#phosphate — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #phosphate, aggregated by home.social.
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https://www.europesays.com/afrique/100968/ PhosCo Tunisie : 166,6 millions de tonnes de phosphate confirmées à Gasaat #ASX #Gasaat #GisementPhosphateTunisie #PhosCoLtd #Phosphate #Tunisie
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https://www.europesays.com/dk/62824/ EIFO, Denmark’s Export Credit Agency, Issues Letter of Intent for a Guarantee of up to EUR 170 Million for the First Phosphate Igneous Phosphate Mining Project #agency #credit #Danmark #Denmark #EIFO #EUR #export #First #guarantee #igneous #intent #issues #letter #million #phosphate #project
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Iran war’s exposure of Australia’s fertiliser deficit could inspire manufacturing comeback
Canegrower Dean Cayley has never needed to ask his neighbours for a cup of sugar, but the Iran…
#NewsBeep #News #Business #ArgusMedia #AU #Australia #fertiliser #FertilizerAustralia #mining #NorthWestPhosphate #PerdamanIndustries #phosphate #urea #VikasRambal
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/608807/ -
Iran war’s exposure of Australia’s fertiliser deficit could inspire manufacturing comeback
Canegrower Dean Cayley has never needed to ask his neighbours for a cup of sugar, but the Iran…
#NewsBeep #News #Business #ArgusMedia #AU #Australia #fertiliser #FertilizerAustralia #mining #NorthWestPhosphate #PerdamanIndustries #phosphate #urea #VikasRambal
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/608807/ -
Utilisation des phosphates naturels pour une agriculture durable
🔸 Une publication conjointe de
la Division de la mise en valeur des terres et des eaux de la FAO et de l'Agence internationale de l'énergie atomique
https://www.fao.org/4/y5053f/y5053f00.htm
#phosphate #agriculture #terre #eau #FAO #AIEA #alimentation -
When Pollution Meets Power: Quebec and Gabes
#Gabes #Tunisia #Quebec #Canada #Environment #Pollution #IndustrialWaste #Phosphate #ClimateAction #EnvironmentalJustice #WaterCrisis #DoubleStandards #IndustrialWaste #PollutionCrisis #The14 #The14Media
https://the-14.com/when-pollution-meets-power-quebec-and-gabes/ -
When Profit Poisons Life: Gabes and Australia
#Gabes #Tunisia #Australia #Environment #Pollution #PFAS
#Phosphate #EnvironmentalJustice #PollutionCrisis #ToxicWater #PhosphatePollution #ListenToCommunities #PublicHealth #ClimateJustice #The14 #The14Media
https://the-14.com/when-profit-poisons-life-gabes-and-australia/ -
Gabes: When the Sea Chokes on the Smell of Phosphate
#Gabes #Tunisia #Environment #Pollution #Phosphate #HumanRights #WaterPollution #Protests #ToxicWaste #PublicHealth #EnvironmentalJustice #StopPollution #ClimateChange #EnvironmentalCrisis #CleanAir
https://the-14.com/gabes-when-the-sea-chokes-on-the-smell-of-phosphate/ -
Despite being in an #oxygen elevated micro-environment which would normally cause tissues to decay, the team discovered the initial degradation of the fish’s fatty skin also led to an #environment where #phosphate #minerals could form and rapidly replace #organic material – leading to #fossilization.
#Microbiology #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2025/10/mcb10132501.html -
Heavy metal traces in bread and pasta worry French doctors.
Originating from rocks used in phosphate fertilisers, cadmium is a carcinogenic heavy metal that accumulates in soil and crops through agricultural use, making food the main source of human exposure.
#Agriculture #Food #Cadmium #Fertiliser #Phosphate #Carcinogen #Health #France
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Billionaire Motsepe's Phosphate Mine Hits Legal Snag #SouthernAfrica #billionaire #hits #legal #Motsepes #Phosphate #Snag
https://tinyurl.com/27ujh5lp -
Discovery of common 'weapon' used by #disease-causing #fungi could help engineer more resilient #food #crops.
#NUDIX_hydrolase #rice #food_security #agriculture #Magnaporthe #phosphate #sensing #signalling
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-discovery-common-weapon-disease-fungi.html
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Mystery solved!🔍#Soybean plants maintain a consistent level of Pi within #root hairs even when there's an external Pi deficit-but how?!
