Sammendrag
Microplastics (MPs) are plastic debris with a diameter of 5 ≤ mm. Microorganisms and viruses colonize the surface of MPs, forming so-called plastispheres. MPs are abundant in WWTPs effluents, can be transported to water sources and finally enter terrestrial ecosystems, including food production systems. Due to the persistence and low biodegradability of MPs in the environment, concern has been raised about the ability of potential pathogens to be transferred long distances by MPs. However, there is a lack of information on bacterial colonization of MPs in freshwater systems and MPs role in transferring food borne pathogens from water to terrestrial food production systems is currently unknown. The overall aim for this project was therefore to characterize the plastispheres present in Norwegian freshwater ecosystems and identify potential human pathogens associated with these.
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