Plastic pollution affects more than just landscapes and oceans. A recent perspective article in Biocontaminant highlights a lesser-known risk: viruses that inhabit plastic surfaces may facilitate the spread of antibiotic resistance, raising potential concerns for both environmental and public health.
When plastic enters natural environments, it rapidly acquires microbial biofilms, collectively referred to as the plastisphere. These communities are already recognized as reservoirs for antibiotic resistance genes. The new study points out that viruses—the most abundant biological entities on Earth—may play a crucial role in transferring these resistance genes between microbes.
“While much research has focused on bacteria in plastisphere communities, viruses are ubiquitous and interact closely with their hosts,” said corresponding author Dong Zhu from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “Our findings suggest that plastisphere viruses could act as hidden drivers of antibiotic resistance dissemination.”
Viruses can exchange genetic material between bacteria through horizontal gene transfer. In densely populated plastisphere biofilms, viruses may shuttle resistance genes more efficiently across species, potentially including pathogenic bacteria. Some viruses also carry auxiliary genes that enhance bacterial survival under stress, such as antibiotic exposure or pollution, indirectly promoting resistant strains.
The study notes that viral activity varies depending on the environment. In aquatic plastispheres, viruses tend to favor strategies that increase gene transfer, which could amplify resistance risks. In contrast, in soil environments, viruses may suppress resistant bacteria by lysing their hosts. These differing behaviors underscore the importance of considering environmental context when evaluating plastic-associated antibiotic resistance.
Lead author Xue Peng Chen adds, “Understanding antibiotic resistance linked to plastics requires integrating viral ecology. Including viruses in a One Health framework can improve our assessment of the long-term impact of plastic pollution.”
The authors advocate for future studies to measure gene transfer directly between viruses and bacteria on plastics and to improve detection methods for virus-encoded resistance genes. Such research could guide environmental monitoring and plastic waste management strategies, helping to mitigate the growing risk of antibiotic resistance.
