Talk about a cultural shock.
Microplastics (tiny particles from large plastic articles and industrial waste) can damage cells and disturb organs, potentially increasing the risk of heart disease, cancer, infertility and other chronic conditions.
Researchers at the University of Boston say that there is another disadvantage of these ubiquitous fragments: the bacteria exposed to them can be resistant to various types of antibiotics.
It is believed that the North -Americans inhale and ingest tens of thousands of microplastic particles a year. A recent study found a tablespoon of them in the brain of the people because they are everywhere.
“The fact that there is microplastics around us, and even more so in impoverished places where sanitation can be limited, is an amazing part of this observation,” said Muhammad Zaman, a professor at the University of Boston in Biomedical Engineering who studies antimicrobial resistance and the health of refugees and migrants.
“Certainly, there is a concern for this to be a higher risk in disadvantaged communities,” Zaman continued, “and only emphasizes the need for more surveillance and a deeper view of [microplastic and bacterial] Interactions. “”
The antimicrobial resistance is quite common: it is estimated that 4.95 million deaths are produced worldwide each year due to these infections.
Zaman blames the misuse and excessive use of antibiotics, as well as the immediate environment of the microbial, where bacteria and viruses are replicated.
His team studied how common Bacteria reacted E. coli in a closed environment with microplastics.
The bacteria united and colonized by plastics, as they do on any surface, creating a thin and complex coating called Biofilm. Biofilms protect bacteria from environmental stressors, antibiotics and immune responses.
Microplastical biofilms turned out to be stronger and thicker than those observed in other materials, such as glass. The antibiotic resistance rate in microplastics was also much larger.
“We are demonstrating that the presence of plastics is doing much more than providing a surface for bacteria to stick; they actually lead to the development of resistant organisms,” said Zaman.
Most plastics repel water and other liquids: they are hydrophobic due to their molecular structure.
The Zaman team speculated that plastics take moisture and can absorb antibiotics before reaching the bacteria that are trying to guide.
The findings were published on Tuesday in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Researchers are planning to distinguish the exact mechanisms that allow bacteria to have such strong grip on plastic and study the appearance of bacteria and viruses resistant to antibiotics related to microplastics in refugee camps.
The team said that refugees, asylum seekers and forced displaced populations are especially susceptible to drug -resistant infections. It is estimated that 122 million people have been strongly displaced worldwide.
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