Can microplastics facilitate the emergence of infectious diseases?

Claire Loiseau (1) , Gabriele Sorci (2)

1 CIBIO - Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos [Vairao]
2 BGS - Biogéosciences [UMR 6282]

Plastic pollution is a major environmental problem. Small plastic particles (called microplastics) have been reported to have pernicious effects on human and wildlife health, by altering physiological functions (e.g., immunity, metabolism) and interfering with commensal microorganisms. However, in addition to these direct toxic effects, we suggest that microplastic pollution might also exert deleterious effects, modifying (i) the exposure to pathogens (e.g., multi-drug resistant bacteria) and (ii) the dynamics of vector-borne diseases. Therefore, we argue that microplastics should be considered as a ubiquitous environmental hazard, potentially promoting the (re)emergence of infectious diseases. The implementation of multi- and interdisciplinary research projects are crucial to properly evaluate if microplastic pollution should be added to the current list of global health threats.

Mots clés: Antimicrobial resistance; Biofilm; Microbiota; Plastic pollution; Vectorial capacity

Domaines: Biodiversité et Ecologie; Santé; Maladies infectieuses

Claire Loiseau, Gabriele Sorci. Can microplastics facilitate the emergence of infectious diseases?. Science of the Total Environment, 2022, 823, pp.153694. ⟨10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153694⟩. ⟨hal-03620085⟩