0
Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Marine & Wildlife Remediation Sign in to save

Adsorption of Macrolide Antibiotics and a Metabolite onto Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polyethylene Microplastics in Aquatic Environments

Antibiotics 2024 17 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Carmen Mejías, Julia Martı́n, Laura Martín-Pozo, Juan Luís Santos, Irene Aparicio, Esteban Alonso

Summary

Researchers studied how four macrolide antibiotics and a metabolite adsorb onto polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene microplastics in water. They found that antibiotic adsorption followed a linear model, with PET showing higher adsorption capacity than polyethylene. The study suggests that microplastics in aquatic environments may serve as carriers for antibiotics, potentially affecting how these pharmaceutical pollutants are distributed in water systems.

Polymers

Microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics are emerging pollutants widely found in aquatic environments, potentially causing environmental harm. MPs may act as carriers for antibiotics, affecting their environmental distribution. This study investigates the adsorption of four macrolide antibiotics and a metabolite onto two types of MPs: polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene (PE). Results revealed a linear isotherm adsorption model, with higher adsorption to PET than to PE (R2 > 0.936 for PE and R2 > 0.910 for PET). Hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding could be the main adsorption mechanisms, with pore filling potentially involved. Reduced particle size enhances adsorption due to the increase of active adsorption sites. This increasement is more pronounced in PE than in PET, leading to an 11.6% increase in the average adsorption of all macrolides to PE, compared to only 5.1% to PET. Dissolved organic matter inhibits adsorption (azithromycin adsorption to PE was reduced from 12% to 5.1%), while salinity enhances it just until 1% salinity. pH slightly influences adsorption, with maximal adsorption at neutral pH. Results in real samples showed that complexity of the matrix decreased adsorption. Overall, these findings indicate that PE and PET MPs can be a vector of macrolides in aquatic environments.

Sign in to start a discussion.

More Papers Like This

Article Tier 2

Adsorption of antibiotics on microplastics

This study examined the adsorption of antibiotics onto different microplastic types, finding that sorption capacity depended on both the antibiotic's chemical properties and the plastic's surface characteristics, with implications for antibiotic transport in aquatic environments.

Article Tier 2

Investigation of antibiotic clarithromycin adsorption potential on microplastics

Researchers investigated the adsorption potential of the antibiotic clarithromycin onto various microplastic types under controlled laboratory conditions, examining how surface properties and environmental factors influence pharmaceutical-microplastic interactions. The study found that microplastics can adsorb clarithromycin, raising concern about microplastics acting as vectors for antibiotic transport and spread in aquatic environments.

Article Tier 2

Adsorption of a diverse range of pharmaceuticals to polyethylene microplastics in wastewater and their desorption in environmental matrices

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics adsorb pharmaceuticals in municipal wastewater and release them in environmental and biological fluids. They found that drug adsorption depended heavily on the compound's charge and hydrophobicity, with cationic and hydrophobic drugs adsorbing most readily. The study suggests that microplastics could act as vectors for certain pharmaceuticals, potentially transporting them through waterways and into organisms.

Article Tier 2

Sorption of tetracycline antibiotics by microplastics, associated mechanisms, and risk assessments

Researchers systematically investigated how three common microplastic types adsorb tetracycline antibiotics. The study found that polystyrene had the highest adsorption capacity at 178.57 micrograms per gram, followed by PVC and polyethylene, and that PVC and polystyrene strongly retained the antibiotics with minimal desorption, raising concerns about compound pollution from microplastic-antibiotic combinations in the environment.

Article Tier 2

Adsorption of tetracyclines onto polyethylene microplastics: A combined study of experiment and molecular dynamics simulation

The adsorption of three tetracycline antibiotics (TC, CTC, and OTC) onto polyethylene microplastics was studied in aqueous solution through a combination of batch experiments and computational modeling. Results showed that hydrophobic interactions and surface properties of PE microplastics drive tetracycline adsorption, contributing to antibiotic accumulation on environmental plastic debris.

Share this paper