Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are emerging pollutants that are widely present in the environment, and are affected by microplastics (MPs). The coexistence of MPs and ARGs enhances their abundance and transmission ability, thereby increasing their environmental hazard. This study summarized the effects of MPs on the abundance and transmission of ARGs. First, the effects of MPs on ARGs in aquatic, terrestrial, atmospheric, and animal intestinal environments were analyzed. Furthermore, factors that affect the enrichment and transfer ability of MPs, including MPs properties, human activities, environmental factors, and other pollutants, were discussed. Previous studies mainly focused on the abundance changes, propagation and diffusion of ARGs on MPs, however, the possible mechanism of these changes on ARGs caused by MPs has not been fully studied, which also leads to many explanations that are not appropriate. Therefore, in the fourth section, the detailed mechanism of MPs on abundance and transfer of ARGs is systematically discussed. As the core innovation in this article, it fills the gap that has been to be supplemented in recent years. Finally, the research challenges and prospects of the effects of MPs on the abundance and spread of ARGs are proposed in the hope that this review will be helpful to better understand the environmental risks and mechanisms of MPs on ARGs.

中文翻译：

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微塑料对环境中抗生素耐药基因丰度和转移的影响和机制 - 批判性综述


抗生素耐药性基因 （ARG） 是广泛存在于环境中的新兴污染物，并受微塑料 （MP） 的影响。MP 和 ARGs 的共存增强了它们的丰度和传播能力，从而增加了它们对环境的危害。本研究总结了 MP 对 ARGs 丰度和传播的影响。首先，分析了 MPS 对水生、陆地、大气和动物肠道环境中 ARGs 的影响。此外，还讨论了影响 MP 富集和转移能力的因素，包括 MP 特性、人类活动、环境因素和其他污染物。以往的研究主要集中在 ARGs 在 MPs 上的丰度变化、传播和扩散，然而，MP 引起的这些变化对 ARGs 的可能机制尚未得到充分研究，这也导致了许多不合适的解释。因此，在第四部分中，系统讨论了 MP 对 ARGs 丰度和转移的详细机制。作为本文的核心创新，它填补了近年来需要补充的空白。最后，提出了 MPs 对 ARGs 丰度和传播影响的研究挑战和前景，以期有助于更好地理解 MPs 对 ARGs 的环境风险和机制。