Pathogenic Bacteria Found On Microplastics Retrieved From Tropical Beaches

Bacteria living on microplastic pollution in tropical marine environments include a number of pathogenic species as well as some others that may be helpful

by GrrlScientist for Forbes | @GrrlScientist

NOTE: Originally published under the title: “Pathogenic Bacteria Found On Microplastics Retrieved From Singapore’s Beaches”

Plastic rubbish strewn on the beach, Lazarus Island, Singapore. Lazarus Island was one of the field sites where microplastics were collected for this study.
(Credit: Jnzl / CC BY 2.0)

A diversity of bacteria have been discovered living on microplastics collected from Singapore’s beaches and coastal regions, including some that are pathogenic to humans, according to a team of marine researchers. The scientists, who are with the National University of Singapore (NUS), determined that the pathogenic bacteria can cause a variety of damages, ranging from coral bleaching to infecting open wounds. But along with these harmful microbes, the researchers also discovered some potentially useful bacteria, including a few that apparently can biodegrade oil and plastic.

“Microplastics form a large proportion of plastic pollution in marine environments,” said marine scientist Sandric Leong, a Senior Research Fellow at the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI), who was the senior author of the newly-published study (ref).