Microplastics as potential carriers of viruses could prolong virus survival and infectivity

Microplastics’ viral threat

27 December 2022

Tiny specks of plastic in aquatic environments could be helping viruses to spread more easily.

Microplastics are turning up everywhere — from the world’s most pristine environments to inside people.

Scientists are rushing to determine how much of a threat they pose to animal and human health. Most of this research has focused on the ingestion of chemicals that accumulate on microplastics.

Now, four researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia have found evidence that viruses hitching a ride on microplastics may be a bigger threat than chemicals.

They found that nearly 99% of viruses could be adsorbed on microplastics. Furthermore, ageing induced by exposure to sunlight increases this adsorption.

This could lead to an increase in the transmission of viral diseases, the researchers speculate, noting that further research into the issue is needed.

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References

1. Water Research 225, 119115 (2022). doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119115