Article

Survival and transfer potential of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium colonising polyethylene microplastics in contaminated agricultural soils

Details

Citation

Woodford L, Fellows R, White HL, Ormsby MJ, Pow CJ & Quilliam RS (2024) Survival and transfer potential of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium colonising polyethylene microplastics in contaminated agricultural soils. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31, pp. 51353-51363. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-34491-4

Abstract
Agricultural environments are becoming increasingly contaminated with plastic pollution. Plastics in the environment can also provide a unique habitat for microbial biofilm, termed the ‘plastisphere’, which can also support the persistence of human pathogens such as Salmonella. Human enteric Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium can enter agricultural environments via flooding or from irrigation with contaminated water. Using soil mesocosms we quantified the ability of S. Typhimurium to persist on microplastic beads in two agriculturally relevant soils, under ambient and repeat flood scenarios. S. Typhimurium persisted in the plastisphere for 35 days in both podzol and loamy soils; while during multiple flood events was able to survive in the plastisphere for up to 21 days. S. Typhimurium could dissociate from the plastisphere during flooding events and migrate through soil in leachate, and importantly could colonise new plastic particles in the soil, suggesting that plastic pollution in agricultural soils can aid S. Typhimurium persistence and facilitate further dissemination within the environment. The potential for increased survival of enteric human pathogens in agricultural and food production environments due to plastic contamination poses a significant public health risk, particularly in potato or root vegetable systems where there is the potential for direct contact with crops.

Keywords
Flooding; Human pathogens; Leachate; Plastic pollution; Plastisphere; Soil quality

Journal
Environmental Science and Pollution Research: Volume 31

StatusPublished
FundersNERC Natural Environment Research Council and NERC Natural Environment Research Council
Publication date07/08/2024
Publication date online07/08/2024
Date accepted by journal22/07/2024
URLhttp://hdl.handle.net/1893/36257
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC
ISSN0944-1344
eISSN1614-7499

People (4)

Miss Rosie Fellows

Miss Rosie Fellows

Research Assistant, Biological and Environmental Sciences

Mrs Chloe Pow

Mrs Chloe Pow

PhD Researcher, Biological and Environmental Sciences

Professor Richard Quilliam

Professor Richard Quilliam

Professor, Biological and Environmental Sciences

Dr Luke Woodford

Dr Luke Woodford

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Biological and Environmental Sciences

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