Plastisphere as a vector for pathogens

There is growing evidence that plastic particles can accumulate microorganisms that are pathogenic to humans or animals. In the current study, the composition of the plastispheres that accumulated on polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pieces submerged in a river in the southeast Norway was characterized by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Seasonal and geographical effects on the bacterial composition of the plastispheres were identified, in addition to the detection of potential foodborne pathogenic bacteria and viruses as part of the plastisphere. The diversity and taxonomic composition of the plastispheres were influenced by the number of weeks in the river, the season, and the location. The bacterial diversity differed significantly in the plastispheres from June and September, with a generally higher diversity in June. Also, the community composition of the plastispheres was significantly influenced by the geographical location, while the...