# Microbial diversity and potential pathogens associated with the plastisphere on beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

## TL;DR

This study explores the microbial communities on plastic waste from Rio de Janeiro beaches, identifying potential pathogens and plastic-degrading bacteria.

## Contribution

The study identifies potential pathogens and plastic-degrading bacteria in the plastisphere and evaluates the impact of plastic type on microbial community formation.

## Key findings

- Microbial biofilms on plastic waste contain potentially pathogenic bacteria and plastic-degrading species.
- No specific associations were found between polymer types (PP and PE) and microbial communities.
- Plastic waste poses risks to human health and marine biodiversity due to microbial colonization.

## Abstract

Marine pollution caused by plastic waste is a global issue. Improperly discarded plastics often end up in seas and oceans, where they become colonized by a microbial biofilm known as the Plastisphere. In this environment, especially in places where sewage is discharged untreated into water bodies, pathogenic microorganisms and those carrying antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) can settle and spread over long distances. To assess the presence of these microorganisms and examine the impact of substrate type on the formation of these communities, plastic waste samples were collected from three beaches in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The plastics were identified as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) using FTIR analysis, and the microbial biofilm attached to them was studied through 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. The results revealed the presence of bacteria potentially pathogenic to humans and marine life, as well as plastic-degrading species in the biofilms of the analyzed samples. Although the communities present in the different polymers in this study clustered separately, our results did not show specific associations between polymer types and the observed microbial communities. The spread of these plastics in the ocean poses risks to human health and marine biodiversity.