Year: 2026
Type: editorial
Abstract: Plastic pollution and antimicrobial resistance are increasingly interconnected global threats. Micro- and nanoplastics create ecological hotspots that enhance microbial interactions and horizontal gene transfer, facilitating antimicrobial resistance dissemination. Here, we argue that the plastisphere acts as an evolutionary interface that reshapes microbial adaptation and resistome dynamics across ecosystems. Current antimicrobial resistance surveillance frameworks largely overlook the contribution of plastic pollution, highlighting the need to integrate plastisphere-mediated processes into One Health and environmental risk assessment strategies.
DOI: 10.1128/aem.00973-26
Authors: Zhi Mei, Erika A. Rodríguez, José L. Balcázar
Institution: Catalan Institute for Water Research
Language: English
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7164923814