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Co‐Occurrence and Vertical Distribution of Antibiotics and Microplastics across Multiple Environmental Media in Typical Subtropical Estuaries
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Researchers studied water, groundwater, and sediment near two river mouths in China for antibiotics and microplastics. One estuary had more antibiotic contamination, while the other had more microplastics, especially in sediment. In one test site, both contaminants built up at similar shallow depths, but overall their levels were not clearly linked.
The land-sea interface is a key zone for contaminant transfer among surface water, sediments, the vadose zone, and groundwater, yet the co-occurrence of antibiotics and microplastics across these media remains poorly resolved. We investigated surface water, groundwater, sediment, and borehole-core samples from the Jiulong River Estuary and Dongxixi River Estuary, China. Antibiotic contamination was relatively more pronounced in the Jiulong River Estuary, whereas microplastic abundance, particularly in sediments, was higher in the Dongxixi River Estuary. In borehole XTZ02, both contaminants showed shallow subsurface enrichment within their overlapping depth range; microplastics > 300 μm occurred only in shallow intervals, consistent with size-selective subsurface redistribution. Total antibiotic concentrations were not significantly correlated with total microplastic abundance, and RDA identified no statistically significant overall environmental control. These findings highlight matrix-dependent contaminant behavior across the estuary-vadose zone-groundwater-sediment continuum.
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The Occurrence, Distribution, Environmental Effects, and Interactions of Microplastics and Antibiotics in the Aquatic Environment of China
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This review characterizes the co-occurrence of microplastics and antibiotics in Chinese aquatic environments, summarizing their sources, spatial distributions, and the environmental effects of their interactions.
Groundwater antibiotics and microplastics in a drinking-water source area, northern China: Occurrence, spatial distribution, risk assessment, and correlation
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Researchers surveyed groundwater in a drinking water source area in northern China and found both antibiotics and microplastics present across the sampled wells. They identified correlations between the two pollutants, suggesting common sources such as agricultural runoff and wastewater. The study raises concerns about the quality of groundwater used for drinking and highlights the need for monitoring these emerging contaminants together.
[Distribution of Microplastic and Antibiotic Resistance Gene Pollution in Jiulong River Estuary].
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This Chinese-language study characterized microplastic distribution in water and sediment from the Jiulong River estuary in China and measured antibiotic resistance gene abundance at the same sites. The researchers found that microplastic-rich areas tended to have higher concentrations of antibiotic resistance genes, consistent with the hypothesis that microplastics can harbor and spread resistant bacteria. The co-occurrence of these two types of pollution in estuaries poses combined ecological and public health risks.
Synergistic Pollution: Interactions Among Polyethylene, Surfactants, and Antibiotics in an Aquatic Environment
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Researchers investigated synergistic pollution effects among polyethylene microplastics, surfactants, and antibiotics in aquatic systems, finding that co-presence enhanced the environmental persistence and bioavailability of antibiotics beyond what microplastics or surfactants caused individually.
Effects of tidal action on the stability of microbiota, antibiotic resistance genes, and microplastics in the Pearl River Estuary, Guangzhou, China
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Researchers used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to study microbial diversity and the distribution of antibiotic resistance genes and microplastics in the Pearl River Estuary across areas with different land uses. The study found that tidal action influenced the stability and distribution of microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes, with different land use types showing distinct patterns of contamination.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.