Plastic pollution and antimicrobial resistance: an emerging link with major implications

Plastic pollution and antimicrobial resistance are increasingly interconnected global threats. Micro- and nanoplastics create ecological hotspots that enhance microbial interactions and horizontal gene transfer, facilitating antimicrobial resistance dissemination. Here, we argue that the plastisphere acts as an evolutionary interface that reshapes microbial adaptation and resistome dynamics across ecosystems. Current antimicrobial resistance surveillance frameworks largely overlook the contribution of plastic pollution, highlighting the need to integrate plastisphere-mediated processes into One Health and environmental risk assessment strategies.