The Occurrence of Microplastics and the Formation of Biofilms by Pathogenic and Opportunistic Bacteria as Threats in Aquaculture

Paulina Cholewińska, Hanna Moniuszko, Konrad Wojnarowski, Przemysław Pokorny, Natalia Szeligowska, Wojciech Dobicki, Ryszard Polechoński and Wanda Górniak
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Paulina Cholewińska: Institute of Animal Breeding, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
Hanna Moniuszko: Section of Applied Entomology, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences–SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Konrad Wojnarowski: Chair for Fish Diseases and Fisheries Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
Przemysław Pokorny: Institute of Animal Breeding, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
Natalia Szeligowska: Institute of Animal Breeding, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
Wojciech Dobicki: Institute of Animal Breeding, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
Ryszard Polechoński: Institute of Animal Breeding, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wroclaw, Poland
Wanda Górniak: Department of Automotive Engineering, Mechanical Faculty, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Na Grobli 13, 50-421 Wroclaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 13, 1-20

Abstract: Aquaculture is the most rapidly growing branch of animal production. The efficiency and quality of the produced food depends on sustainable management, water quality, feed prices and the incidence of diseases. Micro- (MP < 5 mm) and nanoplastic (NP < 1000 nm) particles are among the current factors causing serious water pollution. This substance comes solely from products manufactured by humans. MP particles migrate from the terrestrial to the aquatic environment and adversely affect, especially, the health of animals and humans by being a favorable habitat and vector for microbial pathogens and opportunists. More than 30 taxa of pathogens of humans, aquacutural animals and plants, along with opportunistic bacteria, have been detected in plastic-covering biofilm to date. The mobility and durability of the substance, combined with the relatively closed conditions in aquacultural habitats and pathogens’ affinity to the material, make plastic particles a microbiological medium threatening the industry of aquaculture. For this reason, in addition to the fact of plastic accumulation in living organisms, urgent measures should be taken to reduce its influx into the environment. The phenomenon and its implications are related to the concept of one health, wherein the environment, animals and humans affect each other’s fitness.

Keywords: microplastics; aquaculture; biofilm; microbiome; pathogenic bacteria; fish; human (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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