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Positively charged nanoplastics may be making harmful bacteria like Escherichia coli more dangerous, according to new research from the University of Illinois.
The study, published by a team led by Pratik Banerjee, found that E. coli O157:H7 – a major cause of foodborne illness – became more virulent when exposed to nanoplastics with a positive surface charge. The stressed bacteria produced higher levels of Shiga-like toxin, which is responsible for causing illness in humans.
While past research has explored how plastics interact with environmental microbes, this is one of the first studies to examine the effects on pathogenic bacteria. Researchers created polystyrene-based nanoplastics (the same material used in foam takeout containers) and applied different surface charges before introducing them to E. coli in both free-floating and biofilm states.
The positively charged nanoplastics had the greatest effect, likely due to the bacteria’s negatively charged surface. Stressed E. coli also showed delayed growth and slower biofilm formation – though growth later rebounded. Even once biofilms formed, the bacteria remained vulnerable to stress and continued producing excess toxin.
Biofilms are a known challenge in medical and food settings due to their resistance to cleaning and antibiotics. The study raises concerns not only about increased bacterial toxicity, but also about how plastics might contribute to antibiotic resistance – an area the researchers are currently investigating.
“This is the first step in understanding how the surface charge of plastics impacts pathogenic E. coli,” said Banerjee. “Interactions like these may not only make bacteria more toxic, but potentially harder to treat.”
Read the full story here.
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