Scientists fear that microplastics may be helping bacteria outsmart antibiotics

Scientists are discovering that the world’s plastic pollution problem could be worsening antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A growing body of research suggests that micro- and nanoplastics can lead to bacteria developing resistance to antibiotics more quickly.

Antibiotics that once cured common infections are becoming less effective as bacteria evolve resistance. AMR, which was responsible for 1.14 million deaths in 2021, is commonly framed as a clinical problem driven by antibiotic misuse in healthcare and livestock farming. ‘Plastic pollution may be an additional environmental factor that makes resistance genes easier to maintain and spread,’ says Bing-Jie Ni, an environmental engineer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.