Microplastics boost antibiotic resistance, refugee settlements at higher risk: Study

By Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Microplastic pollution in the body may enhance the ability of bacteria and viruses to resist the effects of antibiotics, according to a new study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Around 4.95 million deaths each year are linked to infections resistant to antibiotics. Bacteria become resistant for various reasons, including misuse of medications, but the environment where microbes grow plays a big role.

Researchers tested how bacteria reacted to a closed environment with microplastics.

"The plastics provide a surface that the bacteria attach to and colonize," said Neila Gross, lead author of the study.

Bacteria form a protective biofilm on surfaces, which shields them from threats. Researchers found that microplastics made these biofilms stronger, preventing antibiotics from breaking through and effectively fighting the bacteria.

Researchers found that plastics do more than just give bacteria a surface to cling to; they actually help bacteria become resistant to treatments.

According to the study, this is especially concerning in crowded, impoverished areas like refugee settlements, where plastic waste and bacterial infections are common.

Muhammad Zaman, a Boston University College of Engineering professor of biomedical engineering who studies antimicrobial resistance and refugee and migrant health, said: "The fact that there are microplastics all around us, and even more so in impoverished places where sanitation may be limited, is a striking part of this observation."

Zaman noted that antibiotic resistance has been linked to patient behavior, but displaced people face higher risks due to their environment, with microplastics adding extra challenges to already strained health systems.