PARIS, Nov 1, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Plastic litter in rivers might be allowing
dangerous pathogens to hitch-hike downstream, a new study published Wednesday
found.

The research, which focused on one UK river, found that dumped plastic,
wooden sticks and the water itself were a breeding ground for communities of
microorganisms, potentially providing a reservoir for bacteria and viruses
known to cause human diseases and antibiotic resistance.

"Our findings indicate that plastics in freshwater bodies may contribute to
the transport of potential pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes," said
lead author Vinko Zadjelovic of the University of Antofagasta in Chile.

"This could have indirect but significant implications for human health," he
told AFP.

Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health threat. In 2019, infections
related to antibiotic resistance are estimated to have killed 2.7 million
people worldwide.

By 2050 they are predicted to cause 10 million deaths worldwide, according to
the study, published in the journal Microbiome.

When plastic ends up in water its surface is overrun within minutes by nearby
microbes.

The researchers submerged samples for a week in the River Sowe in
Warwickshire and West Midlands England, downstream from a wastewater
treatment plant.
 
They found significant differences in the microbe communities depending on
the material sampled.

- Water worries -

Wastewater is required to be treated and disinfected to reduce microbial
hazards and any adverse impacts they might have on human and environmental
health.

But the water samples that the researchers collected in February of 2020
harboured human pathogens such as Salmonella, Escheria most commonly known as
E.Coli, and Streptococcus responsible for strep throat.

That underscores "the pressing need for stricter monitoring of wastewater
treatment plants," said Zadjelovic.

Meanwhile, the plastic and wood samples attracted "opportunistic" bacteria
such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and aeromonas, known to pose risk to people
with compromised immune systems.

P.aeruginosa, which causes infections in hospital patients, was found to be
nearly three times more abundant on "weathered plastic" that the researchers
manipulated to resemble the way plastic breaks down in nature, when compared
to the wood.

That weathered plastic also showed a greater abundance of the genes
responsible for antibiotic resistance.

In recent months, British water companies have come under fire over the
pumping of raw sewage into the UK's waterways and the underreporting of
pollution events, provoking widespread public anger.

Rivers are the main way plastic enters the world's oceans, channelling
anywhere between 3.5 thousand tonnes to 2.41 million tonnes of the manmade
material to the sea annually.