Time-course biofilm formation and presence of antibiotic resistance genes on everyday plastic items deployed in river waters under different environmental conditions

In this study, we characterized the long-term biofilm formation on four types of everyday plastics: a plastic dish, a bottle of water, a pipe, and a plastic bag. These everyday plastics were incubated for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year into two different locations in the same river, characterized for different levels of contamination. This study aimed to analyze the development of microbial biofilms in these plastics under different pollution exposure conditions in comparison with non-plastic substrates (rock and borosilicate [BS] glass) and free-living water bacteria as well as to what extent the different plastics suffered structural alterations along the one year-incubation period under natural conditions in aquatic ecosystems. We hypothesized that the type of polymer might select for specific biofilm-forming microorganisms different from the biofilms formed on the non-plastic substrates and free-living water microorganisms.

本研究针对四种日常塑料制品开展长期生物膜形成特征表征，分别为塑料培养皿、饮用水瓶、管材及塑料袋。将上述塑料制品置于同一条河流的两个污染水平各异的点位，分别进行1个月、3个月、6个月及1年的原位孵育。本研究旨在对比不同污染暴露条件下，上述塑料制品表面微生物生物膜的发育情况，并以非塑料基质（岩石与硼硅酸盐(BS)玻璃）及水体游离细菌作为对照；同时探究在水生生态系统自然环境中经过1年孵育后，不同塑料制品的结构改变程度。本研究提出假说：聚合物类型可筛选出特异性的生物膜形成微生物，该类微生物与非塑料基质表面及水体游离微生物所形成的生物膜存在差异。