Antimicrobial resistance and marine plastic pollution are both major environmental and global health concerns. There is however limited knowledge concerning the occurrence of pathogens and antibiotic resistant bacteria in wastewater (WW) effluents from urban areas and in the coastal marine environments into which they are discharged.
Furthermore, the potential role of plastics as a vector for the transmission of pathogens, antibiotic resistant bacteria and genes throughout the marine environment is poorly understood. The potential role of marine (micro)plastic litter to act as a reservoir and vector for the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance and pathogenic bacteria in marine environments and into the human food chain is also evaluated.
Maps wastewater content in several countries
In the Plastispread project, field- and lab-scale plastic model systems will be used to study biofilms establishing on the plastic surfaces. These experiments will provide information on the influence of WW effluent composition and plastic polymer type, on the (biofilm) bacterial community composition, including the occurrence of potential pathogens, antibiotic resistant bacteria and -genes. The laboratory experiments will be performed both in Norway and Greece.
As Greece has a much higher consumption of antibiotics than Norway, such complementary studies will allow investigation into how and to what degree the antibiotic consumption will influence the occurrence of antibiotic resistance (bacteria and genes) in local effluent WW. The field model system will be placed at exposed and non-exposed sites in the Trondheim Fjord, Norway.
Marine bivalve molluscs will be used as indicators for exploring effects on marine organisms present at the same sites. A novel aspect of PlastiSpread will be to experimentally determine the process of horizontal gene transfer of antibiotic resistant genes from WW to susceptible plastic-associated biofilm bacteria.
Need more knowledge
The project will increase our understanding of marine plastic litter as a vector for pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in the marine environment. The NTNU-led PlastiSpread project is a collaboration between SINTEF (Industry and Ocean), NTNU and the University of Thessaly, Greece. The project has a total budget of 12 million NOK. PlastiSpread is financed by the Norwegian Research Council.