Polystyrene Now Found To Contribute to the Antibiotic Resistance Crisis

(Newswire.net — June 16, 2022) Orlando, FL — Scientists have been investigating the factors that contribute to the skyrocketing rates of antibiotic resistance. This growing global health threat continues to claim more and more lives worldwide. 

A study has shown how polystyrene contributes to the antibiotic resistance crisis. This means that Styrofoam containers holding a takeout cheeseburger may be a strong contributor to the growing number of antibiotic resistance. 

According to the scientists at Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering, discarded polystyrene that’s broken down into microplastics becomes home to microbes and chemical contaminants.

Further, it is also where free-floating genetic materials that deliver to bacteria the gift of resistance can be found.

It is worth mentioning that a study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, it was described how 

the ultraviolet aging of microplastics in the environment makes them suitable platforms for antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs). 

Experts say these genes are armored by bacterial chromosomes, phages, and plasmids. These are all biological vectors that can spread antibiotic resistance to people, lowering their ability to fight infections.

The study was spearheaded by Rice civil and environmental engineer Pedro Alvarez in collaboration with researchers in China and at the University of Houston.

It has also shown that chemicals leaching from the plastic as it ages increase the vulnerability of vectors to horizontal gene transfer, through which resistance spreads.

“We were surprised to discover that microplastic aging enhances horizontal ARG,” said Alvarez.

Alvarez is the George R. Brown Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and director of the Rice-based Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment Center. 

“Enhanced dissemination of antibiotic resistance is an overlooked potential impact of microplastic pollution.”

Time and again researchers recommend resorting to the various measures found helpful in fighting antibiotic resistance.  

One of the ways to do this is to reduce or eliminate the need to use antibiotics, which are widely used as a treatment for urinary tract infections (UTIs). 

There are many ways found helpful in lessening UTI risk, and one is to use a therapeutic remedy called D-mannose.  

This therapeutic sugar can actually be found in cranberry juice and is widely reported to as a safer alternative to antibiotics. There are even many who use it to reduce their risk of infection. It may be obtained through the use of formulas like Divine Bounty D-mannose.

It doesn’t just have D-mannose, but also added ingredients like cranberry and dandelion. It continues to be a popular choice in the global market today and is protected with a customer satisfaction guarantee (amazon.com/D-Mannose-600mg-Cranberry-Dandelion-Extract/dp/B01LX5KGF0).