"This challenges the notion that microplastics are merely passive carriers of resistant bacteria and highlights their role as active hotspots for antimicrobial resistance evolution," lead study author Neila Gross, a Boston University PhD candidate, said in a press release from the American Society for Microbiology.

Microplastics, like the ones pictured here, have been linked to several health concerns. Researchers from Boston University identified another downside to microplastics -- bacteria exposed to them can become resistant to several types of antibiotics. gradt - stock.adobe.com