antibiotic-resistant bacteria Archives

March 11, 2025

Microplastics boost antibiotic resistance in E. coli, lab study suggests

By Shannon Kelleher

Co-mingling of tiny pieces of plastic with certain harmful bacteria can make the bacteria harder to fight with several common antibiotics, according to a new study that adds to global concerns about antibiotic resistance.

The study, published Tuesday in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, found that when Escherichia coli (E. coli) MG1655 bacteria, a widely-used laboratory strain, were cultured with microplastics (plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in size), the bacteria became five times more resistant to four common antibiotics than when they were cultivated without the plastic particles.

The findings may be particularly relevant for understanding links between waste management and disease, the study suggests. Municipal wastewater plants contain both microplastics and antibiotics, making them “hot spots” that fuel the spread of antibiotic resistance.

“The fact that there are microplastics all around us …. is a striking part of this observation,” study co-author and Boston University professor Muhammad Zaman said in a press release. “There is certainly a concern that this could present a higher risk in communities that are disadvantaged, and only underscores the need for more vigilance and a deeper insight into [microplastic and bacterial] interactions.”

Many types of bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics, largely due to their overuse. Over 2.8 million infections resistant to these medications occur in the US alone each year, killing 35,000 people annually, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Resistance in E.coli is a concern because even though the bacteria usually live harmlessly in the guts of humans and animals, some strains can cause severe illness. And there are multiple types of dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which often causes infections in hospitals, and Clostridium difficile (C.diff), which causes diarrhea.

December 15, 2022

Arsenic-laden drinking water drives antibiotic resistance, study says

Exposure to arsenic through drinking water has long been recognized as a serious risk to human health. This month, two studies underscore the extent of the ongoing threat, presenting fresh evidence regarding how arsenic exposure contributes to antibiotic resistance, and how the overall health risks are disproportionately borne by Hispanic and American Indian communities.

“Reducing exposure to arsenic is important given the numerous health effects,” said Ana Navas-Acien, a professor of environmental health at Columbia University and an author on a new study identifying racial and ethnic inequalities associated with arsenic pollution.

Arsenic is naturally occurring in the earth but is highly toxic in its inorganic form. It has been used for decades for a range of industrial purposes. Long-term exposure to the chemical is associated with some cancers as well as developmental problems, an increased risk of diabetes, pulmonary disease and other diseases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

An estimated 140 million people in at least 70 countries have been drinking water containing arsenic at levels above the WHO provisional guidelines, the organization states.