RAPPORTEUR

Microplastics pollution, a ticking time bomb, is one of the most pervasive emerging environmental issues that we face today. Microplastics constitute a widespread contaminant all over the globe. They provide increasing artificial surfaces for microbial colonization called the “Plastisphere”. Contamination by microplastics in aquatic ecosystems is concerning for human and wildlife health. Our study investigates the interaction between microplastics and the zoonotic protozoan Cryptosporidium, an unexplored area of research. Extensive research has been conducted on both issues individually, but the interaction between some microplastics and protozoan pathogens has yet to be explored despite the widespread nature of these two hidden threats. Cryptosporidium was chosen because the World Health Organization has recognized it as an underestimated cause of illness and due to its persistence in the environment. Cryptosporidium’s oocysts (the environmentally stable stage) are resistant to inactivation by commonly used drinking water disinfectants. They are responsible for incoercible diarrhoea, which can be life-threatening in immunocompromised individuals and infants. This pathogen can survive and multiply in aquatic environments with the support of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. However, the impact of this biofilm association on Cryptosporidium has yet to be investigated. The RAPPORTEUR project proposes to uncover the complex relationship between microplastic pollution and Cryptosporidium and to raise public awareness of this dual threat. The RAPPORTEUR integrates environmental science, microbiology, and public outreach to pave the way for interdisciplinary research. Given the global presence of microplastics and Cryptosporidium in fish and shellfish, this study will demonstrate a novel pathway by which anthropogenic pollutants may mediate pathogen transmission in the aquatic environment, with significant ramifications for wildlife and human health.