This resource holds survival data of human pathogens bound to microplastics during transfer through the freshwater-marine continuum. The survival of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonising polyethylene or glass particles was quantified in mesocosm incubation experiments designed to simulate, (1) the direct release of microplastics from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) into freshwater and seawater environments; and (2) the movement of microplastics downstream following discharge from the WWTP through the river-estuary-marine-beach continuum. Background bacterial concentrations and crystal violet were also measured. Full details about this nonGeographicDataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/c31c0b2a-ee5b-479f-84c3-ff1b0bfc6d84

This dataset contains experimental survival rate and transfer potential measurements of two known human pathogens, bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae, on plastic mulch and ready-to-eat crop plants. Colony forming units (CFUs) were used to measure persistence time of each pathogen on the mulch, and quantify the transfer of each pathogen from the plastic mulch to the surface of spinach and basil leaves. Samples were measured on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10 and 14, over a total period of 14 days. Destructive sampling methods were used to collect samples from the plastic and leaf surface, with negative control leaves also sampled at each time point. This dataset was created as part of a study investigating the risk of pathogen growth in agricultural environments using plastic mulch, and is supported by the National Environmental Research Council (NE/V005847/1). Full details about this nonGeographicDataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/a514a386-18d7-4925-a3d4-fb5a2922e135

This dataset contains information relating to the rate of colonisation of E. coli O157 on plastic and banana leaf, under simulated environmental conditions. The data encompass bacterial strain identity, material type, timepoints (days), temperature (°C), and bacterial concentration (CFU/ml). Data were sampled over defined periods using culture-based approaches. This work was supported by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as part of the GCRF SPACES project [grant number NE/V005847/1] and the Plastic Vectors project, “Microbial hitch-hikers of marine plastics: the survival, persistence & ecology of microbial communities in the ‘Plastisphere’” [grant number NE/S005196/1]. Full details about this nonGeographicDataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/abbc69c2-b799-4892-a339-fb1ffa4ea2f0

This dataset contains information relating to the survival and persistence of Salmonella spp. on plastic and glass, under conditions simulant of environmental UV exposure. The data encompass bacterial strain identity, material type, timepoints (days), temperature (°C), bacterial concentration (CFU/ml), survival percentages, and regression parameters. Data were sampled over a 21-day period using culture-based approaches; and the ability of isolates to cause disease following their recovery was determined through the use of a Galleria mellonella model. This work was supported by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as part of the GCRF SPACES project [grant number NE/V005847/1] and the Plastic Vectors project, “Microbial hitch-hikers of marine plastics: the survival, persistence & ecology of microbial communities in the ‘Plastisphere’” [grant number NE/S005196/1]. Full details about this nonGeographicDataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/57ef148f-8cfb-4ba6-b673-114b22b21613

This dataset contains information relating to the survival and persistence of clinically relevant strains of E. coli on plastic and cotton, under environmentally relevant conditions. The data encompass bacterial strain identity, material type, timepoints (days), bacterial concentration (CFU/ml) and survival percentages. Data were sampled over a 28-day period using culture-based approaches; and the ability of isolates to cause disease following their recovery was determined through the use of a Galleria mellonella model. This work was supported by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as part of the GCRF SPACES project [grant number NE/V005847/1] and the Plastic Vectors project, “Microbial hitch-hikers of marine plastics: the survival, persistence & ecology of microbial communities in the ‘Plastisphere’” [grant number NE/S005196/1]. Full details about this nonGeographicDataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/268cab8c-459c-4bf8-9b90-838c4d18efb2

In this mesocosm study, three types of wet wipes (plastic containing, and home and commercially compostable) colonised with E. coli were buried in beach sand and their degradation, tensile strength, and concentration of E. coli was quantified over 15 weeks. Wipes were firstly passed through a series of treatments to simulate their journey from the bathroom to the beach. Water characteristics (pH, salinity) of these water types were measured. Full details about this nonGeographicDataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/19a8083b-afa4-40b9-91bf-7a529eea870d

This dataset contains information on the volume of nectar consumed, metabolic rate and activity of bumblebees that were exposed to environmentally relevant dose rates of ionising radiation at the University of Stirling. Data is for two connected experiments collected via direct observation in a laboratory setting. The first experiment investigates variables during and after 10-days of radiation exposure and the second investigates these variables under a dose rate gradient. Funding for this work was via the TREE project funded by the NERC, Environment Agency and Radioactive Waste Management Ltd. under the RATE programme. Full details about this nonGeographicDataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/0da32d7f-eea1-4200-8fde-3a32d0d9ed05

This dataset contains the carbon and nitrogen content of soil organic matter fractions collected along grassland-to-forest conversion chronosequences. Four chronosequences of grassland-to-forest conversion were used across Scotland, from Alyth to Craik. Soil samples were collected in summer 2018. Soil samples were collected using soil corers. In 2020, soil samples were fractionated in the laboratory, and the elemental composition of bulk soil and soil fraction samples was determined. The goal of the study was to determine the changes in the quantity of soil organic carbon and nitrogen, and the form in which these carbon and nitrogen are stored. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/ad3d4c0a-66d5-4367-a41c-5f3cdff752f7

This dataset holds realistic environmental concentrations of potential pathogens colonising microplastic beads (nurdles) collected from ten Scottish beaches. Observed measures include concentrations and the present genes of Klebsiella bacteria isolated from the nurdles, as well as the salinity, electrical conductivity, turbidity, and polymer composition of the nurdles. In addition, an infection experiment was conducted to measure the virulence of the Klebsiella bacteria. Galleria melonella larvae were infected with the isolated Klebsiella bacteria and the number of living larvae was recorded. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/fdd72810-a57f-444f-83cf-f2351ef4c940

This dataset contains information relating to the survival and persistence of clinically relevant strains of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae on plastic and vegetation, under environmentally relevant conditions. The data encompass bacterial strain identity, material type, timepoints (days), bacterial concentration (CFU/ml) and survival percentages. Data were sampled over a 28-day period using culture-based approaches; and the ability of isolates to cause disease following their recovery was determined through the use of a Galleria mellonella model. The ability of isolates to persist on materials, dissociate from materials into water bodies, and recolonise materials was also determined. This work was supported by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as part of the GCRF SPACES project [grant number NE/V005847/1] and the Plastic Vectors project, “Microbial hitch-hikers of marine plastics: the survival, persistence & ecology of microbial communities in the ‘Plastisphere’” [grant number NE/S005196/1]. Full details about this nonGeographicDataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/b9bfdb6f-5e5e-496f-bf0c-bb9931f6046b