We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Influence of microplastics on the availability of antibiotics in soils
Summary
Researchers tested how three common types of microplastics affect the availability of antibiotics in different soil types. They found that microplastics significantly reduced the amount of antibiotics accessible in soil by providing extra binding sites and altering soil chemistry. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could change how antibiotics move through the environment.
Microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics, as two major types of emerging pollutants, inevitably coexist in the soil environment due to agricultural film residue, sewage irrigation and sludge application. However, the impact of MPs on antibiotic availability in soils with varying characteristics has not been extensively studied. Therefore, in this study, an interference experiment was conducted using three types of MPs (polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP)) in red soil, paddy soil and cinnamon soil. The available antibiotics in soils were evaluated using diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT). Results showed that MPs had a significant impact on the amount of antibiotics adsorbed on soil solid (C) by providing additional binding sites or altering soil characteristics (e.g., pH and dissolved organic carbon). The most significant effects on C were observed in cinnamon soil, and the C values were dependent on concentration of MPs. The available antibiotics, as measured by DGT significantly decreased after the addition of MPs. This decrease was influenced by the soil characteristics. However, the concentration of antibiotics in soil solutions (C) was only slightly impacted by MPs. Therefore, the influence of MPs on the migration of antibiotics was reflected by their impact on the soil/water partition coefficient (K), while the resupply ability (R) from the soil solid phase was less influential. Moreover, the dosage of MPs had a significant effect on the availability of antibiotics in CS by promoting the adsorption of antibiotics on the solid phase, while in RS and PS, the soil properties played a dominate role in the changes in antibiotic availability after MP addition. These results indicate that the impact of MPs on available antibiotics mainly depends on soil properties. In addition, DGT measurement is more sensitive than soil solution to investigate the effects of coexisting pollutants on the behavior of antibiotics in soil.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Impact of Microplastics on Ciprofloxacin Adsorption Dynamics and Mechanisms in Soil
Researchers investigated how microplastics affect the adsorption dynamics and mechanisms of ciprofloxacin (an antibiotic) in soil, finding that microplastics competed with soil particles for antibiotic binding and altered the overall fate and mobility of ciprofloxacin in the soil environment.
Effects of co-loading of polyethylene microplastics and ciprofloxacin on the antibiotic degradation efficiency and microbial community structure in soil
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics and the antibiotic ciprofloxacin together affect soil microbial communities and antibiotic degradation. The study found that co-loading of microplastics with antibiotics altered microbial community structure and affected the rate of antibiotic degradation in soil, suggesting microplastic contamination may influence how soils process pharmaceutical pollutants.
A contrasting alteration of sulfamethoxazole bioaccessibility in two different soils amended with polyethylene microplastic: In-situ measurement using diffusive gradients in thin films
Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics altered the bioaccessibility of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole differently in two soil types, increasing it in sandy soil but decreasing it in clay soil, demonstrating that soil composition critically mediates microplastic-antibiotic interactions.
Do Microplastics in Soil Influence the Bioavailability of Sulfamethoxazole to Plants?
Researchers investigated how three types of microplastics affect the availability and toxicity of the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole in soil using sorghum plants. They found that low concentrations of the antibiotic actually stimulated plant growth, while higher concentrations inhibited it, and the presence of microplastics generally reduced the antibiotic's toxicity. The study highlights that microplastics in agricultural soils can alter how pharmaceutical contaminants behave, with polystyrene having the strongest effect on drug availability.
Enhance in mobility of oxytetracycline in a sandy loamy soil caused by the presence of microplastics
Researchers used batch and column experiments to study how the presence of polyamide (PA) microplastics affects the sorption and transport of the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) in sandy loamy soil. They found that PA microplastics increased soil pH and reduced overall OTC sorption, leading to enhanced mobility of the antibiotic through the soil column, raising concerns about accelerated antibiotic transport to groundwater in microplastic-contaminated agricultural soils.