology application were proposed. With lower reaction temperature and higher-value fuel, novel heat treatment of plastics is more popular than traditional one. Advanced oxidation can be controlled to convert plastics into fuels under room temperature and pressure, guiding the new normal in energy utilization of plastic wastes. This review aims to provide inspiration for energy utilization of solid waste, addressing the issues of white pollution and energy shortage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering/Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Bio Gas/Oil Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hengxin Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering/Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Bio Gas/Oil Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zhanjun Cheng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering/Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Bio Gas/Oil Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Beibei Yan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering/Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Bio Gas/Oil Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Guanyi Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering/Tianjin Engineering Research Center of Bio Gas/Oil Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin 300134, China; School of Science, Tibet University, Lhasa 850012, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
| | - Shaobin Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
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19
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De-la-Torre GE, Pizarro-Ortega CI, Dioses-Salinas DC, Ammendolia J, Okoffo ED. Investigating the current status of COVID-19 related plastics and their potential impact on human health. CURRENT OPINION IN TOXICOLOGY 2021; 27:47-53. [PMID: 34541428 PMCID: PMC8441111 DOI: 10.1016/j.cotox.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sudden global increase in the production, consumption, and mismanagement of personal protective equipment (PPE). As plastic-based PPE such as disposable face masks and gloves have become widely used, human exposure to PPE-derived pollutants may occur through indirect and direct pathways. This review explores the potential health impacts related to plastic-based PPE through these pathways. Face masks release microplastics, which are directly inhaled during use or transported through the environment. The latter can adsorb chemical contaminants and harbor pathogenic microbiota, and once consumed by organisms, they can translocate to multiple organs upon intake, potentially causing detrimental and cytotoxic effects. However, more research is required to have a comprehensive overview of the human health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Justine Ammendolia
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Elvis D Okoffo
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS), The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
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20
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Strength in numbers: How citizen science can upscale assessment of human exposure to plastic pollution. CURRENT OPINION IN TOXICOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cotox.2021.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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21
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Connan M, Perold V, Dilley BJ, Barbraud C, Cherel Y, Ryan PG. The Indian Ocean 'garbage patch': Empirical evidence from floating macro-litter. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 169:112559. [PMID: 34116371 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Marine litter has become a global issue with 'garbage patches' documented in all ocean gyres. The Pacific and Atlantic garbage patches have been well described, but there are few empirical data for the Indian Ocean. In the austral summer 2019-2020, we conducted an at-sea survey of macro-litter in the rarely investigated south-west Indian Ocean. Over 24 days, 1623 man-made items were observed including plastic fragments, packaging and fishing-related items during 216 h of observations covering 5464 km. More than 99% of the litter items were plastics of which almost 60% were white. Floating litter was patchily distributed with only five items (0.2%) recorded south of 40°S (0.1 items·km-2). Half of the items were encountered over a two-day period south-east of Madagascar (30°S; 59-67°E; 75.2 items·km-2). Our survey detected an accumulation of litter in the southern Indian Ocean and demonstrated that this area warrants more research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlle Connan
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Institute for Coastal and Marine Research, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
| | - Vonica Perold
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Ben J Dilley
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Peter G Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
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22
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Multidrug-Resistant, Including Extended-Spectrum Beta Lactamase-Producing and Quinolone-Resistant, Escherichia coli Isolated from Poultry and Domestic Pigs in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10040406. [PMID: 33918543 PMCID: PMC8069735 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10040406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We determined the phenotypic profile of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli isolated from 698 samples (390 and 308 from poultry and domestic pigs, respectively). In total, 562 Enterobacteria were isolated. About 80.5% of the isolates were E. coli. Occurrence of E. coli was significantly higher among domestic pigs (73.1%) than in poultry (60.5%) (p = 0.000). In both poultry and domestic pigs, E. coli isolates were highly resistant to tetracycline (63.5%), nalidixic acid (53.7%), ampicillin (52.3%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (50.9%). About 51.6%, 65.3%, and 53.7% of E. coli were MDR, extended-spectrum beta lactamase-producing enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE), and quinolone-resistant, respectively. A total of 68% of the extended-spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producers were also resistant to quinolones. For all tested antibiotics, resistance was significantly higher in ESBL-producing and quinolone-resistant isolates than the non-ESBL producers and non-quinolone-resistant E. coli. Eight isolates were resistant to eight classes of antimicrobials. We compared phenotypic with genotypic results of 20 MDR E. coli isolates, ESBL producers, and quinolone-resistant strains and found 80% harbored blaCTX-M, 15% aac(6)-lb-cr, 10% qnrB, and 5% qepA. None harbored TEM, SHV, qnrA, qnrS, qnrC, or qnrD. The observed pattern and level of resistance render this portfolio of antibiotics ineffective for their intended use.
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23
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Topka-Bielecka G, Dydecka A, Necel A, Bloch S, Nejman-Faleńczyk B, Węgrzyn G, Węgrzyn A. Bacteriophage-Derived Depolymerases against Bacterial Biofilm. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:175. [PMID: 33578658 PMCID: PMC7916357 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10020175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to specific antibiotic resistance, the formation of bacterial biofilm causes another level of complications in attempts to eradicate pathogenic or harmful bacteria, including difficult penetration of drugs through biofilm structures to bacterial cells, impairment of immunological response of the host, and accumulation of various bioactive compounds (enzymes and others) affecting host physiology and changing local pH values, which further influence various biological functions. In this review article, we provide an overview on the formation of bacterial biofilm and its properties, and then we focus on the possible use of phage-derived depolymerases to combat bacterial cells included in this complex structure. On the basis of the literature review, we conclude that, although these bacteriophage-encoded enzymes may be effective in destroying specific compounds involved in the formation of biofilm, they are rarely sufficient to eradicate all bacterial cells. Nevertheless, a combined therapy, employing depolymerases together with antibiotics and/or other antibacterial agents or factors, may provide an effective approach to treat infections caused by bacteria able to form biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gracja Topka-Bielecka
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (G.T.-B.); (A.D.); (A.N.); (B.N.-F.); (G.W.)
| | - Aleksandra Dydecka
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (G.T.-B.); (A.D.); (A.N.); (B.N.-F.); (G.W.)
| | - Agnieszka Necel
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (G.T.-B.); (A.D.); (A.N.); (B.N.-F.); (G.W.)
| | - Sylwia Bloch
- Laboratory of Phage Therapy, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdańsk, Poland;
| | - Bożena Nejman-Faleńczyk
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (G.T.-B.); (A.D.); (A.N.); (B.N.-F.); (G.W.)
| | - Grzegorz Węgrzyn
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; (G.T.-B.); (A.D.); (A.N.); (B.N.-F.); (G.W.)
| | - Alicja Węgrzyn
- Laboratory of Phage Therapy, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kładki 24, 80-822 Gdańsk, Poland;
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