Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Some infectious viruses ‘hitchhike’ on tiny plastics found in water

Pathogens live on in freshwater systems by latching onto microplastics

28 JUN 2022
BYKATHERINE IRVING
CDC PUBLIC HEALTH LIBRARY

Even when passed through water treatment plants, some types of viruses can remain infectious for at least 2 days by riding on tiny plastic pellets known as microplastics, The Guardian reports. Researchers compared the survival of two types of viruses—a enveloped or lipid-coated bacteriophage virus that only infects bacteria and a nonenveloped rotavirus (pictured) that causes diarrhea and upset stomachs in humans—in three types of treated water with and without microplastics present. The lipid membrane surrounding the bacteriophage virus made it decay quickly with or without microplastics present, but the membraneless rotavirus stayed stable for the 48-hour test period when surrounded with microplastics, the scientists report this month in Environmental Pollution. The researchers posit that the rotavirus, unburdened by a lipid membrane, survived by “hitchhiking” with microplastics and flowing back into rivers and lakes, where it could be swallowed by unsuspecting people taking a dip.

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