Plastic pollution is raising new concerns about the spread of antibiotic resistance, according to a perspective article published in Biocontaminant. The article discusses how viruses living on plastic surfaces may contribute to the movement of antibiotic resistance genes among microbes, potentially affecting environmental and public health.
When plastics enter natural environments, they quickly become coated with microbial biofilms known as the plastisphere. These communities are already recognized as hotspots for antibiotic resistance genes. The study suggests that viruses, which are abundant in these biofilms, could play a significant role in transferring resistance genes between bacteria.
"Most research has focused on bacteria in the plastisphere, but viruses are everywhere in these communities and interact closely with their hosts," said Dong Zhu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Viruses can move genetic material between bacteria through horizontal gene transfer. In densely packed plastisphere biofilms, this process may be more efficient, allowing viruses to shuttle resistance genes across different species, including those that can cause disease. Some viruses also carry auxiliary metabolic genes that help bacteria survive under stress from antibiotics or pollutants, indirectly supporting resistant microbes.
The authors note that viral activity varies by environment. In aquatic settings, viruses on plastics tend to promote gene transfer and may increase resistance risks. In soils, however, they might limit resistant bacteria by killing their hosts. These differences underscore the importance of considering environmental context when evaluating plastic pollution risks.
"This perspective emphasizes that antibiotic resistance linked to plastics cannot be fully understood without including viral ecology," said lead author Xue Peng Chen. "Incorporating viruses into a One Health framework will help us better evaluate the long term consequences of plastic pollution."
The authors recommend future research to directly measure gene exchange between viruses and bacteria on plastics and improve detection methods for virus-encoded resistance genes. Such efforts could support better environmental monitoring and inform strategies for managing plastic waste to reduce antibiotic resistance risks.
