Abstract：
Plastic waste is found with increasing frequency in the environment, in low- and middle-income countries. Plastic pollution has increased concurrently with both economic development and rapid urbanisation, amplifying the effects of inadequate waste management. Distinct microbial communities can quickly colonise plastic surfaces in what is collectively known as the \'plastisphere\'. The plastisphere can act as a reservoir for human pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella enterica sp. (such as S. Typhimurium), which can persist for long periods, retain pathogenicity, and pose an increased public health risk. Through employing a novel mesocosm setup, we have shown here that the plastisphere provides enhanced protection against environmental pressures such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation and allows S. Typhimurium to persist at concentrations (>1 × 103 CFU/ml) capable of causing human infection, for up to 28 days. Additionally, using a Galleria Mellonella model of infection, S. Typhimurium exhibits greater pathogenicity following recovery from the UV-exposed plastisphere, suggesting that the plastisphere may select for more virulent variants. This study demonstrates the protection afforded by the plastisphere and provides further evidence of environmental plastic waste acting as a reservoir for dangerous clinical pathogens. Quantifying the role of plastic pollution in facilitating the survival, persistence, and dissemination of human pathogens is critical for a more holistic understanding of the potential public health risks associated with plastic waste.
摘要：
塑料垃圾在环境中的发现频率越来越高，在低收入和中等收入国家。随着经济发展和快速城市化，塑料污染同时增加，扩大废物管理不足的影响。不同的微生物群落可以迅速定殖塑料表面，统称为“质体”。质体可以作为人类致病菌的蓄水池,包括肠沙门氏菌。（如鼠伤寒沙门氏菌），可以持续很长时间，保留致病性，并造成公共健康风险增加。通过采用一种新颖的中观模式，我们在这里已经表明，塑料球提供了增强的保护，以抵抗诸如紫外线（UV）辐射的环境压力，并允许鼠伤寒沙门氏菌在能够引起人类感染的浓度（>1×103CFU/ml）下持续存在，长达28天。此外,使用Mellonella感染的Galleria模型，从受紫外线照射的质体中恢复后，鼠伤寒杆菌表现出更大的致病性，这表明质体可以选择更具毒力的变体。这项研究证明了质体所提供的保护，并提供了环境塑料废物作为危险临床病原体的储库的进一步证据。量化塑料污染在促进生存中的作用，持久性,人类病原体的传播对于更全面地了解与塑料废物相关的潜在公共卫生风险至关重要。
