Bacterial Colonization of Microplastics at the Beaches of an Oceanic Island, Tenerife, Canary Islands

Cintia Hernández-Sánchez (), Ángel Antonio Pestana-Ríos, Cristina Villanova-Solano, Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández, Francisco Javier Díaz-Peña, Cristobalina Rodríguez-Álvarez, María Lecuona and Ángeles Arias
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Cintia Hernández-Sánchez: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Toxicology, Legal and Forensic Medicine and Parasitology, Health Science Faculty, University of La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra s/n, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Ángel Antonio Pestana-Ríos: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Toxicology, Legal and Forensic Medicine and Parasitology, Health Science Faculty, University of La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra s/n, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Cristina Villanova-Solano: Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna (ULL), Avda, Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n°, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
Cristopher Domínguez-Hernández: Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna (ULL), Avda, Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n°, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
Francisco Javier Díaz-Peña: Department of Animal Biology, Soil Science and Geology, Science Faculty, University of La Laguna (ULL), Avda, Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, s/n°, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
Cristobalina Rodríguez-Álvarez: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Toxicology, Legal and Forensic Medicine and Parasitology, Health Science Faculty, University of La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra s/n, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
María Lecuona: Microbiology and Infection Control Service of the University Hospital of the Canary Islands (HUC), 38071 Tenerife, Spain
Ángeles Arias: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Toxicology, Legal and Forensic Medicine and Parasitology, Health Science Faculty, University of La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra s/n, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-11

Abstract: (1) Isolated systems, such as oceanic islands, are increasingly experiencing important problems related to microplastic debris on their beaches. The formation of microbial biofilm on the surface of microplastics present in marine environments provides potential facilities for microorganisms to survive under the biofilm. Moreover, microplastics act as a vehicle for the dispersion of pathogenic organisms, constituting a new route of exposure for humans. (2) In this study, the microbial content (FIO and Vibrio spp. and Staphylococcus aureus ) of microplastics (fragments and pellets) collected from seven beaches of the oceanic island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands (Spain), was determined. (3) Results showed that Escherichia coli was present in 57.1% of the fragments and 28.5% of the pellets studied. In the case of intestinal Enterococci, 85.7% of the fragments and 57.1% of the pellets tested positive for this parameter. Finally, 100% of the fragments and 42.8% of the pellets analyzed from the different beaches contained Vibrio spp. (4) This study shows that microplastics act as reservoirs of microorganisms that can increase the presence of bacteria indicating faecal and pathogenic contamination in bathing areas.

Keywords: microorganisms; microplastics; beach; public health; emerging pathogenic microorganisms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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