Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere

Changchao Li; Ling N. Jin; Michael S. Bank; Chunlan Fan; Michael R. Gillings; Tingting Zhao; Yong Han; Tian Chen; Meng Gao; Dong Zhu; Qinglin Chen; Guibing Zhu; Jie Wang; Lei Wang; Jian Liu; Xianzheng Yuan; Qishen Huang; Xiaofei Wang; Annika Jahnke; Janice Brahney; Steve Allen; Hans Peter H. Arp; Sonja Oberbeckmann; Melanie Bergmann; Stephen B. Pointing; Daizhou Zhang; Matthias C. Rillig

doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101446

Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere

Changchao Li^*, Ling N. Jin, Michael S. Bank, Chunlan Fan, Michael R. Gillings, Tingting Zhao, Yong Han, Tian Chen, Meng Gao, Dong Zhu, Qinglin Chen, Guibing Zhu, Jie Wang, Lei Wang, Jian Liu, Xianzheng Yuan, Qishen Huang, Xiaofei Wang, Annika Jahnke, Janice BrahneySteve Allen, Hans Peter H. Arp, Sonja Oberbeckmann, Melanie Bergmann, Stephen B. Pointing, Daizhou Zhang, Matthias C. Rillig

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Natural Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

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Abstract

Microplastics are a ubiquitous yet long-overlooked component of airborne particulate matter. The surface of these plastic particles provides a unique niche for microorganisms, collectively known as the plastisphere. The plastisphere in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems harbors microbial communities with distinct compositions, structures, and functional profiles, posing potential planetary health risks. The characteristics, fate, and impacts of the microbiome associated with airborne microplastics, however, remain largely unknown. In this review, we fill the knowledge gaps by exploring how airborne microplastics serve as key habitats for microorganisms and the potential planetary health implications. We show that microplastics are expected to carry and sustain microorganisms over long distances and timescales in air, potentially dispersing pathogens, antibiotic-resistance genes, and other bioactive agents across ecosystems. These interactions may perturb ecological processes and biological health on a planetary scale. Interdisciplinary research and innovative methodologies are urgently required to better understand and mitigate the airborne plastisphere risks.

Original language	English
Article number	101446
Pages (from-to)	1-17
Number of pages	17
Journal	One Earth
Volume	8
Issue number	10
Early online date	Oct 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101446
Publication status	Published - 17 Oct 2025

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

antibiotic-resistance genes
plastic pollution
microplastics
bacteria
threat
communities
environment
complexity
viability
microbes

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10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101446Licence: CC BY

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 6.85 MBLicence: CC BY

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Li, C., Jin, L. N., Bank, M. S., Fan, C., Gillings, M. R., Zhao, T., Han, Y., Chen, T., Gao, M., Zhu, D., Chen, Q., Zhu, G., Wang, J., Wang, L., Liu, J., Yuan, X., Huang, Q., Wang, X., Jahnke, A., ... Rillig, M. C. (2025). Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere. One Earth, 8(10), 1-17. Article 101446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101446

@article{85eee71ffc56418a9d830a16462a9c72,

title = "Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere",

abstract = "Microplastics are a ubiquitous yet long-overlooked component of airborne particulate matter. The surface of these plastic particles provides a unique niche for microorganisms, collectively known as the plastisphere. The plastisphere in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems harbors microbial communities with distinct compositions, structures, and functional profiles, posing potential planetary health risks. The characteristics, fate, and impacts of the microbiome associated with airborne microplastics, however, remain largely unknown. In this review, we fill the knowledge gaps by exploring how airborne microplastics serve as key habitats for microorganisms and the potential planetary health implications. We show that microplastics are expected to carry and sustain microorganisms over long distances and timescales in air, potentially dispersing pathogens, antibiotic-resistance genes, and other bioactive agents across ecosystems. These interactions may perturb ecological processes and biological health on a planetary scale. Interdisciplinary research and innovative methodologies are urgently required to better understand and mitigate the airborne plastisphere risks.",

keywords = "antibiotic-resistance genes, plastic pollution, microplastics, bacteria, threat, communities, environment, complexity, viability, microbes",

author = "Changchao Li and Jin, \{Ling N.\} and Bank, \{Michael S.\} and Chunlan Fan and Gillings, \{Michael R.\} and Tingting Zhao and Yong Han and Tian Chen and Meng Gao and Dong Zhu and Qinglin Chen and Guibing Zhu and Jie Wang and Lei Wang and Jian Liu and Xianzheng Yuan and Qishen Huang and Xiaofei Wang and Annika Jahnke and Janice Brahney and Steve Allen and Arp, \{Hans Peter H.\} and Sonja Oberbeckmann and Melanie Bergmann and Pointing, \{Stephen B.\} and Daizhou Zhang and Rillig, \{Matthias C.\}",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2025",

month = oct,

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doi = "10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101446",

