{"id":2892,"date":"2023-11-07T21:19:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T21:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/uscseagrant\/?page_id=2892"},"modified":"2024-06-13T18:45:57","modified_gmt":"2024-06-13T18:45:57","slug":"plastics-and-pathogens","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/plastics-and-pathogens\/","title":{"rendered":"Plastics and Pathogens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Interaction between microplastics and pathogen pollutants in marine ecosystems; Implications for Seafood Safety\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We currently understand very little about the health effects of microplastic pollutants on animal and human health. One area that is virtually unexplored and needs more research is whether microplastics can adsorb harmful pathogens from surrounding seawater and how microplastics may serve as vectors for pathogens in the marine environment. USC Sea Grant funded a study to tackle this data gap by investigating the impact of microplastics on oysters via the effects on transport, persistence, and fate of zoonotic pathogens recognized by the World Health Organization <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as underestimated causes of illness from shellfish consumption<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n  \n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <h3><b>Key Results<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pathogens are capable of associating with microplastics in contaminated seawater, with more parasites adhering to plastic microfiber surfaces as compared with plastic microbeads\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This study demonstrates a novel pathway by which anthropogenic pollutants may be mediating pathogen transmission in the marine environment, with important ramifications for wildlife and human health<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Project Impacts &amp; Application:<\/b><br \/>\n<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Presentations at a 2022 UC Davis Food Science and Technology Graduate Seminar and undergraduate class and the 2022 American Association of Zoo Veterinarians Annual Conference<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kcra.com\/article\/research-microplastics-carrying-diseases-make-us-sick\/40192117#\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local news<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> covers research<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Principal Investigators:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Karen Shapiro, Ph.D., University of California, Davis\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chelsea Rochman, Ph.D., University of Toronto<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Funding: <\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">California Ocean Protection Council<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 2018-2021<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Additional Info<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shapirolab.vetmed.ucdavis.edu\/research\">https:\/\/shapirolab.vetmed.ucdavis.edu\/research<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zhang, E., Kim, M., Rueda, L., Rochman, C., VanWormer, E., Moore, J. &amp; Karen Shapiro. Association of zoonotic protozoan parasites with microplastics in seawater and implications for human and wildlife health. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sci Rep<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 12, 6532 (2022). <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-022-10485-5\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-022-10485-5<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta-link\" href=\"\/uscseagrant\/publications-database\/\">Access our Publications Database to view publications from this project or other related topics<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n                \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--photo-wall \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--photo-wall\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"heading-container\">\n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Project Photos\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n          <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"photos-container\">\n\n    \n    <div class=\"grid-sizer\"><\/div>\n    <div class=\"gutter-sizer\"><\/div>\n\n      \n                                  \n                <div class=\"photo\">\n\n            \n                \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img decoding=\"async\"\n                            src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/11\/Research_PlasticsandPathogens_Photo1-scaled-540x0-c-default.jpg\"\n                    \n        \n                  alt=\"Laboratory assistant in Shapiro laboratory separating microplastics from surrounding seawater for experiments.\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n\n                          <a href=\"#photo-875720014\" class=\"photo-trigger\" aria-label=\"Expand to view image and text\">\n                <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000000\" d=\"M28,7v7.9h-2.6l0-3.4l-4.3,4.3c-0.3,0.3-0.6,0.4-0.9,0.4s-0.7-0.1-0.9-0.4c-0.5-0.5-0.5-1.3,0-1.9l4.3-4.3h-3.4V7H28z M7,28v-7.9h2.6v3.4l4.3-4.3c0.5-0.5,1.3-0.5,1.9,0c0.5,0.5,0.5,1.3,0,1.9l-4.3,4.3h3.4V28H7z\"\/><\/svg>\n              <\/a>\n                      <\/div>\n                <div class=\"photo\">\n\n            \n                \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img decoding=\"async\"\n                            src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/11\/Research_PlasticsandPathogens_Photo2-540x0-c-default.png\"\n                    \n        \n                  alt=\"Tank setup for project pilot oyster plastic-pathogen exposure experiment (Bodega Marine Laboratory, Shellfish Pathogen Lab).\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n\n                          <a href=\"#photo-360320657\" class=\"photo-trigger\" aria-label=\"Expand to view image and text\">\n                <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000000\" d=\"M28,7v7.9h-2.6l0-3.4l-4.3,4.3c-0.3,0.3-0.6,0.4-0.9,0.4s-0.7-0.1-0.9-0.4c-0.5-0.5-0.5-1.3,0-1.9l4.3-4.3h-3.4V7H28z M7,28v-7.9h2.6v3.4l4.3-4.3c0.5-0.5,1.3-0.5,1.9,0c0.5,0.5,0.5,1.3,0,1.9l-4.3,4.3h3.4V28H7z\"\/><\/svg>\n              <\/a>\n                      <\/div>\n      \n      <\/div>\n\n            <div id=\"photo-875720014\" class=\"photo-lightbox lity-hide\">\n        <div class=\"text-container\">\n          \n                          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Laboratory assistant in Shapiro laboratory separating microplastics from surrounding seawater for experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n          \n                  <\/div>\n\n        \n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img decoding=\"async\"\n                            src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/11\/Research_PlasticsandPathogens_Photo1-scaled-1080x0-c-default.jpg\"\n                    \n        \n                  alt=\"Laboratory assistant in Shapiro laboratory separating microplastics from surrounding seawater for experiments.\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n\n      <\/div>\n                <div id=\"photo-360320657\" class=\"photo-lightbox lity-hide\">\n        <div class=\"text-container\">\n          \n                          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Tank setup for project pilot oyster plastic-pathogen exposure experiment (Bodega Marine Laboratory, Shellfish Pathogen Lab).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n          \n                  <\/div>\n\n        \n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img decoding=\"async\"\n                            src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/52\/2023\/11\/Research_PlasticsandPathogens_Photo2-1080x0-c-default.png\"\n                    \n        \n                  alt=\"Tank setup for project pilot oyster plastic-pathogen exposure experiment (Bodega Marine Laboratory, Shellfish Pathogen Lab).\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n\n      <\/div>\n      \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-content-detail.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2892","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Plastics and Pathogens - USC Sea Grant<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/uscseagrant\/plastics-and-pathogens\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Plastics and Pathogens - USC Sea Grant\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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