The key? Mechanisms of vacuolar #phosphate efflux...
https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.13733
@wileyplantsci
#PlantScience #CellBio #CropScience #development #botany -
It boggles the mind that #Nauru isn't learning from past mistakes. Also, 10,000 people, who will barely profit from #DeepSeaMining, are buying the hype while #DeepGreen and #GerardBarron disrupts #DeepSeaLife, possibly permanently! Not good...
"#Australia, #NewZealand and #Britain had nearly exhausted the viable deposits of #phosphate by 1968 when Australia granted Nauru sovereignty, leaving behind one of the world’s worst #environmental #disasters."
#Corruption, incompetence and a musical: Nauru’s cursed history
The once-wealthy island now barely survives on income from Australia’s #detention regime and is pinning its economic hopes on #UnderseaMining
Anne Davies and Ben Doherty
Mon 3 Sep 2018"During the 1990s it transformed into a #moneylaundering haven selling banking licences and passports, including diplomatic passports, which confer immunity. Customers included the #RussianMafia and al-Qaida."
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/04/corruption-incompetence-and-a-musical-naurus-riches-to-rags-tale#WaterIsLife #NoDeepSeaMining #Extinction #Environment #UNConventionLawOfTheSea #LawOfTheSeaConvention #UNCLOS #OceansAreLife #RecycleMetals #FindAlternatives #Corruption
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World Ocean Atlas 2023 - Global Climatologies of Temperature, Salinity, Dissolved Oxygen, and Inorganic Nutrients
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https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/World-Ocean-Atlas-2023-v2 <-- shared technical article
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #NOAA #NCEI #water #hydrology #hydrography #OceanClimateLaboratory #OCL #WorldOceanAtlas #WOA #WOA23 #global #world #temperature #salinity #dissolvedoxygen #inorganicnutrients #inorganic #nutrients #WorldOceanDatabase #WOD #opendata #opendatagateway #oceangraphy #climatologies #climate #depth #sampling #remotesensing #hydrospatial #Nitrate #Phosphate #Silicate #statistics #geostatistics
@NOAA @NOAA_NCEI -
83% Of English Rivers Have Evidence Of High Pollution From Sewage And Agriculture
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/30/english-rivers-pollution-sewage-agriculture-uk <-- shared media article
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #watersecurity #waterquality #UK #england #britain #pollution #sewerage #citizenscience #watertesting #monitoring #communityengagement #angling #anglers #spatialanalysis #AnglingTrust #regulations #EUstandards #brexit #ecosystems #habitat #fish #biology #farming #agriculture #runoff #fertiliser #watercompanies #privateindustry #phosphate #phosphates #ecology #healthy #failure #aquatic #habitatloss #forprofit #algae #algalbloom #policy #planning #neglect #politics #water #hydrology #catchments #pollutionstandards #rivers #streams
@AnglingTrust -
I remember this story from last year...
‘#Pathogen’ Storm: #VibrioBacteria, #Sargassum and #Plastic Marine Debris
By gisele galoustian | 5/18/2023
"A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect 'pathogen' storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from #seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open #wound infections.
"Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly expanding in the #SargassoSea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. Plastic marine debris, first found in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea, has become a worldwide concern, and is known to persist decades longer than natural substrates in the marine environment.
"Currently, little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with Sargassum. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. As summer kicks into high gear and efforts are underway to find innovative solutions to repurpose Sargassum, could these substrates pose a triple threat to public health?
"Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum, and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. What they discovered is Vibrio pathogens have the unique ability to 'stick' to microplastics and that these microbes might just be adapting to plastic.
“'Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,' said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 'Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.'
"The study, published in the journal Water Research , illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up to now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonize. Utilizing metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), this study represents the first Vibrio spp. genome assembled from plastic debris.
"The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Phenotype testing of cultivars confirmed rapid biofilm formation, hemolytic and lipophospholytic activities, consistent with pathogenic potential.
"Researchers also discovered that zonula occludens toxin or 'zot' genes, first described in Vibrio cholerae, which is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability, were some of the most highly retained and selected genes in the vibrios they found. These vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said Mincer. 'For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a #LeakyGut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such #nitrogen and #phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.'
"Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, some cultivation-based data show beached Sargassum appear to harbor high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
"'I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,' said Mincer. 'We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.'"
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm.php
#WaterIsLife #Microplastics #PlasticPollution #Anticonsumerism #Degrowth
#PlasticAlternatives #CleanUpYourMess #BigCorporations #Consumerism #Advertising -
I remember this story from last year...