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Li, C, Jin, LN, Bank, MS, Fan, C, Gillings, MR, Zhao, T, Han, Y, Chen, T, Gao, M, Zhu, D, Chen, Q, Zhu, G, Wang, J, Wang, L, Liu, J, Yuan, X, Huang, Q, Wang, X, Jahnke, A, Brahney, J, Allen, S, Arp, HPH, Oberbeckmann, S, Bergmann, M, Pointing, SB, Zhang, D & Rillig, MC 2025, 'Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere', One Earth, vol. 8, no. 10, 101446, pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101446

TY - JOUR

T1 - Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere

AU - Li, Changchao

AU - Jin, Ling N.

AU - Bank, Michael S.

AU - Fan, Chunlan

AU - Gillings, Michael R.

AU - Zhao, Tingting

AU - Han, Yong

AU - Chen, Tian

AU - Gao, Meng

AU - Zhu, Dong

AU - Chen, Qinglin

AU - Zhu, Guibing

AU - Wang, Jie

AU - Wang, Lei

AU - Liu, Jian

AU - Yuan, Xianzheng

AU - Huang, Qishen

AU - Wang, Xiaofei

AU - Jahnke, Annika

AU - Brahney, Janice

AU - Allen, Steve

AU - Arp, Hans Peter H.

AU - Oberbeckmann, Sonja

AU - Bergmann, Melanie

AU - Pointing, Stephen B.

AU - Zhang, Daizhou

AU - Rillig, Matthias C.

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2025/10/17

Y1 - 2025/10/17

N2 - Microplastics are a ubiquitous yet long-overlooked component of airborne particulate matter. The surface of these plastic particles provides a unique niche for microorganisms, collectively known as the plastisphere. The plastisphere in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems harbors microbial communities with distinct compositions, structures, and functional profiles, posing potential planetary health risks. The characteristics, fate, and impacts of the microbiome associated with airborne microplastics, however, remain largely unknown. In this review, we fill the knowledge gaps by exploring how airborne microplastics serve as key habitats for microorganisms and the potential planetary health implications. We show that microplastics are expected to carry and sustain microorganisms over long distances and timescales in air, potentially dispersing pathogens, antibiotic-resistance genes, and other bioactive agents across ecosystems. These interactions may perturb ecological processes and biological health on a planetary scale. Interdisciplinary research and innovative methodologies are urgently required to better understand and mitigate the airborne plastisphere risks.

AB - Microplastics are a ubiquitous yet long-overlooked component of airborne particulate matter. The surface of these plastic particles provides a unique niche for microorganisms, collectively known as the plastisphere. The plastisphere in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems harbors microbial communities with distinct compositions, structures, and functional profiles, posing potential planetary health risks. The characteristics, fate, and impacts of the microbiome associated with airborne microplastics, however, remain largely unknown. In this review, we fill the knowledge gaps by exploring how airborne microplastics serve as key habitats for microorganisms and the potential planetary health implications. We show that microplastics are expected to carry and sustain microorganisms over long distances and timescales in air, potentially dispersing pathogens, antibiotic-resistance genes, and other bioactive agents across ecosystems. These interactions may perturb ecological processes and biological health on a planetary scale. Interdisciplinary research and innovative methodologies are urgently required to better understand and mitigate the airborne plastisphere risks.

KW - antibiotic-resistance genes

KW - plastic pollution

KW - microplastics

KW - bacteria

KW - threat

KW - communities

KW - environment

KW - complexity

KW - viability

KW - microbes

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U2 - 10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101446

DO - 10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101446

M3 - Review article

SN - 2590-3330

VL - 8

SP - 1

EP - 17

JO - One Earth

JF - One Earth

IS - 10

M1 - 101446

ER -

Potential planetary health impacts of the airborne plastisphere

Abstract

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Keywords

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