News
Microplastics in donkeys
Microplastics found in 100% of donkey faecal samples, revealing impact of plastic pollution on donkeys, people and the environment in Kenya.
22 November 2025
Findings of a new study have led researchers to strongly recommend wearing gloves when taking part in beach cleans.
The researchers are calling for ‘urgent action on waste management’ after discovering microplastics in the natural environment are colonised by pathogenic and antimicrobial resistant bacteria.
Microplastics – plastic particles less than 5mm in size – are extremely widespread pollutants.
It is estimated that over 125 trillion particles have accumulated in the ocean (surface to seabed) and they have also been detected in soils, rivers, lakes, animals and the human body.
An emerging concern associated with these substrates are the microbial communities that rapidly make their home on the particle surface, forming complex biofilms known as the ‘Plastisphere’.
These communities may often include pathogenic (disease-causing) or antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria.
Wastewater treatment plants or solid waste landfill sites have been proposed to spread, boost or influence the evolution of antimicrobial resistance and pathogens in nature.
This may well increase the risk to human health, so it’s vital that more is understood about the interactions of the bacterial communities within the Plastisphere and other marine pollutants, such as domestic and clinical wastewater.
‘Following the recent concerning release of sewage bio-beads in Sussex, this timely study highlights the pathogenic and AMR risk posed by microplastic substrates littering our ocean and coasts. By identifying high-risk substrates, we can improve the monitoring of those, or even phase them out for safer alternatives.
‘This novel research used a specifically-designed incubation structure that helped reduce bias from biofilm communities growing on cages, bags or boxes used to secure microplastics in traditional studies. Our study fixed these news structures along a transect from the clinic to marine waters and our findings clearly show the importance of this multiple environment transect. Previous studies have detected AMR and pathogen colonisation high pollution zones but we show that other surface waters can harbour communities with a high proportion of AMR.”
‘As this work highlights the diverse and sometimes harmful bacteria that grows on plastic in the environment, we recommend that any beach cleaning volunteer should wear gloves during clean ups, and always wash your hands afterwards.’DR EMILY STEVENSON
Lead author and PhD researcher with Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the University of Exeter at the time of the study
Lab studies have shown that some commonly discarded plastic materials serve as a platform for the selective growth of bacterial communities responsible for AMR and diseases in both humans and animals. While previous work has explored this in the environment, several questions and issues remained unanswered, which this new study aimed to address.
The study, titled ‘Sewers to Seas: Exploring Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance on Microplastics from Hospital Wastewater to Marine Environments’, was published in Environment International.
‘Our research shows that microplastics can act as carriers for harmful pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria, enhancing their survival and spread. This interaction poses a growing risk to environmental and public health and demands urgent attention.
‘By tracking a source-to-sea pathway influenced by hospital and domestic wastewater discharges, our study shows how antimicrobial-resistant pathogens colonised all substrates. Protected within their biofilms, each microplastic particle effectively becomes a tiny vehicle capable of transporting potential pathogens from sewage works to beaches, swimming areas and shellfish-growing sites.’
PROF. PENNIE LINDEQUE
Co-author and Head of Group for Marine Ecology and Society at Plymouth Marine Laboratory
The study team, led by Dr Emily Stevenson and involving scientists from Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the University of Exeter, developed a novel structure that would allow five different substrates (bio-beads, nurdles, polystyrene, wood and glass) to be secured along a waterway that was expected to decrease in anthropogenic pollution downstream.
Bio-beads are small plastic pellets used in the wastewater treatment process by UK water companies to provide a surface for bacteria to grow and break down nutrients.
Nurdles are small plastic pellets used as the raw material to make almost all plastic products, such as bottles, clothes and car parts.
After two months in the water, bacterial biofilms growing on each substrate were analysed using metagenomics; the genomic analysis of genetic material collected from an entire community of organisms in a specific environment.
Pathogens and AMR bacteria were found on all substrates, across all sample sites.
The research found that polystyrene and nurdles may pose a greater AMR risk than other substrates, potentially due to their ability to adsorb antibiotics and promote biofilm formation that facilitates transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs).
Over 100 unique ARGs sequences were identified in microplastic biofilms, which is more than on natural (wood) or inert (glass) substrates.
The researchers found that environmental bio-beads can support bacteria that carry resistance genes to key antibiotics, like aminoglycosides, macrolides and tetracyclines.
Unexpectedly, some bacterial pathogens increased in prevalence moving downstream, when associated with microplastic biofilms.
‘Our research shows that microplastics aren’t just an environmental issue – they may also play a role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. This is why we need integrated, cross-sectoral strategies that tackle microplastic pollution and safeguard both the environment and human health.’
DR AIMEE MURRAY
Co-author and Senior Lecturer of Microbiology at the University of Exeter
Environmental location played a significant role in microbial community composition and AMR gene prevalence.
There is a potential biosecurity risk posed by microplastics, particularly in areas near aquaculture facilities, where filter-feeding organisms may ingest colonised particles containing pathogens and ARGs.
The study team emphasises the need for further research into how microplastics interact with co-occurring pollutants, and for improved waste-management practices to reduce the spread of AMR and pathogenic organisms in the environment.
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