Microplastics, which are essentially plastic debris less than 5 mm in size, have been the silent flag bearers of the plastic pandemic for years! They had been overlooked until recently, and that was enough time for them to colonise every surface possible.
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In a sense, they are omnipresent — they are floating in our oceans and rivers, blowing in the wind, a part of our food and cosmetics, and scientists have even found them in human blood and the placentas of unborn babies!
Adding to their dangerous nature, a recent study at the University of Queensland has now shown that these super-tiny plastic particles are also capable of carrying viruses!
The study conducted experiments using the E. coli bacteriophage — viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria, but pose no risk to humans — and polystyrene particles of varying sizes.
After specifically investigating if microplastics have the ability to harbour viruses, they found that the microplastic particles were able to adsorb (hold as a thin film on the outside surface) about 98% of viruses, of which over 50% were alive and kicking even after ten days. In fact, this survival duration far exceeds their expected lifespan had they been free-floating in water bodies.
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The team also tested whether sunlight exposure and environmental damage impacted the microplastics’ virus-carrying ability in any way. The results, again, weren’t in favour of humanity — greater environmental damage only intensified the tendency of the microplastic-virus duo to cling together! Their strong bond was attributed to electrostatic interactions.
“What we found is that viruses can hitchhike on microplastics and prolong their infectivity, which means there could be an increased risk of virus transmission throughout waterways and the environment,” said Associate Prof Jianhua Guo, who led the study.
In fact, this new-found ability of microplastics could also play a role in altering the distribution of viruses in waterways, which may result in the inter-continental transmission of water-borne viral diseases.
But is the viral load on these tiny plastic bits enough to result in actual disease? The researchers pointed out that it could be a possibility.
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“The required dosage to be infectious to humans varies between different types of viruses, but there could be instances where the dosage is enough on a microplastic to cause potential infection,” said Dr Ji Lu, a researcher on the team.
With plastic pollution as well as viral outbreaks on the rise, could this deadly combination play a role in triggering another catastrophe? Only time will tell.
The study was published in the journal Water Research and can be accessed here.
NOTE – This article was originally published in weather and can be viewed here
Tags: #climate, #environment, #getgreengetgrowing, #gngagritech, #greenstories, #humanblood, #lifes, #microplastics, #plastic, #plasticpollution, #Pollution, #viruses
