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New insights into the behavior of coexisting ciprofloxacin photodegradation accelerated by reactive oxygen species generated during aging of polystyrene microplastics
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This study found that polystyrene microplastics aged by sunlight absorbed significantly more of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin than fresh microplastics, and the combination was more toxic to organisms than either pollutant alone. The aging process created more surface area and chemical binding sites on the plastic particles. This is important because it means weathered microplastics in the real world can concentrate antibiotics and deliver higher toxic doses to organisms, potentially contributing to both direct toxicity and antibiotic resistance.
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