28 Aug 2023 --- Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, US, have found microplastics (MP) and nanoplastics (NP) widely dispersed in agricultural soils, which they say could contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria with a ready route into food supplies. MPs and NPs are hotspots for exchanging antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) between different environmental bacteria. The researchers believe that the propagation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health issue that needs special attention concerning horizontal gene transfer under micro-nano plastics (MNPs) pressure.
