講演情報
[U08-02]Planetary health impacts of the plastisphere microbiome
*Changchao Li1 (1.The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
キーワード：
Plastic pollution、Plastisphere、Microbial ecology、Microbial hazards、Pathogens、Antimicrobial resistance
Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing global environmental challenges. As a hallmark of the Anthropocene and a representative man-made surface, plastics provide a novel ecological niche for microorganisms—the “plastisphere.” Uncovering the characteristics of microbial communities within this plastic-based, man-made ecosystem and elucidating their ecological and health implications are essential for comprehensively assessing the risks of plastic pollution, formulating effective mitigation strategies, understanding the impacts and feedbacks of human activities on Earth’s ecosystems, and expanding our knowledge of microbial ecology in special habitats. This study systematically investigates the ecological patterns and distinct features of plastisphere microbial communities—compared to those in natural habitats—through field sampling across representative ecosystems, metabarcoding and metagenomics, and global genomic data mining. We reveal that the plastisphere serves as a vector that facilitates long-distance, cross-boundary microbial dispersal, posing risks of microbial invasion. Additionally, plastics act as mobile hotspots of microbial hazards, such as pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, thereby increasing ecological and public health risks. The plastisphere also harbors microbial communities with unique metabolic functions in elemental cycling, potentially affecting ecosystem functioning and stability. Based on these findings, we propose global response strategies aimed at comprehensively understanding the plastic pollution risks and enabling the development of informed, effective control and management of plastic pollution, with the ultimate goal of promoting a sustainable coexistence between humanity and the environment.