‘#Pathogen’ Storm: #VibrioBacteria, #Sargassum and #Plastic Marine Debris
By gisele galoustian | 5/18/2023
"A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect 'pathogen' storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from #seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open #wound infections.
"Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly expanding in the #SargassoSea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. Plastic marine debris, first found in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea, has become a worldwide concern, and is known to persist decades longer than natural substrates in the marine environment.
"Currently, little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with Sargassum. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. As summer kicks into high gear and efforts are underway to find innovative solutions to repurpose Sargassum, could these substrates pose a triple threat to public health?
"Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum, and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. What they discovered is Vibrio pathogens have the unique ability to 'stick' to microplastics and that these microbes might just be adapting to plastic.
“'Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,' said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 'Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.'
"The study, published in the journal Water Research , illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up to now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonize. Utilizing metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), this study represents the first Vibrio spp. genome assembled from plastic debris.
"The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Phenotype testing of cultivars confirmed rapid biofilm formation, hemolytic and lipophospholytic activities, consistent with pathogenic potential.
"Researchers also discovered that zonula occludens toxin or 'zot' genes, first described in Vibrio cholerae, which is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability, were some of the most highly retained and selected genes in the vibrios they found. These vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said Mincer. 'For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a #LeakyGut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such #nitrogen and #phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.'
"Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, some cultivation-based data show beached Sargassum appear to harbor high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
"'I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,' said Mincer. 'We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.'"
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm.php
#WaterIsLife #Microplastics #PlasticPollution #Anticonsumerism #Degrowth
#PlasticAlternatives #CleanUpYourMess #BigCorporations #Consumerism #Advertising -
I remember this story from last year...
‘#Pathogen’ Storm: #VibrioBacteria, #Sargassum and #Plastic Marine Debris
By gisele galoustian | 5/18/2023
"A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect 'pathogen' storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from #seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open #wound infections.
"Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly expanding in the #SargassoSea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. Plastic marine debris, first found in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea, has become a worldwide concern, and is known to persist decades longer than natural substrates in the marine environment.
"Currently, little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with Sargassum. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. As summer kicks into high gear and efforts are underway to find innovative solutions to repurpose Sargassum, could these substrates pose a triple threat to public health?
"Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum, and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. What they discovered is Vibrio pathogens have the unique ability to 'stick' to microplastics and that these microbes might just be adapting to plastic.
“'Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,' said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 'Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.'
"The study, published in the journal Water Research , illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up to now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonize. Utilizing metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), this study represents the first Vibrio spp. genome assembled from plastic debris.
"The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Phenotype testing of cultivars confirmed rapid biofilm formation, hemolytic and lipophospholytic activities, consistent with pathogenic potential.
"Researchers also discovered that zonula occludens toxin or 'zot' genes, first described in Vibrio cholerae, which is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability, were some of the most highly retained and selected genes in the vibrios they found. These vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said Mincer. 'For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a #LeakyGut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such #nitrogen and #phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.'
"Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, some cultivation-based data show beached Sargassum appear to harbor high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
"'I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,' said Mincer. 'We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.'"
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm.php
#WaterIsLife #Microplastics #PlasticPollution #Anticonsumerism #Degrowth
#PlasticAlternatives #CleanUpYourMess #BigCorporations #Consumerism #Advertising -
I remember this story from last year...
‘#Pathogen’ Storm: #VibrioBacteria, #Sargassum and #Plastic Marine Debris
By gisele galoustian | 5/18/2023
"A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect 'pathogen' storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from #seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open #wound infections.
"Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly expanding in the #SargassoSea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. Plastic marine debris, first found in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea, has become a worldwide concern, and is known to persist decades longer than natural substrates in the marine environment.
"Currently, little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with Sargassum. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. As summer kicks into high gear and efforts are underway to find innovative solutions to repurpose Sargassum, could these substrates pose a triple threat to public health?
"Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum, and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. What they discovered is Vibrio pathogens have the unique ability to 'stick' to microplastics and that these microbes might just be adapting to plastic.
“'Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,' said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 'Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.'
"The study, published in the journal Water Research , illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up to now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonize. Utilizing metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), this study represents the first Vibrio spp. genome assembled from plastic debris.
"The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Phenotype testing of cultivars confirmed rapid biofilm formation, hemolytic and lipophospholytic activities, consistent with pathogenic potential.
"Researchers also discovered that zonula occludens toxin or 'zot' genes, first described in Vibrio cholerae, which is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability, were some of the most highly retained and selected genes in the vibrios they found. These vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said Mincer. 'For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a #LeakyGut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such #nitrogen and #phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.'
"Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, some cultivation-based data show beached Sargassum appear to harbor high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
"'I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,' said Mincer. 'We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.'"
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm.php
#WaterIsLife #Microplastics #PlasticPollution #Anticonsumerism #Degrowth
#PlasticAlternatives #CleanUpYourMess #BigCorporations #Consumerism #Advertising -
I remember this story from last year...
‘#Pathogen’ Storm: #VibrioBacteria, #Sargassum and #Plastic Marine Debris
By gisele galoustian | 5/18/2023
"A new study uncovers how the interplay between Sargassum spp., plastic marine debris and Vibrio bacteria creates the perfect 'pathogen' storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Vibrio bacteria are found in waters around the world and are the dominant cause of death in humans from the marine environment. For example, Vibrio vulnificus, one of more than 100 species of Vibrio, sometimes referred to as flesh-eating bacteria, can cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses from #seafood consumption as well as disease and death from open #wound infections.
"Since 2011, Sargassum, free-living populations of brown macroalga, have been rapidly expanding in the #SargassoSea and other parts of the open ocean such as the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt, including frequent and unprecedented seaweed accumulation events on beaches. Plastic marine debris, first found in surface waters of the Sargasso Sea, has become a worldwide concern, and is known to persist decades longer than natural substrates in the marine environment.
"Currently, little is known about the ecological relationship of vibrios with Sargassum. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic evidence has been lacking as to whether vibrios colonizing plastic marine debris and Sargassum could potentially infect humans. As summer kicks into high gear and efforts are underway to find innovative solutions to repurpose Sargassum, could these substrates pose a triple threat to public health?
"Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and collaborators fully sequenced the genomes of 16 Vibrio cultivars isolated from eel larvae, plastic marine debris, Sargassum, and seawater samples collected from the Caribbean and Sargasso seas of the North Atlantic Ocean. What they discovered is Vibrio pathogens have the unique ability to 'stick' to microplastics and that these microbes might just be adapting to plastic.
“'Plastic is a new element that’s been introduced into marine environments and has only been around for about 50 years,' said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., corresponding lead author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College. 'Our lab work showed that these Vibrio are extremely aggressive and can seek out and stick to plastic within minutes. We also found that there are attachment factors that microbes use to stick to plastics, and it is the same kind of mechanism that pathogens use.'
"The study, published in the journal Water Research , illustrates that open ocean vibrios represent an up to now undescribed group of microbes, some representing potential new species, possessing a blend of pathogenic and low nutrient acquisition genes, reflecting their pelagic habitat and the substrates and hosts they colonize. Utilizing metagenome-assembled genome (MAG), this study represents the first Vibrio spp. genome assembled from plastic debris.
"The study highlighted vertebrate pathogen genes closely related to cholera and non-cholera bacterial strains. Phenotype testing of cultivars confirmed rapid biofilm formation, hemolytic and lipophospholytic activities, consistent with pathogenic potential.
"Researchers also discovered that zonula occludens toxin or 'zot' genes, first described in Vibrio cholerae, which is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability, were some of the most highly retained and selected genes in the vibrios they found. These vibrios appear to be getting in through the gut, getting stuck in the intestines and infecting that way.
"'Another interesting thing we discovered is a set of genes called ‘zot’ genes, which causes leaky gut syndrome,' said Mincer. 'For instance, if a fish eats a piece of plastic and gets infected by this Vibrio, which then results in a #LeakyGut and diarrhea, it’s going to release waste nutrients such #nitrogen and #phosphate that could stimulate Sargassum growth and other surrounding organisms.'
"Findings show some Vibrio spp. in this environment have an ‘omnivorous’ lifestyle targeting both plant and animal hosts in combination with an ability to persist in oligotrophic conditions. With increased human-Sargassum-plastic marine debris interactions, associated microbial flora of these substrates could harbor potent opportunistic pathogens. Importantly, some cultivation-based data show beached Sargassum appear to harbor high amounts of Vibrio bacteria.
"'I don’t think at this point, anyone has really considered these microbes and their capability to cause infections,' said Mincer. 'We really want to make the public aware of these associated risks. In particular, caution should be exercised regarding the harvest and processing of Sargassum biomass until the risks are explored more thoroughly.'"
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/perfect-pathogen-storm.php
#WaterIsLife #Microplastics #PlasticPollution #Anticonsumerism #Degrowth
#PlasticAlternatives #CleanUpYourMess #BigCorporations #Consumerism #Advertising