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Adsorption-desorption behavior of sulfamethazine on biodegradable polyester microplastics: Effects of sunlight vs. sewage microbial exposure
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Effects of biofilm modification on polyethylene microplastics-associated sulfamethazine adsorption
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A 28-day study found that biofilm colonization on polyethylene microplastics increased their adsorption of the antibiotic sulfamethazine by 2–2.6-fold, driven by hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, and CH/π interactions. This demonstrates that microplastics in aquatic environments become more dangerous over time as biofilms form on their surfaces, amplifying their ability to accumulate and transport harmful pollutants through ecosystems.
Adsorption behaviors and mechanisms of azithromycin on degradable and non-degradable microplastics aged with UV/sodium percarbonate
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Scientists found that when microplastics (both regular plastic and "eco-friendly" biodegradable plastic) get weathered by sunlight and cleaning chemicals used in wastewater treatment, their surfaces become rougher and chemically altered, making them up to 4 times better at soaking up azithromycin, a common antibiotic that surged in use during COVID-19. This matters because these antibiotic-loaded microplastics could act as carriers, potentially transporting drugs through water systems and the environment in ways that aren't fully understood yet, including possibly contributing to antibiotic resistance or human exposure down the line.
Adsorption behavior of imidacloprid pesticide on polar microplastics under environmental conditions: critical role of photo-aging
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UV photo-aging altered the surface chemistry of polyamide and polylactic acid microplastics in opposing ways, decreasing imidacloprid pesticide adsorption on polyamide by 19% while increasing it on PLA by 41%, with electrostatic forces, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals interactions governing the uptake. These results show that environmental weathering significantly changes how microplastics interact with pesticides, meaning aged particles in natural settings may carry different contaminant loads than fresh plastics studied in laboratory conditions.
Adsorption of BDE-209 to Polyethylene Microplastics: Effect of Microplastics Property and Metal Ions
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Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect the binding of a common flame retardant (BDE-209) in soil, finding that microplastics slightly reduced the soil's overall capacity to hold the pollutant, with smaller and less-aged plastic particles having the largest effect on contaminant behavior.
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